No. 8 Ohio State women’s basketball defeats No. 10 Indiana in a close contest, 74-69.
Another Sunday, another crucial game for the women’s basketball team at Ohio State. This weekend’s championship game saw two full teams play against one another in a top-10 contest, even though it lacked an Iowa superstar.
In a tight fourth quarter, the No. 8 Ohio Buckeyes defeated the No. 10 Indiana Hoosiers 74-69. It extends Ohio State’s winning run to nine games and maintains their lead in the Big Ten rankings over the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Indiana forward Mackenzie Holmes versus the Buckeyes was the matchup to watch coming into Sunday. The response was clear: not very good. Holmes got the Hoosiers going early, making the first two baskets of the game, one of which was a free throw, and the other of which ended with a foul call against forward Rebeka Mikulášiková.
Halfway through the first quarter, the Buckeyes made two of their five attempted three-pointers, while Holmes scored the first seven points for the Hoosiers. Ohio State found it difficult to adapt right away, while Indiana was excellent at keeping anything out of the paint.
Holmes eventually calmed down, and the turnovers increased in favor of the Buckeyes’ press. Head coach Kevin McGuff’s team forced six turnovers in the first quarter, and they scored seven points as a result. Guard Sara Scalia was also denied open looks from three-point range by the defenders. Indiana missed all three of the Hoosiers’ tries to go beyond the arc, while Scalia successfully made two of them.
On the other hand, the Buckeyes’ three-point shooting got better. Ohio State went 4-for-7 overall in the final quarter, shooting 57.1%. The home team now leads 18-11 after ten minutes of play.
In the second quarter, Scalia answered with promptness. In 1:36 of the quarter, the graduate senior cut Ohio State’s lead to two points by scoring the first seven points for the Hoosiers. The Buckeyes then regained momentum with a 10-second swing.
After Scalia threw the ball away at half court, forward Cotie McMahon recovered and found guard Rikki Harris for a layup. McMahon stole the ball right away on the IU inbound, made a layup, and also committed a blocking foul on guard Chloe Moore-McNeil. Teri Moren, the head coach of the Hoosiers, was clearly incensed at the call and decided to use a timeout to defuse the Buckeyes.
In fact, Ohio State eased up a little, drawing the Hoosiers closer to the match. The scarlet and gray finished the first quarter with seven consecutive made shots before going 4-for-10 in the second quarter. Indiana took the lead for the first time in the second quarter at the same moment, scoring 12 of the following 16 points.
The situation for the Buckeyes didn’t get any better. Guard/forward Taylor Thierry made a three-pointer, and Ohio State was scoreless for the final 4:09 of the half. In addition to foul trouble that put the visitors in the bonus, Indiana ended the quarter on a seven-point surge.
The Hoosiers led by five points at the half, having opened the first quarter with a seven-point lead under McGuff’s team. Ohio State shot 37.5% in the second, making 6 of 16 free throws.
In the opening minute and eight seconds of the second half, Ohio State reduced the five-point deficit. making both sides play each other hard and alternately make baskets to make the second half look like the first half’s opening minutes.
It also had similarities to the latter stages of the first quarter, when the Buckeyes gained the upper hand. With an 11-point scoring burst, Ohio State led the Hoosiers by eight points at the beginning of the half, starting a 14-point run.
McMahon honored McGuff’s coaching choice by remaining on the court despite receiving his third foul during that run. Eight of the eleven points came from the sophomore. After three quarters, Ohio State had a seven-point lead. Despite the need for offense, the Buckeyes’ ability to prevent Holmes from having an impact on the game was a quiet strength of the final ten minutes.
Holmes failed to register a point or pull down a rebound for Indiana in seven minutes during the third quarter. The senior graduate did, however, give up the ball four times and commit two fouls. The Hoosiers had two players with three fouls going into the fourth quarter, in addition to point guard Moore-McNeil.
Indiana had committed 21 turnovers by the beginning of the fourth quarter, which was three more than their single-game high coming into the game on Sunday. By the start of the fourth quarter, Ohio State had already scored 21 points off those turnovers and led 55-47.
Both coaches had to make a tough call to begin the fourth quarter. McMahon and Holmes both picked up their fourth foul in a row of possessions. Holmes was kept in by Indiana coach Moren despite the Hoosiers’ 14-point deficit. McMahon, who was leading Ohio State at the time in points, rebounds, and assists (20, 7, and 5), was benched by coach McGuff.
McMahon was benched, and the Hoosiers’ lead was cut to eight points. With 4:06 left, the Buckeyes were able to maintain their lead and win against Indiana in the regular season for the first game since January 28, 2021.
Following a media break, McMahon returned to the game, and McGuff decided to stick with the sophomore till the final buzzer or foul whistle. The first to answer was Ohio State. Guard/forward Thierry followed up a three-pointer by guard Celeste Taylor to get the Hoosiers off to a start.
McMahon fouled out with Ohio State leading by eight points; therefore, the team would play the final 1:45 of the game without him. Yarden Garzon, an IU guard, began to connect at that point.
Garzon made two three-pointers to start the fourth quarter. With 28.8 seconds left, that reduced Ohio State’s lead from eight points to four points. Additionally, the Buckeyes would still not be in the bonus if they committed any fouls, which would force the Hoosiers to the line.
After Ohio State took a timeout, Sheldon missed a layup but grabbed the rebound on the inbound play. The guard gave Ohio State a six-point lead after cutting nine seconds off the clock and making two free throws.
When Indiana put the ball in play, Scalia, who had scored 22 points up to that time, was fouled while trying to make a three-point shot. The senior graduate hit each of the three to cut Ohio State’s lead to three.
However, the Buckeyes’ position in the bonus allowed them opportunities to score. Scalia missed a three-point attempt, which fell to guard Rikki Harris. Sheldon made the game’s last two free throws, and Ohio State won 74-69.
Sheldon’s Second Half
In the first half of Sunday’s match, Indiana’s Scalia was the target of aggressive resistance. Sheldon of the Buckeyes had a part in that. The guard, however, started the game quietly from an offensive standpoint. It was altered in the second part.
Sheldon scored 20 points in the second quarter to lead Ohio State; he was 6-for-4 from the free throw line in the last quarter. She needs to win seven more regular season games to reach 2,000 points, and this 25-point effort gives her 1,846 for her career.
Fouls, Fouls, Fouls
Three of the five Buckeyes starters—guards Sheldon, Taylor, and McMahon—had two fouls apiece going into the second half. Taylor was the least active of the three in the first half, playing just 10 of the 20 minutes (with only one in the second quarter), while McMahon and Sheldon played 16 and 18, respectively.
Indiana’s dynamic starting lineup provided them with an offensive edge, forcing the Buckeyes to play catch-up in the second half.
The Buckeyes were able to finish the game with the majority of their starting lineup on the court, with the exception of McMahon’s foul.
Next Steps
Ohio State’s next scheduled game is Thursday, when it will begin a two-game road trip. First up, the Minnesota Golden Gophers are the opponent. This season, Minnesota has surprised teams—that is, until sophomore guard Mara Braun suffered a tragic injury. The Gophers, who have lost their last three games, will play the Michigan State Spartans on Monday in East Lansing. The Golden Gophers and Buckeyes will play each other just once during the 23–24 regular season on Thursday.
Following that, the Buckeyes will play their own game against the Spartans in East Lansing for the second time this year. In the first meeting, Ohio State prevailed 70-65, thanks primarily to their defense.
