Ohio State junior guard Chance Gray (21) elevates to make a shot during the game against Bowling Green Sunday. The Buckeyes defeated the Falcons 96-53. Credit: Liam Ahern | Lantern Photographer
Bowling Green held the lead for exactly one minute to open the game. Ohio State took its first lead 83 seconds into the game and kept it for the remainder.
The No. 12 Buckeyes(5-0) downed the Falcons (2-4) 96-53 Sunday at the Schottenstein Center.
In its second straight game without forward Cotie McMahon, guard Ava Watson stepped up for Ohio State, leading the Buckeyes with 20 points on 6-of-10 from beyond the arc.
“I just felt like I was in a flow in practice,” Watson said. “I’ve been putting up extra shots with my coaches.”
Bowling Green guard Amy Velasco opened the scoring for the Falcons with a layup just over 30 seconds into the game. The Buckeyes responded on a 6-0 run to put them up four points early.
Ohio State held a 23-12 lead after the first quarter thanks to forward Taylor Thierry’s eight points, and six more from guard Jaloni Cambridge.
The Buckeyes opened the second quarter on a 6-2 run that was capped off with a layup from guard Kennedy Cambridge.
Falcons’ forward Kendal Moxey answered with a jumper of her own just 27 seconds later, but Ohio State dominated for the next four minutes, going on a 14-0 run. During that span, Watson connected on a pair of 3-pointers.
After 4:20 of scoreless basketball for the Falcons, they got back on the board with a free throw from guard Paige Kohler. Bowling Green ended the half on a 5-2 run, but still trailed 47-23.
The Buckeyes scored 18 of the first 20 points in the second half, thanks to 12 points from guard Chance Gray, of which came from beyond the arc.
“From a personnel standpoint adding [Gray] and [Ava] has been really good,” head coach Kevin McGuff said. “It was a part of the plan to bolster the scoring from the perimeter.”
The Bowling Green defense ended the quarter strong, holding the Buckeyes to zero field goals over the last three minutes, but the Buckeyes still held a 41-point lead.
Ohio State cruised to its sixth victory of the season and will next play Old Dominion Thursday, with tip-off set for 11 a.m. in Daytona Beach, Florida at the Daytona Beach Classic.
