Senior forward Taylor Thierry drives through the lane during the No. 4 Buckeyes 71-51 win over No. 13 Montana State Friday at the Schottenstein Center. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor
Two historic athletic programs are set to face off in Columbus, with a Sweet 16 bid in the NCAA Tournament on the line.
The No. 4 Buckeyes (26-6, 13-5 Big Ten) and No. 5 Volunteers (23-9, 8-8 SEC) will square off 8 p.m. Sunday at the Schottenstein Center.
In the first round, Ohio State knocked off No. 13 Montana State 71-51, overcoming an early deficit and achieving a 32-3 run through the second and third quarters.
All five Buckeye starters scored in double figures, and Ohio State’s stifling defense led to 32 points off forced turnovers.
Buckeyes head coach Kevin McGuff said they must have multiple scoring threats to advance in the tournament.
“I think we are at our best when we have balanced scoring amongst our top players,” McGuff said.
Notably, McGuff has guided Ohio State to four consecutive second-round appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
On the other side, Tennessee is making its 43rd straight March Madness appearance, led by first-year head coach Kim Caldwell.
Prior to the start of the tournament, the Volunteers lost three of their last four games. However, Tennessee bounced back Friday night with a 101-66 win over No. 12 South Florida, in which it recorded a program-high 16 3-pointers.
As the second-highest-scoring team in the country, the high-energy Volunteer offense has five players who average over 10 points per game. Featuring SEC Second Team and All-Defensive guard Talaysia Cooper, Tennessee has scored over 100 points eight times this season.
The Volunteers rank No. 4 in the nation in 3-pointers, routinely scoring over 10 per game, and create many second-chance scoring opportunities with their No. 3-ranked offensive rebounding unit.
Tennessee also makes frequent substitutions, leading them to have the fifth-highest bench-scoring production in the nation.
“They always have fresh legs,” said Ohio State forward Cotie McMahon. “For us, we’re used to having to play tired. We don’t sub five and five, so we’ve had to grind it out through tiredness and through exhaustion. I feel like that’s what prepared us for this moment.”
Ohio State’s and Tennessee’s defenses both excel in forcing turnovers, both tallying more than 22 per game on average. The Volunteers rank ninth in that category, just one spot above Ohio State.
McMahon said she sees similarities between the Buckeyes’ full-court pressure and Tennessee’s.
“I feel like they’re very aggressive; so are we,” McMahon said. “I feel like they trap really well; so do we. I wouldn’t say there’s much difference.”
McGuff said it is important for the Buckeyes to play well against Tennessee’s pressure and wreak havoc defensively.
“We know we are going to have to stay extremely organized against the press,” McGuff said. “Hopefully, our press can have some effectiveness of not letting them walk it up and do whatever they want.”
Tennessee has three ranked wins on the season, including an 80-76 victory over No. 2 UConn Feb. 6 and a 78-68 win against Iowa — the Buckeyes’ Big Ten foe — Dec. 7.
Ohio State, who has fallen to Tennessee in the teams’ three previous NCAA Tournament matchups, ultimately looks to reverse history on the national stage, as the game will be broadcast on ESPN.
If they defeat the Volunteers, the Buckeyes will advance to their 14th Sweet 16 appearance in program history and their third in the past four seasons.
