Ohio State redshirt senior guard Linnae Harper drives the ball during the first half of the Buckeyes’ game against Quinnipiac on Nov. 15. Credit: Colin Hass-Hill | Sports Editor
The No. 10 Ohio State women’s basketball team (16-2, 5-0 Big Ten) cruised to a 77-62 victory against Indiana (8-11, 1-5 Big Ten) Saturday afternoon in Bloomington, Indiana, which pushed the Buckeyes to 5-0 in Big Ten play for the first time in eight years.
Ohio State jumped out to a 22-9 first-quarter lead and held on for the remainder of the game. Redshirt senior forward Stephanie Mavunga dropped a team-leading 20 points and had 18 rebounds, pulling down nearly half of her team’s 40 rebounds. She went 8-for-11 from the free-throw line.
Four Ohio State players — Mavunga and guards Linnae Harper, Kelsey Mitchell and Sierra Calhoun — scored in double-figures. Mitchell had 15 points on just 4-of-15 shooting, but had a team-high seven assists. Harper added 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
The Buckeyes shot just 38 percent from the field, but hit 11-of-26 3-pointers (42 percent). Harper and Mitchell led the team from distance, both connecting on 3-of-5 triples.
Freshman guard Jaelynn Penn led Indiana in scoring with 20 points. Senior forward Amanda Cahill added 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Both teams had 40 rebounds, but the Hoosiers did damage on the inside on offense. Indiana held a 34-20 lead in points in the paint. Ohio State had a 22-12 points-off-turnovers advantage.
Ohio State maintains sole possession of first place in the conference.
The Buckeyes will take on Michigan at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Columbus. They beat the Wolverines 78-71 in overtime on Sunday in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
