Ohio State senior guard Taylor Mikesell (24) brings the ball up the floor during No. 14 Ohio State’s (1-0) 87-75 win over No. 5 Tennessee (0-1) on Tuesday. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor
Behind stellar defensive play and a third-quarter explosion led by senior guard Taylor Mikesell, the No. 14 Ohio State women’s basketball team defeated No. 5 Tennessee 87-75 Tuesday at the Schottenstein Center.
Tennessee jumped out to an early lead behind the play of senior guard Jordan Horston and senior forward Rickea Jackson. The Lady Volunteers used their size to get the ball inside, scoring 12 points in the paint which gave them a 22-16 lead after the first quarter.
Tennessee maintained the lead in the second quarter, largely due to the play of senior guard Jasmine Powell, who scored eight points in the frame. However, each time it felt like the Lady Volunteers might pull away, the Buckeyes responded.
Ohio State created 12 first-half turnovers, including four steals from senior guard Jacy Sheldon, to keep the game within reach entering halftime down 41-33.
After shooting 12-for-31 from the field in the first half, Ohio State turned up the pressure. The second-half Buckeyes came out with an emphasis on turning defense into offense to close the gap.
The momentum began to swing in Ohio State’s favor, and before long, Mikesell erupted for 15 third-quarter points, electrifying the Schott in the process.
“We settled down a little bit on defense and finally got to start to get some stops and then got some easy looks,” Mikesell said. “We know we have a lot of people that can score, and at the end of the day, making shots is not going to be our issue. It’s going to be getting stops.”
Ohio State carried its strong play into the fourth quarter, scoring 17-straight unanswered points en route to a 69-54 lead. Tennessee made one final push and cut the lead to eight around the five-minute mark, but the Ohio State defense locked in for one final stand to secure the victory, which led to the Ohio State student section storming the court.
Ohio State’s diamond press defense and communication forced 29 Tennessee turnovers on the night, largely because of Sheldon’s defensive energy. The Dublin, Ohio, native finished the night with eight steals, much to the delight of her head coach Kevin McGuff.
“She‘s so quick up the court. She’s got a great first step,” McGuff said. “She just seemed to make some timely plays on both ends of the floor.”
Despite the loss, Tennessee still had a solid offensive night from Horston. A Columbus Africentric Early College High School graduate, Horston led the Lady Volunteers in scoring with 20 points.
Ohio State showcased a variety of weapons to turn to on this year’s roster. All five starters finished in double digits with sophomore guard Taylor Thierry finishing with 10 points on a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor.
Despite Tennessee’s size advantage, senior forward Rebeka Mikulasikova held down the frontcourt over the full course of the game. Mikulasikova scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the winning effort.
Ohio State will hope to take this momentum into a road showdown with Boston College Sunday. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. on the ACC Network.
