Junior guard Jacy Sheldon (4) was awarded the “dub-chain,” a bedazzled necklace given to the difference maker of the game decided by Ohio State’s coaching staff, for her 25 points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals while playing all 40 minutes against Missouri State Saturday. Ohio State won 63-56. Credit: Gabe Haferman | Assistant Photo Editor
The No. 6 Ohio State women’s basketball team danced its way into the Round of 32 of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament after defeating No. 11 Missouri State 63-56 Saturday.
Ohio State’s (24-6, 14-4 Big Ten) victory over Missouri State (25-8, 14-4 Missouri Valley) marked its first NCAA Tournament victory since the 2017-18 season, where the Buckeyes made it to the second round. Head coach Kevin McGuff said the victory in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, meant a lot to the program.
“I’m really happy for our players because most of the team had not been able to participate in the NCAA Tournament,” McGuff said. ”Really happy for them to get a chance to experience this in general, but then to get a win and be able to move on to the second round is really special. Regardless of who wins, it’ll be a good opportunity on Monday against a great team.”
The Bears outplayed the Buckeyes in the first quarter. Ohio State shot 7.7 percent, making 1-of-13 field goals in the starting frame. The Bears took the first, 14-5, making it the lowest-scoring quarter for the Buckeyes all season.
Missouri State found two of its top shooters, who both average double figures, in foul trouble during the middle of the first frame, including seniors forward Abigayle Jackson and guard Brice Calip, who average 12.8 and 11.4 points per game, respectively.
The Buckeyes’ full-court pressure stepped up and provided momentum toward their offensive game in the second frame. In the middle of the quarter, Ohio State made three consecutive 3-pointers to shrink the Bears’ lead to five.
In the last 2:38 before halftime, the Buckeyes outscored the Bears 12-2 to take the lead 31-26.
Senior guard Taylor Mikesell said the Buckeyes’ strong defense allowed their offensive game to flow which provided the momentum they needed going into halftime.
“I think that was a huge momentum shift for us. I think just in the huddle we were talking about starting the offense with our defense, and I think we definitely did that at the end of the second quarter, got a nice little run going into halftime,” Mikesell said. “I think it gave us momentum coming out of halftime, and I think the message coming out of halftime was keep doing what we’re doing and keep forcing them into tough two’s and making them take tough shots.”
Junior guard Jacy Sheldon led the Buckeyes at halftime with 11 points, six of which came from layups in the last 1:15 of the second frame. Sheldon also led the Buckeyes with four rebounds, four steals and three assists.
The Buckeyes’ momentum from the second quarter did not transfer to the third frame as they went on a five-minute scoring drought. Junior forward Rebeka Mikulášiková hit a last second 3-pointer to take the lead going into the fourth quarter, 44-43.
In a nail-biting final quarter of play, the Buckeyes’ defensive effort solidified the victory in Baton Rouge. Ohio State capitalized on eight points off the Bears’ seven turnovers in the fourth quarter alone.
The Buckeyes, who are the 10th-best scoring offense in the nation behind a 46 percent field goal percentage, only capitalized 33.9 percent from the floor against the Bears. McGuff said he knows his team didn’t perform well offensively, but the Buckeyes executed when they needed it most.
“We didn’t shoot it well, but a big part of that was Missouri State’s defense was really good, and so give them credit there,” McGuff said. “I did think that we did miss on some opportunities that we did get on some shots that we normally make.”
Bears junior forward Ifunanya Nwachukwu had a career-high afternoon, tallying 17 of Missouri State’s 51 rebounds.
The “dub-chain,” a bedazzled necklace given to the difference maker of the game decided by Ohio State’s coaching staff, was awarded to Sheldon for her 25 points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals while playing all 40 minutes of the contest.
Sheldon was named to the AP All-American Honorable Mention Thursday in addition to her All-Big Ten First Team and All-Big Ten defensive team honors.
The Buckeyes will continue their playoff surge Monday against the winner of No. 3 LSU and No. 14 Jackson State.
