COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Iowa men’s basketball team already blew one double-digit lead to Ohio State this season. The Hawkeyes weren’t going to let it happen again.

Iowa let an 11-point second-half lead go away in its four-point home loss to Ohio State on Feb. 4. The team’s 14-point halftime lead dwindled down to two just over three minutes into the second half, and it stayed within single-digits for the next eight minutes. But unlike the previous meeting, the Hawkeyes held off the Buckeye run and went on one of their own to win, 73-57.

The win is No. 9 Iowa’s 18th of the season (18-7 overall, 12-6 Big Ten). After winning seven games in a row, No. 4 Ohio State (18-7, 12-7) has now lost three games in a row.

The Hawkeyes led by as many as 16 points in the first half. But the Buckeyes used a 14-4 run out of halftime to get back into the game. Iowa’s defense tightened up after that and Luka Garza (24 points on 10-of-14 shooting, plus 11 rebounds) and Joe Wieskamp (19 points, five 3-pointers) led the way for the Hawkeyes offensively.

After the Buckeyes cut the game to two points, the Hawkeyes went on a 29-15 run to close the game.

Ohio State hit 14 3-pointers in the first meeting between the teams, but only made five on Sunday, going 5-of-17 from deep. Iowa hit 10 3-pointers and shot 47 percent from the field in its victory.

Iowa returns to the court Thursday when it hosts Nebraska at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Jordan Bohannon breaks program’s assist record

Redshirt senior point guard Jordan Bohannon became the Iowa men’s basketball program’s all-time leader in assists with 2:28 remaining in the first half of Sunday’s game.

At the top of the key, Bohannon passed left to Joe Wieskamp, who hit the 3-pointer to give Bohannon his 613th career assist and the record. Bohannon passed Jeff Horner’s mark of 612 assists.

Bohannon finished the game with eight points, four rebounds, and five assists (giving him 615 for his career).

Hawkeye bench strong despite loss of Nunge

Jack Nunge tore the meniscus in his right knee in Iowa’s Thursday loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor. He was the team’s leading scorer and rebounder off the bench and the Hawkeyes will miss his production moving forward.

But other players in Iowa’s second unit stepped up against Ohio State.

Keegan Murray was the first player off the bench to see the court for the Hawkeyes. The freshman scored eight points on 4-of-8 shooting, while also totaling five rebounds, two steals, and a block.

Joe Toussaint played maybe his best game of the season, dishing off seven assists off the bench. Both Murray and Toussaint played pivotal defense in Iowa’s man-to-man scheme.

Head coach Fran McCaffery only played an eight-man lineup (Patrick McCaffery being Iowa’s third bench player to play) but Iowa’s bench outscored Ohio State’s 15-10.

Hawkeyes take care of the ball, and share it, too

Bohannon broke the career assist record, and Toussaint totaled seven assists of his own. So it makes sense that Iowa totaled 19 assists on 29 made shots.

The Hawkeyes only turned the ball over five times, yet forced 13 Buckeye turnovers. Iowa outscored Ohio State 15-6 off of turnovers.