Takeaways: Hawkeyes Top Ohio St.

Iowa Avenges Last Month's Loss in Columbus Thursday Night

For about 17 minutes Thursday night, struggling Ohio State gave the home-standing Hawkeyes all they wanted. Then Iowa clicked and turned out the lights in a 92-75 victory. 

Trailing by one with about 2:56 remaining before halftime, the Hawkeyes took off on an 18-2 run during the next 5 minutes, 20 seconds of game clock. They increased their advantage to 20 during the next 4:11 to gain control of the contest. 

Here are The Takeaways: 

-Despite leading by 20 with 2:39 left in the game, four of Iowa's starters remained in the game. Coach Fran McCaffery looked upset during a timeout around that time. 

The veteran bench boss must have been annoyed to risk injury and not save legs heading into Sunday's showdown with second-place Northwestern in Evanston. 

McCaffery showed frustration with his team following a 93-77 beatdown by the Buckeyes on Jan. 21 in Columbus. Ohio State lost all seven contests since that win against the Hawkeyes. 

They looked sluggish at times during Thursday's contest, similar to what happened at last-place Minnesota Sunday. McCaffery knew upcoming opponents have been performing well and likely wanted momentum heading to Evanston. 

-Coming into tonight, I thought Patrick McCaffery was settling nicely into his bench role. He started before an in-season break for mental health that ended six games ago. 

Despite a tough night shooting, his Thursday performance didn't change my mind. He continued bringing good energy, a scoring threat and length on both ends of the court. 

Patrick took good shots, for the most part, but connected on only 3 of 8 field-goal attempts, including just 1 of 5 from behind the three-point arc. He played off both feet, a key, and posted nine points, five rebounds, an assist and a steal with no turnovers in 20:42. 

Iowa is a better team with Patrick McCaffery playing if he's well. 

-Let's complete the McCaffery trifecta with Connor. The super senior guard, brother to Patrick and eldest son of Fran, dished out a career-best 13 assists. He did so without a turnover in 35:13. 

For good measure, Connor contributed seven points (2-4 FG, 1-3 3PT FG), six rebounds and a pair of steals. He also played his usual hard-nosed defense against multiple positions. 

Connor McCaffery is playing the best basketball of his career. You don't want to consider where this team would be without him. 

-Kris Murray and Tony Perkins provided what this team needs from them - Scoring. They combined for 44 points on 19-of-29 shooting from the floor. They teamed up to go 5-of-8 from beyond the arc. 

Murray and Perkins are the Hawkeyes' most capable in creating their own shots. When they're doing so, Iowa operates at its highest level. 

That's not a knock at all on Filip Rebraca, Ahron Ulis, Payton Sandfort and others. They're strong offensive players. And they're even better when Murray and Perkins are attracting attention. 

-The Hawkeyes have experienced difficulties in out-rebounding opponents this season. That it didn't happen Thursday was a positive development. 

They're -0.6 on the glass during conference play this season, which ranks ninth in the Big Ten. That's not awful. If Iowa can keep from getting beaten up on the backboards in a given game, it's usually in good shape. 

Thursday, the Hawkeyes enjoyed a 30-22 rebounding advantage. That helped them to a 15-4 bulge in second-chance points. 

That'll play.