Sophomore forward Cotie McMahon dribbles the ball downcourt on a fastbreak. No. 8 Ohio State defeated Wisconsin 87-49 at the Schottenstein Center Thursday. Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor
Just two weeks ago, No. 8 Ohio State knocked off then-No. 2 Iowa 100-92 in overtime in front of a record-setting crowd at Value City Arena at the Schottenstein Center.
Fast forward to now — the Buckeyes are ready to face another top-10 opponent at home, this time with an even bigger target on their backs.
The No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes (17-3, 8-1 Big Ten) host the No. 10 Indiana Hoosiers (18-2, 9-1 Big Ten) Sunday at noon in what will be another heavyweight battle for the Buckeyes.
With Ohio State opening up the upper deck in the Schott for just the second time this season, redshirt-senior guard Madison Greene said she is excited to play in front of a larger crowd again.
“After Iowa, it was a great experience, honestly,” Greene said. “I’ve never experienced that before, and it was great to see so many people come out and support us and hopefully that happens again.”
The Buckeyes are fresh off an 87-49 win over Wisconsin Thursday at home, where they scored a historic 39 points in the third quarter to pull away from the Badgers.
Sophomore forward Cotie McMahon finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds — her fourth straight double-double — while graduate forward Eboni Walker had one of her best games of the season with 11 points and seven rebounds off the bench.
On the other hand, the Hoosiers are coming off an 87-73 win at Maryland on Wednesday at Xfinity Center. Graduate forward Mackenzie Holmes led the way with her sixth double-double of the season with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while fifth-year guard Sara Scalia added 22 points.
Both teams are in the top five in league scoring, with Ohio State averaging 81.5 points per game, which is fourth in the Big Ten, while Indiana averaging 80.8 points per game, good for fifth in the league.
The Hoosiers’ strong suit is in field-goal percentage, as they shoot 51.5% from the floor, which is the best in the Big Ten and third in the nation. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes are fifth in the Big Ten, shooting at 46.5% from the floor.
Head coach Kevin McGuff said playing against a superstar “big” in Wisconsin forward Serah Williams on Thursday was great preparation for Ohio State’s matchup with Holmes and Indiana on Sunday.
“It was good that we had to play a great post player tonight because we’re gonna play against Mackenzie [Holmes] on Sunday, who’s one of the best in the country,” McGuff said.
McMahon has been on a tear for the Buckeyes as of late, averaging 18.7 points and 11.2 rebounds in the last four games, and Ohio State is going to need more scoring and rebounding from her against the Hoosiers.
Ohio State’s defense has been strong all season, as it forces 21 turnovers per game, the best in the Big Ten, and is led by Big Ten steals leader, graduate guard Jacy Sheldon, and the reigning 2023 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, graduate guard and Duke transfer Celeste Taylor.
The defense only gives up 62.9 points per game, good for fifth in the Big Ten, but Indiana’s defense is also very strong, giving up only 61.7 points per game, which is third in the conference.
For Indiana, Holmes leads the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 20.5 points and 7.5 rebounds, respectively. She is second in the Big Ten in scoring, and the Buckeyes’ main focus will be limiting what the star forward can do on the floor.
Graduate forward Walker said Holmes’ post presence is a testament to how good the bigs are in the Big Ten.
“She [Holmes]’s just a great player, I think that’s a lot of the posts as well in the Big Ten, I think we all have a lot of respect for each other,” Walker said. “She’s a really smart player, so I’m excited to get the chance to play against her again.”
Sunday’s contest is the only scheduled regular-season matchup between the Buckeyes and Hoosiers this season.
The game will be televised on FS1.
