Absolutely huge game coming up in less than an hour.
Two streaking teams hit the court when the Ohio State Buckeyes (19-0, 8-0 Big Ten) host the Iowa Hawkeyes (15-4, 7-1 Big Ten) on Monday, January 23, 2023 at 7:00 PM ET. The Buckeyes put their 19-game win streak on the line against the Hawkeyes, winners of four straight. Ohio State knocked off Northwestern 84-54 in the team's last action on Thursday. Taylor Mikesell scored a team-high 18 points in the victory. Caitlin Clark's 26 points helped lead Iowa to an 84-81 overtime win over Michigan State in the team's last outing on Wednesday.
Ohio State Team Stats
Ohio State heads into the matchup with an 86.3 points per game average on the season, 15.7 more than the 70.6 Iowa allows per contest. The Buckeyes are 18-0 in games when they score at least 71 points. The Buckeyes have out-shot their opponents from distance this season, knocking down eight three-pointers per game while giving up 5.3 made threes by their opponents. When Ohio State shoots its average from beyond the arc this season, the Buckeyes are 11-0.
Iowa Team Stats
Iowa heads into the matchup with an 87.9 points per game average on the season, 25.0 more than the 62.9 Ohio State gives up per contest. The Hawkeyes are 15-4 in games when they put up at least 63 points. The Hawkeyes are shooting 75.8 percent from the charity stripe as a team, good for fifth in the Big Ten. Clark is leading Iowa with 6.6 made free throws a game (shooting 83 percent from the line).
Ohio State Players to Watch
Mikesell leads Ohio State in scoring, averaging 18.5 points and 1.6 steals per game. The Buckeyes leading rebounder is Taylor Thierry, who averages 6.5 boards per game in addition to scoring 12.2 points. Madison Greene is the team's best passer, tallying 5.0 assists to go with 10.9 points per game. Mikesell is the most prolific shooter for Ohio State, making 3.2 treys per game while shooting 40 percent from downtown.
Iowa Players to Watch
Clark has been productive for Iowa, leading the team in scoring (26.7 points per game), rebounding (7.6 rebounds per game) and assisting (7.4 assists per game). Monika Czinano tacks on 17.9 points and 6.6 rebounds for the Hawkeyes, and McKenna Warnock averages 11.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Clark is a player to watch on the perimeter for Iowa. She leads the Hawkeyes shooting attack, making 36 percent of her shots from downtown while averaging 3.1 makes per game.
