It was an uncharacteristic win for this high-scoring Buckeye team; No. 5 seed Ohio State used stellar defense and team scoring to down No. 12 seed Western Kentucky 70-63 and advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
| Teams | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 21 | 16 | 13 | 20 | 70 |
| Western Kentucky | 18 | 12 | 13 | 20 | 63 |
The bright spot for the Buckeyes was the team's defense. While the offense struggled to make shots, the Ohio State defense was stingy, holding the hot-shooting Hilltoppers to just 63 points, and 29 percent from the field.
The team's MVP of the game was not the Big Ten Player of the Year or even a starter. Asia Doss came off the bench to provide the Buckeyes with scoring when they needed it, finishing with a season-high 15 points, as well as her typical hard-nosed defense and six assists.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | Western Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| 70 | POINTS | 63 |
| 27-63 (43%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 22-76 (29%) |
| 8-20 (40%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 9-37 (24%) |
| 8-15 (53%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 10-15 (67%) |
| 19 | TURNOVERS | 11 |
| 43 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 44 |
| 10 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 18 |
| 33 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 26 |
| 28 | BENCH POINTS | 12 |
| 9 | BLOCKS | 7 |
| 4 | STEALS | 7 |
| 21 | ASSISTS | 9 |
Nearly as vital for the Buckeyes was the play of the team's lone senior. Shayla Cooper pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds, a season best for her. This helped Ohio State deal with the absence of the team's top rebounder, Stephanie Mavunga, who missed her seventh-straight game.
The one name absent from the headlines was the team's superstar scorer. Whether it was simply an off day offensively or stringent defense from Western Kentucky, Mitchell was quiet as can be in the first half, managing just four points.
She's had off games in the past where shots simply wouldn't fall, but this time she wasn't even attempting them. The Big Ten's leading scorer attempted just five shots in the first half, hitting a three-pointer and a free throw. Instead of scoring, Mitchell seemed focused on drawing the defense to her, facilitating the offense and setting up her teammates.
Without Mitchell's scoring, the team had to pick up the slack. Seven Buckeyes scored in the first half, led by Doss who had 11 first-half points and three assists in just 14 minutes of play. Ohio State also played stellar first-half defense, holding Western Kentucky to just 30 points and a 28 percent shooting performance while forcing 11 turnovers.
Mitchell became a bit more active in the second half, adding 11 points to finish with 15. The win, however, was due in large part to team scoring, defense and rebounding. The Buckeyes survived a late surge by the Hilltoppers, aided by six fourth-quarter turnovers, and came away with a 70-63 win.
With the win, Ohio State advances to the round of 32 where it will face No. 4 seed Kentucky on Sunday with a Sweet 16 berth on the line.
