| Teams | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 14 | 20 | 20 | 24 | 10 | 88 |
| Minnesota | 9 | 21 | 27 | 21 | 12 | 90 |
Ohio State entered its road test against Minnesota coming off one of the best offensive performances in school history, scoring 117 points thanks to a combined 78 points from Ameryst Alston and Kelsey Mitchell. Whether it be a hangover effect or something else entirely, the hot-shooting did not carry over into Wednesday night's game, and the Buckeyes fell 90-88 in an overtime thriller.
Normally a dominant three-point shooting team, the Buckeyes struggled behind the arc, Wednesday. The team shot a lackluster 6-26 from behind the line on the game and was getting very little scoring from their typically superb backcourt.
After one of her career-best performances Sunday night, when she averaged 2.5 points per shot attempt, Kelsey Mitchell was kept quiet most of the night. The Buckeye star was just 1-for-12 from the field with three points until late in the third quarter. Though she finished with 21 points and a career-best 9 rebounds, her five turnovers and slow start were too much for Ohio State to overcome.
Where the backcourt lacked, however, the frontcourt picked up the slack. Shayla Cooper and Alexa Hart dominated down low, combining for 39 points and 28 rebounds on the game, each notching double-doubles. The duo kept the Buckeyes in the contest for much of the game, scoring the bulk of the team's points when the guards' shot weren't falling.
Despite the cold perimeter shooting from Ohio State, the game remained close all night with the Buckeyes actually owning the largest lead of the contest (11 points) midway through the third quarter. For most of the game, it was a back and forth battle consisting of 13 lead changes and 12 ties – none bigger than this one which sent the game to overtime.
ALLEY-OOP BUZZER BEATER with 0.5 seconds left!! @OhioState_WBB sends it into OVERTIME vs @GopherWBB #BTNStandout https://t.co/qjllno2q2H
— BTN Student U (@BTNStudentU) February 25, 2016
Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, they couldn't finish in overtime. The game was tied 88-88 when sophomore guard Carlie Wagner scored to give the Gophers a 2-point lead with under a 0.8 remaining on the clock. This time, Ohio State couldn't get a shot off in time, falling 90-88.
Minnesota star Rachel Banham was nothing short of terrific. A game after breaking the all-time Big Ten scoring record, the senior put up a game-high 35 points to lead her team to victory against the nation's No. 5 team – on senior night no less. The win was enormous for the Gophers, as it drastically improves the team's NCAA Tournament resume, likely pushing them off the bubble and solidly into the field.
For the Buckeyes, they still hold a half-game lead in the Big Ten, having played one more game than Maryland. Ohio State does own the tie-breaker over the Terrapins, however, after beating them twice in the regular season.
With a win Saturday at No. 20 Michigan State, the Buckeyes would clinch at least a share of the Big Ten regular season title and the top-seed in the Big Ten tournament.
