Ohio State snapped its two-game losing streak with a strong finish in the fourth quarter against USC on Sunday.
After suffering back-to-back losses to Maryland and Minnesota, Ohio State (23-5, 12-4) was in jeopardy of a third straight loss as it trailed for most of the second and third quarters. But a 15-0 fourth-quarter run flipped the game in the Buckeyes’ favor and propelled them to an 88-83 win over the Trojans (17-10, 9-7).
All five Ohio State starters scored in double figures. Jaloni Cambridge carried the Buckeyes to victory with 33 points. Chance Gray scored 16, Kennedy Cambridge scored 14 and Elsa Lemmilä and Ava Watson each scored 10. Ohio State’s balanced scoring effort allowed the Buckeyes to overcome a career game for USC freshman star Jazzy Davidson, who scored 32 for the Trojans.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USC | 20 | 18 | 26 | 19 | 83 |
| #10 OHIO STATE | 19 | 16 | 26 | 27 | 88 |
Ohio State led for nearly all of the first quarter until Davidson hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Trojans a 20-19 lead to end the quarter. The Buckeyes started the second quarter on a 6-2 run to pull ahead by three, but USC responded with 10 straight points to take a seven-point lead. Ohio State responded with seven straight points to tie the game back up, but the Trojans scored six of the first half’s final nine points to take a 38-35 advantage into halftime.
An 8-3 run early in the third quarter, in which Kennedy Cambridge scored all eight Ohio State points, gave the Buckeyes a 45-43 lead. USC went on a 6-1 run from there to retake a three-point lead. The Buckeyes retook the lead again with a 6-2 run, but USC punched back with a 10-3 run to go up by six late in the third quarter.
The Trojans took a 64-61 lead into the fourth quarter, and Davidson scored the first point of the fourth quarter to make it a four-point game. But Ohio State went on a 15-0 run from there to take an 11-point lead.
A late 7-0 run by USC cut Ohio State’s lead to six points with 1:27 to play, but Jaloni Cambridge hit a pair of free throws to stop the bleeding. Davidson scored on the other end to keep USC’s hopes alive, but a steal by Bryn Martin on USC’s next possession that led to a fast-break layup for Gray gave the Buckeyes a commanding eight-point lead with 31 seconds to play.
Threes by Davidson and Dayana Mendes cut Ohio State’s lead back down to three with 2.6 seconds to play, but another pair of free throws by Cambridge sealed a five-point victory for the Buckeyes.
Now entering the final week of the regular season, the Buckeyes will look to earn a rivalry win in their last home game of the regular season on Wednesday, when they will host Michigan at the Schottenstein Center. Wednesday’s game against the Wolverines, who are ranked sixth in the country, tips off at 8 p.m. and will be broadcast on Peacock.
