Maryland had never lost a conference game since joining the Big Ten and hadn't lost a home game since January of 2014. Both of those streaks came to an end Saturday as the Buckeyes bounced the Terrapins 80-71.
The win is Ohio State's first over a top-5 opponent since December 26th of 2006 when the Buckeyes beat No. 3 Oklahoma.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #9 OHIO STATE | 14 | 23 | 24 | 19 | 80 |
| #5 MARYLAND | 18 | 22 | 17 | 14 | 71 |
Offensively, Ohio State started slow. The team missed its first eight shots from the field and shot just 38% at the half to Maryland's 52%. The Buckeyes kept it close though, forcing 14 turnovers and getting plenty of points at the line to enter the half down just three points – 40-37.
In the second half, the Buckeyes came alive. Kelsey Mitchell was all over the court scoring 17 of her game-leading 28 points in the second half, and wrecked havoc on the Terrapin offense getting a game-high four steals.
However, it wasn't all good news in the second half. Shayla Cooper, Ohio State's most consistent post player on the season, fouled out with over eight minutes left to play. Playing just three quarters, Cooper had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
With Cooper's absence, Alexa Hart successfully shouldered the load in the paint, scoring 20 points and pulling down 6 boards. Hart also showcased her prolific blocking ability, swatting two Maryland shots.
This was Ohio State's fourth game against a 2015 Final Four team on the season, and its first win after falling previously to No. 1 Connecticut, No. 2 South Carolina and No. 3 Notre Dame – its only three losses on the season.
The win is certainly a source of optimism for the Bucks. Head Coach Kevin McGuff said the early season challenges were to help his team find areas that needed improvement and improve – that's exactly what they've done.
Rebounding and defense were McGuff's biggest concerns early in the season, and they were not a problem tonight. Although the Bucks were out-rebounded by three, they did it against the with the nation's highest average turnover differential (plus-20.5). McGuff's undersized squad showed urgency and effort on the glass that was absent in earlier games. Defensively, Ohio State forced 20 turnovers and was able to keep the game close when the shots weren't falling early in the game.
Next up for the Buckeyes is a home game against Indiana Thursday at 7 pm. Ohio State will look to extend its win streak to seven games and remain unbeaten in the Big Ten.
