COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Some Iowa fans have groused that the Hawkeyes are too soft. In their Big Ten opener, they turned that criticism on its ear. Jarrod Uthoff and Aaron White each scored 18 points to lift the Hawkeyes past No. 20 Ohio State 71-65 Tuesday in the Big Ten opener for both teams. “We came with an aggressive mindset,” Uthoff said. “That was the big key to us winning. We hit the offensive boards, we got to the rim and we got a lot of free throws.” There was no question that the Hawkeyes (10-4, 1-0) were the aggressor, particularly in the opening 4 minutes. They attacked Ohio State’s 2-3 zone and the Buckeyes’ press, frequently passing behind the defense for easy dunks. “I have to give credit to Iowa because they played very hard,” said Ohio State forward Marc Loving, who had 10 points. “They created a lot of turnovers and we were stagnant in the first half.” The Hawkeyes hit their first five shots from the field, including both 3-pointers, and added 5 of 6 free throws in taking a 17-5 lead in the opening 4 minutes. White, an Ohio native cheered by a throng of family and friends, had seven points and Peter Jok had five in the quick spurt. The Hawkeyes never trailed after the opening minute, building leads of up to 12 points in the opening half. When Ohio State turned up the pressure late, they played through it and made plays. Iowa led 43-31 at the half but Ohio State (11-3, 0-1) came back. D’Angelo Russell, the Buckeyes’ leading scorer at nearly 18 points a game, returned from sitting out with four fouls and drilled a 3 with 3:25 left to cut the Hawkeyes’ lead to 63-60. …
Continue Reading: Big plays at end help Iowa upset No. 20 Ohio State
