After trailing by as many as 17 points, No. 3 Ohio State came back to defeat Illinois 87-81 Sunday at the Schottenstein Center.
Senior guard Taylor Mikesell scored a season-high 31 points while freshman forward Cotie McMahon recorded her sixth 20-point game of the season to lead the way.
Off to their best start in program history, the Buckeyes (17-0, 6-0 Big Ten) continued their winning ways at home despite a strong start from Illinois (14-3, 4-2 Big Ten). After going 2-0 against the Fighting Illini last year, this time around posed a much tougher test.
The two teams traded blows in the first quarter with neither squad able to create separation. Mikesell poured in eight points to lead the Buckeyes who then tied the period at 22.
The majority of the Fighting Illini’s first quarter offense came from junior forward Kendall Bostic and junior guard Genesis Bryant. The tandem combined for 18 points in the first 10 minutes as the Buckeyes struggled to find ways to stop them.
In the second period, the Fighting Illini began to build a lead. The team shot 73 percent from the field as Bostic poured in eight more points, pushing her total to 16 for the game. Bryant added five points of her own as Illinois held a 47-37 advantage at the break.
Head coach Kevin McGuff said Illinois played great, and added he felt the Buckeyes weren’t moving the ball enough through the first two quarters.
“In the first half especially, they were playing harder and executing better and doing a really good job,” McGuff said. “We were not playing hard or executing and then they were making us pay.”
Things got worse before they got better for the Buckeyes in the second half. Illinois opened the third quarter on a 10-0 run and Ohio State found itself down 57-40 with 6:56 remaining in the period.
McGuff said at that point, he felt the team’s performance was “embarrassing.” He said he told the team it was time to either fight back or else they would continue getting embarrassed in front of a home crowd of 6,273.
From then on, the Buckeyes looked like a completely different team. McMahon caught fire, single-handedly going on a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to only 10 points. Ohio State then outscored the Fighting Illini 18-8 in the quarter to tie the game at 65 entering the final frame.
With the injuries the team has this season, McMahon has blossomed into a reliable option and leader for the Buckeyes. The Centerville, Ohio, native said she has gained the confidence to do what she’s capable of doing when the team needs.
“We needed someone to step up and get the energy going,” McMahon said. “I felt like that was my perfect moment to kind of just take it from there and that’s what I did.”
Ohio State kept it rolling as the fourth quarter began, opening the period on a 12-3 run as Mikesell eclipsed the 30-point mark, her second time scoring as many this season. The Fighting Illini fought hard, but they were unable to overcome the late Buckeye barrage.
The Buckeyes have found a multitude of ways to win this season, but Mikesell said the team would like to start with “a better sense of urgency” going forward.
“We’re lucky that we’re learning these lessons with wins and no losses,” Mikesell said. “I think just that “never say die” mentality, you know, we’re not really out of it, if we don’t want to be out of it.”
Next up, Ohio State travels to Pinnacle Bank Arena to take on Nebraska. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.
