Ohio State Women’s Basketball Fights Past Iowa in Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals, 60-59

After receiving a bye through the first two rounds of the tournament, the third-seeded Buckeyes eked out a 60-59 victory over the Hawkeyes on Friday night in Indianapolis, punching their ticket to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, where Ohio State will face No. 2 seed UCLA on Saturday (5:30 p.m., Big Ten Network).

A pair of defensive stops in the game’s final minute by Ohio State combined with a pair of free throws by Cotie McMahon, who led all scorers in the game with 18 points, allowed the Buckeyes to earn a one-point victory over the Hawkeyes. Taylor Thierry added 14 points for the Buckeyes while Ajae Petty grabbed 12 rebounds for Ohio State. 

McMahon kicked off a hot start for the Buckeyes, making 3-pointers on two of Ohio State’s first three possessions as the Buckeyes got out to a 14-5 start. Ohio State led for the entire first quarter, ultimately finishing the quarter with a 14-9 lead as Iowa shot just 3-of-17 from the field in the first 10 minutes.

With McMahon on the bench after picking up two first-quarter fouls, Iowa scored nine of the first 13 points of the second quarter to tie the game at 18-all. Ohio State responded with a 6-0 run to pull back out in front, but Iowa went on a 10-0 run from there to take its first lead of the game in the final minute of the second quarter. A three-point play by Thierry put Ohio State back in front by one, and Ohio State’s defense held Iowa scoreless on the half’s final possession to preserve a 29-28 halftime lead.

Iowa scored nine of the first 13 points again in the third quarter to take a 37-33 lead over the Buckeyes. Ohio State tied the game with a 6-2 run that included two Kennedy Cambridge 3-pointers. After the teams traded two-point buckets on their next three combined possessions, Thierry scored five consecutive points with a 3-pointer, a steal and a fast-break layup to give Ohio State a 46-43 lead. Kylie Feuerbach tied the game with a three on Iowa’s subsequent possession. An Eboni Walker putback just before the third-quarter buzzer gave Ohio State a 48-46 lead entering the final frame.

Eboni Walker comes off the bench and immediately makes a huge play for @OhioStateWBB #B1GWBBT on @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/fo7X5w6YfJ

— Big Ten Women's Basketball (@B1Gwbball) March 8, 2025

Hannah Stuelke scored the first two points of the fourth quarter to tie the game again before Thierry put the Buckeyes back in front with a three. Another three by Thierry gave Ohio State a six-point lead with 4:10 to play, but an 8-1 run by Iowa that included two threes by Sydney Affolter gave Iowa a 59-58 lead with 1:18 to play.

Ohio State turned the ball over on its next possession, but it forced a defensive stop on Iowa’s next possession, giving the Buckeyes a chance to win the game. McMahon was fouled on a drive to the basket and converted two free throws, and Iowa’s final two shot attempts by Affolter and Stuelke were unsuccessful, securing a one-point win for Ohio State.

WHAT A FINISH! #B1GWBBT x @OhioStateWBB pic.twitter.com/LFf0Q0Mlsk

— Big Ten Conference (@bigten) March 8, 2025

With the win, Ohio State snapped a streak of 11 straight Big Ten Tournament wins by Iowa dating back to 2022.

"We found a way."

Hear from Kevin McGuff after @OhioStateWBB wins in back-and-forth thriller against Iowa #B1GWBBT pic.twitter.com/q0h4pa3LOJ

— Big Ten Women's Basketball (@B1Gwbball) March 8, 2025

The Buckeyes, who improved to 25-5 on the season with Friday’s win, now face the challenge of trying to upset one of the nation’s best teams in the semifinals. UCLA, which improved to 28-2 on the season with its 85-74 quarterfinal win over No. 10 seed Nebraska, handed Ohio State a 65-52 loss in the regular-season meeting between the teams on Feb. 5 in Los Angeles.

Team Stats