Buckeyes guard Jaloni Cambridge (22) shoots a jump shot over Badgers guard Tess Myers (3) in the second quarter of No. 9 Ohio State’s 80-69 victory over Wisconsin Thursday night at the Kohl Center. Credit: Ohio State Athletics
In a back-and-forth contest where neither team could cut into or extend the lead, carelessness with the basketball proved to be the difference maker.
No. 9 Ohio State (17-0, 6-0 Big Ten) fought off multiple strong pushes from Wisconsin (10-8, 1-6 Big Ten) thanks to 27 points from guard Jaloni Cambridge and 22 points from guard Chance Gray, extending the Buckeyes’ win streak to 17.
The Badgers turned over the ball 19 times compared to the Buckeyes’ total of six. Crucially, Ohio State went on to score 17 points off those Wisconsin turnovers.
Back-to-back Wisconsin 3-pointers from guards Tess Myers and Natalie Leuzinger gave the Badgers a quick six-point lead in the game’s first minute.
Then, Ohio State guard Chance Gray and forward Ajae Petty each got layups off Badgers turnovers, helping the Buckeyes counter with a 9-0 run.
Wisconsin tied the game at 16, until Buckeyes guard Kennedy Cambridge and forward Cotie McMahon scored the following two buckets to put Ohio State up 20-16.
McMahon then beat the buzzer with a second-chance layup — after an offensive rebound and with just eight seconds left in the first quarter — to give the Buckeyes a four-point lead at period’s end.
Jaloni Cambridge opened the second quarter hot, scoring the first four points while leading the Buckeyes on a 6-0 run to extend Ohio State’s lead to eight.
The Buckeyes and the Badgers traded points to end the first half 39-32, with Jaloni Cambridge scoring 19 first-half points in total.
In the third quarter, Jaloni Cambridge continued her aggressive approach with an and-1 basket, as the Buckeyes continued leading 42-34.
Two straight personal fouls from Buckeyes center Elsa Lemmila allowed Wisconsin to creep back, setting the score at 52-46.
Wisconsin scored five more points to cut Ohio State’s lead down to three, forcing a Buckeyes timeout with just over two minutes left to play in the quarter.
Following the timeout, layups from McMahon and Kennedy Cambridge increased Ohio State’s lead to 58-51.
The Buckeyes sustained their momentum in the fourth quarter, scoring five quick points to push their lead to 14 to open the final period.
After a shooting foul, Jaloni Cambridge nailed both free throws to give Ohio State a 15-point lead, its largest for the game.
Then, Wisconsin cut the lead to 10 by scoring five points.
McMahon answered with a second-chance bucket, forcing Wisconsin to call a timeout. Jaloni Cambridge subsequently scored the final four points for the Buckeyes, closing out the game at 80-69.
Up next, The Buckeyes will play Penn State at University Park 1 p.m. Sunday at the Bryce Jordan Center in Centre County, Pennsylvania.
