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Leslie's late score lifts Iowa

©Associated Press

March 18, 2003


IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Chauncey Leslie scored 15, including the winning basket with 14.4 seconds left, to give Iowa a 62-60 victory over Valparaiso in the first round Monday night.

With 30 seconds left and Valparaiso up 60-59, Leslie got the ball on the wing, sliced down the lane and sank a pullup jumper in traffic.

Valparaiso's Stalin Ortiz missed a shot from the baseline, and the rebound bounced off the hands of a teammate and out of bounds.

The first meeting between the teams was a seesaw struggle, with neither leading by more than eight. There were three ties and 10 lead changes in the final 14 minutes.

Jared Reiner, Sean Sonderleiter and Brody Boyd scored 11 each for the Hawkeyes (16-13). Reiner, who also had 10 rebounds, was scoreless until 6:14 remained, when he gave Iowa a 54-52 lead.

Valparaiso (20-11) shot 46.3 percent from the floor but 21.4 percent from 3-point range.

OHIO ST.: Forward Zach Williams was suspended for the rest of the season by coach Jim O'Brien for arguing with an assistant coach during the Big Ten tournament championship.

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