In what has become quite a familiar scene for those watching Iowa women’s basketball this season, the Hawkeyes came back from yet another halftime deficit to ease ahead of Ohio State, 77-68.

The win is the team’s 31st consecutive victory at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, extending the second longest home winning streak in the nation. It’s also the latest in a long line of recent comeback victories for the Hawkeyes.

“We’re fortunate to have had some close games here lately,” Meyer said. “It is really going to help us later in the season when it comes tournament time.”

Iowa’s offense got the looks it wanted early on with Monika Czinano, who dominated early on in the paint. Despite this, the Buckeyes continued to answer with 3’s. Ohio State was accurate from deep to end the second quarter, going into halftime on a 15-8 scoring run.

The third quarter continued to be back and forth between the two conference foes. With five minutes left in the quarter, Iowa forced a major momentum swing after a streaking layup from Makenzie Meyer and a stuffing block from Amanda Ollinger had the Carver crowd fired up.

Ollinger anchoring Iowa’s defense may not have her in the limelight, but it is a role she has embraced.

“It’s not a secret I’m not the biggest scorer on the team but I try to bring my presence in other areas,” Ollinger said. “I think that’s what makes our team so successful, is because people just focus on their role and being the best they can be.”

Iowa forced the Buckeyes to go inside in the second half, with the Buckeyes nailing just one 3-pointer in the entire final 20 minutes after making five in the first quarter alone. Despite lacking many open looks, the Buckeyes attempted 15 shots from beyond the arc in the second half.

Another Ollinger block and Meyer three finally earned the Hawkeyes their first lead since midway through the second quarter.

Ohio State fought back against the roaring Carver-Hawkeye Arena, managing to draw fouls and getting several key offensive rebounds. With just under five minutes to play, an incredible dish from Doyle to Ollinger set up an easy two, giving Iowa a four-point cushion.

It would ultimately be Kathleen Doyle who would get Iowa across the finish line. The senior made several key drives to the lane late in the contest. She put the game out of reach with just under a minute left, drawing an and-one to put Iowa ahead 75-66.

The win gave Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder her 200th career Big Ten victory. Bluder joins Rutgers’ Vivian Stringer as the only Big Ten women’s basketball coaches to pass that milestone.

A major part of Iowa’s success came at the free throw line, where the team went 19-of-21 and made more free throws than Ohio State attempted. The 12 made free throws in the fourth quarter were not an accident.

“We’re definitely trying to get to that free throw line,” Bluder said. “We know we have good shooters.”

With the victory, Iowa moves into first place in the Big Ten standings as the team nears the halfway mark of its conference schedule.