After a trying nonconference slate that pitted the Buckeyes against five top-25 opponents, No. 13 Ohio State got of on the right foot in Big Ten play, cruising past Minnesota 87-62.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 29 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 87 |
| Minnesota | 18 | 15 | 10 | 19 | 62 |
As usual, Kelsey Mitchell led the way offensively. The high-powered scorer put up a game-high 16 points in the first half, scoring 12 of those points from behind the arc. Mitchell added seven more in the second half to bring her total to 23 on the night.
Perhaps even more impressive overall was her counterpart, Linnae Harper. In just her fourth game at Ohio State, the Kentucky transfer registered her first double-double as a Buckeye scoring 12 points and pulling down 12 boards. Harper, just a 5-8 guard, led the team in rebounds on the night, just as she did on the season her sophomore year at Kentucky.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | Minnesota |
|---|---|---|
| 87 | POINTS | 62 |
| 33-85 (39%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 20-70 (29%) |
| 9-26 (35%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 3-20 (15%) |
| 12-20 (60%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 19-28 (68%) |
| 12 | TURNOVERS | 24 |
| 55 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 56 |
| 21 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 20 |
| 34 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 36 |
| 39 | BENCH POINTS | 15 |
| 7 | BLOCKS | 2 |
| 9 | STEALS | 3 |
| 14 | ASSISTS | 13 |
Once again, Ohio State won the turnover battle. The Buckeyes forced 24 Minnesota turnovers, nine coming on steals, leading to 18 points the other way while only turning the ball over 12 times themselves.
The Buckeyes controlled the game from the start, hopping out to a 10-point lead midway through the first quarter and held the lead near that margin most of the first half, taking a 46-33 lead into halftime.
In the second half, the Buckeyes gradually pulled away, mostly thanks to Minnesota's inability to hit a three-pointer. The Gophers went a disastrous 3-for-20 from three throughout the game, rendering them unable to cut the deficit.
Ohio State held Minnesota to just one field goal in the last 5:33 and coasted to an 87-62 win to open conference play.
With the win, Ohio State improves to 11-4 on the season and 1-0 to start Big Ten play. Next up, the Buckeyes travel to face Indiana Saturday at 3 p.m.
