Ohio State junior guard Chance Gray (21) celebrates a three-point shot during the first round matchup against Montana State Friday. The No. 4 Buckeyes defeated the No. 13 Bobcats 71-51 to advance in the NCAA Tournament. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor
Despite dominating in the second half to oust the Bobcats, the Buckeyes’ 71-51 victory over Montana State Friday wasn’t always pretty.
However, a win usually implies there is at least some good to take away.
Looking ahead to their Sunday matchup with No. 5 Tennessee, here are two areas the No. 4 Buckeyes need to improve and two strengths they should maintain from their round-of-64 contest against Montana State.
Do: Press and trap
The Buckeyes thrive on creating pressure.
Ohio State is arguably at its best when it unleashes its signature “22 press,” a full-court trap that forces opposing teams to make difficult passes before reaching half-court, sometimes leading to easy turnovers and scoring opportunities.
In the Buckeyes’ win over the Bobcats, Ohio State forced eight turnovers in the first quarter alone, scoring eight points off those Montana State mishaps.
In total, Ohio State’s defensive pressure helped create 26 Bobcat turnovers to flip the game on its head with a flurry of transition baskets.
Guard Jaloni Cambridge, who had a game-high six steals, stressed the importance of the Buckeyes challenging opposing offenses with pressure after Friday’s win.
“[Coach Kevin] McGuff always emphasizes getting up, pressuring the ball, making sure the offense is uncomfortable,” Cambridge said. “[I] just happened to be at the right place at the right time.”
Ohio State must harness its error-creating identity and continue to win the turnover margin if it hopes to dominate in the tournament.
Don’t: Play to opponents’ game speed
Ohio State lives and dies by pace.
When the Buckeyes force other teams to play fast, turnovers follow suit, and they turn defense into offense.
But struggles ensue when opponents flip the script.
Uncharacteristically, Ohio State allowed the Bobcats to do just that in the opening half. The Buckeyes coughed up the ball 10 times as Montana State scored 13 of its 27 first-half points off turnovers.
The Buckeyes corrected their mistakes in the second, slowing down the game offensively while continuing to pressure on defense.
However, as Ohio State progresses through the NCAA Tournament, it will need to sustain that intensity for a full 40 minutes and improve its discipline in controlling the game’s pace of play.
Do: Persuade forwards to be aggressive
In their own respective ways, forwards Cotie McMahon and Taylor Thierry serve as the Buckeyes’ X factors.
Offensively, McMahon can score at all three levels, as her size and speed cause problems for opposing defenses.
When she was aggressively attacking the basket against Montana State, the Bobcats seemingly had no answers. McMahon finished with 15 points and added four assists, largely off drive-and-kicks.
Thierry, on the other hand, acts as a jack-of-all-trades. She has the ability to guard the one through five defensively, grab rebounds with her length and play both on the perimeter and inside on offense.
Friday, Thierry served as a third scoring option behind McMahon and Cambridge and gave the Bobcat defense another dimension of Ohio State offense to worry about.
Thierry made 8-of-13 shots from the field and effectively put away Montana State with a scoring burst in the final quarter.
McMahon’s presence as the primary enforcer, as well as Thierry’s emergence as a do-it-all third option, will be key for Ohio State’s offensive attack moving forward.
Don’t: Rely on the jump shots
Throughout the first half, the Buckeyes often settled for long 2-pointers, fadeaway jumpers and the three ball.
These lower percentage shots allowed the Bobcats to hang with the Buckeyes throughout the first half, as Montana State trailed by just five at the break.
However, in the second half, Ohio State was more aggressive in attacking the basket, and it was dominant as a result.
Head coach Kevin McGuff said after taking difficult opportunities to open the game, he felt his team improved its shot quality dramatically in the second half.
“I thought we were getting great opportunities, but taking tougher shots than we needed to,” McGuff said.
After guard Chance Gray broke the game open with three straight threes, the Buckeyes used six layups to balloon the lead to 25, their largest of the game.
Ohio State must focus on attacking the basket with its diverse group of slashers, instead of relying on outside shots, if it wants to make a deep run in March Madness.
