CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Gabriel Olaseni had 15 points and 12 rebounds and Number 15 Iowa overcame Illinois’ furious comeback to pull out an 81-74 victory Saturday night. The Hawkeyes (17-5, 6-3 Big Ten) led by 21 points just over 12 minutes into the game and were battering the Illini with their bench and Big Ten-best rebounding.

Illinois (13-9, 2-7) fought its way back and took a 62-61 lead on a 3-pointer by Tracy Abrams with 10:18 left in the game. But Iowa stayed close and took the lead for good at 72-70 on a bucket by Mike Gesell with 3:50 to play. Joseph Bertrand scored 20 points and Rayvonte Rice added 13 for Illinois, which lost its seventh straight game.

Roy Devyn Marble led the Hawkeyes with 17 points and Aaron White added 14 in Champaign.

The Iowa women’s basketball team lost for just the second time in its last seven games, Saturday, 80-to 67 against Nebraska. An announced crowd of 8,021 was on hand to watch the Hawkeyes play their final regular-season weekend home game. An announced crowd of 8,021 was on hand to watch the Hawkeyes play their final regular-season weekend home game.

Samantha Logic continued to drive the team, with Bethany Doolittle blocking her way further up the record book. Logic scored a team-high 22 points, thanks mostly to a career-high 5-of-7 performance from 3-point range, and Doolittle blocked five shots to move past Megab Skouby into third place on the UI career chart with 155. But neither of those impressive feats were enough to slay the Cornhuskers on Mediacom Court inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Iowa returns to action Thursday against No. 12 Penn State in State College, Pa. The teams met Jan. 5 in Iowa City with the Hawkeyes coming out on the short end of an 87-71 score. The good news? After that loss Iowa went on to win five of its next six games.

(HawkeyeSports.com)

ANKENY, Iowa (AP) — A central Iowa high school is trying to convince girls to go out for track and field by warning them not to turn out like troubled pop star Justin Bieber.

The Des Moines Register says Ankeny Centennial High School has posted a tongue-in-cheek flyer sporting one of Bieber’s latest police mug shots. It reads: “Justin Bieber never ran track. Now he’s in jail. Coincidence? Don’t Beliebe it. Don’t end up like Bieber. Run track.”

The 19-year-old Bieber was arrested Jan. 23 during what police describe as an illegal street drag race. He was charged with driving under the influence, resisting arrest and having an invalid driver’s license and has pleaded not guilty. He was also charged Wednesday with assault in Toronto, accused of hitting a limousine driver in December.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Sophomore Georges Niang scored a career-high 27 points and No. 16 Iowa State held off 23rd-ranked Oklahoma 81-75 on Saturday for just its second win in six games. Melvin Ejim had 22 points with 16 rebounds for his 28th double-double as the Cyclones (16-4, 4-4 Big 12) moved back to .500 in the Big 12.

Oklahoma had pulled within three points when Niang buried a 3 to put Iowa Stata ahead 76-70 with 55.5 second left. Buddy Hield scored a career-high 30 points for Oklahoma (17-5, 6-3), which saw its winning streak snapped at four games. The Sooners lost despite outrebounding Iowa State 46-33.

NORMAL, Ill. (AP) — Reggie Lynch opened the second half with a dunk as Illinois State emphatically pulled away from cold-shooting Drake after halftime for a 75-57 win on Saturday. Bobby Hunter topped the Redbirds (12-10, 5-5 Missouri Valley Conference) with 19 points and no turnovers. Nick Zeisloft added 15 points, all from deep (5-for-7 on 3-pointers). Lynch finished with 10.

Drake, trailing 43-35 at the half, didn’t score until Trevor Berkeley hit a pair of free throws with 14:39 to play. The Bulldogs (12-10, 3-7) didn’t make a field goal for nearly 10 minutes. By then, Illinois State led 57-40 before Berkeley scored with 10:26 to play, breaking a string of 10 misses by Drake.

Berkeley finished with a career-high 13 points. Illinois State was out-rebounded 41-27 but Drake was hampered by 34.5 percent shooting and 14 turnovers. The Redbirds shot 51.1 percent from the field, including 12 of 23 3-pointers.