No. 13 Ohio State defeated Notre Dame College 118-33 in Columbus on Monday. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor

Eight different players scored in double digits during No. 14 Ohio State’s 118-33 win against Notre Dame College Monday night at the Schottenstein Center. 

Ohio State relied on its defense and fast-paced play to grab the lead early. The Falcons could not settle into a rhythm at any point in the contest, and the Buckeyes took advantage all night scoring 40 points on 26 Notre Dame turnovers.

Senior guard Jacy Sheldon played a role in setting the tone for the Buckeyes. In the first quarter, she made an impact on both ends of the court, scoring eight points and creating havoc for the Notre Dame offense by jumping into passing lanes.

Sheldon’s tenacious defensive energy sparked the rest of the Ohio State offense, and the Buckeyes began stretching the lead over their Division II opponent. All 11 Ohio State players that played in the first half scored, and they held a 62-19 advantage at halftime.

The Buckeyes continued the pressure in the second half, extending the lead to 98-27 by the end of the third quarter, after redshirt junior guard Rikki Harris scored 10 points in the period. Senior guard Hevynne Bristow also scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to officially put the nail in the coffin.

Despite the final score, one bright spot for the Falcons was the play of redshirt sophomore guard Alana Ellis. Although the Notre Dame offense struggled throughout the night, Ellis finished with a game-high 20 points.

Head coach Kevin McGuff said he wanted to look at how different rotations and lineups played with each other. Though the starting lineup for the season is not set in stone yet, McGuff said he feels like the team has a lot of options.

Redshirt junior guard Madison Greene made her return to the lineup after missing last season with a knee injury. Greene played 21 minutes off the bench and scored 12 points. 

“We’re better obviously with her and she’s a really, really good defender,” McGuff said. “She runs the offense very efficiently, so it’s great to have her back out there.”

Sophomore guard Emma Shumate made her Ohio State debut in great fashion, scoring 20 points on an efficient 70 percent from the field. After transferring from West Virginia, the Dresden, Ohio, native said she couldn’t be happier to be playing in her home state.

“I mean I haven’t played since high school state tournament, so I’m just excited,” Shumate said. “I was excited to be out there playing.”

Six players played their first official minutes for Ohio State. Freshmen guards Kaia Henderson and Mya Perry and forward Cotie McMahon made their Buckeye debuts alongside Shumate, senior forward Eboni Walker and graduate forward Karla Vres.

Ohio State looks to carry this momentum into its season opener Nov. 8 against No. 5 Tennessee at 8:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.