Ohio State junior forward Dorka Juhasz (14) pulls up for a jumper during the Ohio State-Miami (OH) game on Dec. 10. Ohio State won 104-65. Photo Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Ohio State women’s basketball continued its fast start on the season, picking up its fourth-consecutive win Thursday.
The No. 18 Buckeyes (4-0) used a dominant first quarter to cruise past in-state rival Miami (OH) (1-1) 104-65. Junior forward Dorka Juhasz said she was excited with the Buckeyes’ start to the season with Big Ten play on the horizon.
“I think we played way better than we did in the last game and the game before, so that just shows how much we’re growing after each game,” Juhasz said. “It’s almost Big Ten time, so we’re really excited to play in these games and I think they just gave us more confidence going into that.”
Ohio State took control of the game from the early-goings, earning a 24-9 scoring advantage in the game’s opening quarter. The Buckeye defense locked up the Redhawk offensive attack in the first quarter — holding Miami (OH) to 16.7 percent from three and forcing them into nine turnovers.
The Buckeyes continued their strong play on the defensive end throughout the game, forcing 23 Redhawk turnovers and holding them to 40.3 percent from the field.
Ohio State took advantage of the opportunities created by the defense, finishing with 33 points off of Redhawk turnovers.
Ohio State was led by junior forward Dorka Juhasz, who provided her third double-double of the season. Juhasz tied her career-high in scoring with 27 points while adding 15 rebounds.
“I was more aggressive on the boards, I think those gave me more opportunities to score,” Juhasz said.
Sophomore guard Jacy Sheldon continued her hot start to the season, scoring 13 points while adding four assists and rebounds. Sheldon also led the team in steals with four.
Sheldon was once again the primary factor in Ohio State’s fast-paced transition offense, leading the Buckeyes to 22 fastbreak points. Ohio State has finished with more than 20 fastbreak points in all four games this season.
The Buckeyes didn’t just outhustle the Redhawks, but also sustained a clear advantage on the interior. Ohio State outscored the Redhawks 58-20 in the painted area.
In addition to Juhasz and Sheldon, the Buckeyes saw solid production from its true freshmen.
Freshman guard Kateri Poole — who joined Ohio State as a five-star recruit — added 12 points and two assists. In the front court, freshman forward Gabby Hutcherson provided five points and four rebounds.
With the Buckeye freshmen getting extended minutes in the blowout win, head coach Kevin McGuff said that they’re gaining valuable experience heading into Big Ten play.
“We’ve got some talented young people that need experience so we’re trying to get them as minutes we can so they can continue to make progress,” McGuff said.
Poole and Hutcherson helped carve out a 30-7 advantage in bench scoring for the Buckeyes.
Sophomore guard Madison Greene tied her career-high with seven assists, helping the Buckeyes to their 20 total as a team. Ohio State has not had less than 15 assists in a game through four games this season.
Greene added 12 points on 3-of-5 from the field.
Sophomore guard Peyton Scott led the way for the Redhawks, finishing with 22 points and six rebounds. Freshman guard Katie Davidson added 18 points for Miami (OH).
The Buckeyes are expected to return to action Tuesday at 4 p.m. with the opponent to be announced in the coming days.
This story was updated Thursday, Dec. 10 at 6:30 p.m. with quotes from Kevin McGuff and Dorka Juhasz.
