Survive and Advance
The Buckeyes got an early-season taste of tournament play on Thursday as part of the Play4Kay Showcase in Las Vegas, and made short work of Memphis, blasting the Tigers 100-69 thanks to dominating post play.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #9 Ohio State | 35 | 21 | 30 | 14 | 100 |
| Memphis | 17 | 17 | 15 | 20 | 69 |
The game got out of hand quickly, as Ohio State's offense exploded in the first quarter, but not in the way it usually does. The Buckeyes, typically a team that relies on outside scoring, put up 35 first-quarter points without hitting a single three-pointer thanks to the dominance of Stephanie Mavunga, who outscored Memphis by herself in the quarter, 19-17.
The interior dominance continued throughout the game. Ohio State outscored the Tigers 48-36 in the paint, had a 20-12 advantage in second-chance points and held a 45-33 advantage on the boards.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | MEMPHIS |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | POINTS | 69 |
| 39-75 (52%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 25-65 (38%) |
| 6-20 (30%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 3-22 (14%) |
| 16-18 (89%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 16-19 (84%) |
| 13 | TURNOVERS | 20 |
| 45 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 33 |
| 15 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 12 |
| 30 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 21 |
| 17 | BENCH POINTS | 30 |
| 6 | BLOCKS | 2 |
| 13 | STEALS | 5 |
| 21 | ASSISTS | 14 |
Mavunga led the way for the Buckeyes, both in scoring and on the glass. She finished with a game-high 35 points and 16 rebounds, outscoring Memphis by herself for much of the game.
She wasn't the only one scoring though – the points came from everywhere on Thursday. Ohio State had four other players in double figures as well – Kelsey Mitchell with 20 and Asia Doss, Alexa Hart and Linnae Harper each with 10. Eight total players scored in the game.
The performance led to a few milestones for the Buckeyes – head coach Kevin McGuff notched his 100th win with Ohio State while Hart reached 1,000 career points.
With the win, Ohio State advances to play Florida Gulf Coast in the tournament's semifinals on Saturday at 11 p.m.
