Iowa, UNI win key conference games

For the first time this season the Iowa Hawkeyes have won back-to-back Big Ten games. Brody Boyd poured in a career high 25-points as the Hawkeyes cruised to a 78-67 win at Ohio State, moving the Hawkeyes to 7-5 in conference action. Boyd says it was huge knowing they could come in get the win, as he says they know they need to get some road wins. Boyd finished eight of 12 from the field, including six of nine from three point range. He says he’s been shooting the ball better and says his confidence is up right now. He says that’s helped when you hit three or four in a row.It is Iowa’s eighth win in Columbus in their last nine visits and coach Steve Alford said there is no obvious reason the Hawkeyes have done so well there. He says some of it is timing, especially when they play one game. He says the team busted their tails for 40 minutes.Alford says Boyd along with fellow senior Greg Worley are providing good leadership down the stretch.Ohio State coach Jim O’Brien said a 14-2 Iowa run that covered the final minutes of the first half and the opening moments of the second half was a big key. He says they took a couple of good shots and had a couple of turnovers that hurt them.Iowa is off until next Wednesday’s game at home against IllinoisIn Cedar Falls, sophomore guard Erik Crawford tied his career high with 24 points, and four other Panther players scored in double figures, as the University of Northern Iowa defeated Wichita State, 85-80, Wednesday night at the UNI-Dome. Crawford hit 8-of-10 shots from the field and was 3-for-4 on three-pointers, while adding five assists and four rebounds. He also hit five clutch free throws in the game’s final 30 seconds to help secure the win. The Panthers are 14-9 overall and 9-6 and in fourth place in the Missouri Valley Conference. The win though moves them to within one game of the third-place Shockers with three conference games remaining.