Ohio State entered Thursday's matchup as huge favorites, and they left as big winners. The Buckeyes throttled conference foe Nebraska, 96-70.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 26 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 96 |
| Nebraska | 17 | 17 | 12 | 24 | 70 |
The Buckeyes were hot from the start. It took less than four minutes for all five starters to record a bucket, and the team shot near 60 percent from the field for much of the first half.
The points weren't coming from one source, either. Five Buckeyes had scored in double figures – Alexa Hart (18), Kelsey Mitchell (16), Ameryst Alston (16), Shayla Cooper (16) and Asia Doss (13).
Hart, in particular, was impressive. Matched up against one of the conference's premier post players in Jessica Shepherd, Hart led the Buckeyes in points while holding Shepherd to a relatively quiet 20 points.
Of course, it wasn't always a one-on-one battle. Ohio State did a spectacular job at moving the ball leading to high percentage buckets.
Also nice find by @Kelz_Hoop for an easy lay-in for @HoopItUp_34 pic.twitter.com/qjn275zQuS
— OSU W Basketball (@OhioState_WBB) February 18, 2016
Often lost in the star-power of Mitchell and Alston is the play of Asia Doss. Her contributions aren't as eye-popping on the stat-sheet, but her effort was certainly on display tonight.
Steal and a nice little spin by @AsiaDoss_ for 2. pic.twitter.com/4mwz7ATQjf
— OSU W Basketball (@OhioState_WBB) February 18, 2016
.@AsiaDoss_ saves the ball and then knocks the three down from the corner. pic.twitter.com/zpfQB1DFsy
— OSU W Basketball (@OhioState_WBB) February 19, 2016
The win is the Buckeyes' 10th straight – the team's longest streak since 2012. Ohio State sits alone atop the Big Ten standings with effectively a two-game lead on second-place Maryland, as OSU owns the tiebreaker.
Next up, the Buckeyes play host to Illinois 2 p.m., Saturday on senior day. Guards Ameryst Alston and Cait Craft are set to play their last regular season game at Value City Arena.
