Ohio State redshirt junior guard Sierra Calhoun launches a shot during the first half of the Buckeyes’ game against Quinnipiac on Nov. 15. Credit: Colin Hass-Hill | Sports Editor
The No. 8 Ohio State women’s basketball team came back from a 17-point deficit to No. 14 Duke midway through the third quarter to tie the game with 9:15 remaining in the fourth quarter.
But the Blue Devils (6-1) responded with a nine-point run to pull away down the stretch en route to a 69-60 victory against the Buckeyes (7-2) Thursday night in Durham, North Carolina, in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
Guards Lexi Brown and Rebecca Greenwell each scored 19 points for Duke. The Blue Devils won the rebounding battle, holding a 49-30 advantage. This led to a 36-18 edge in points in the paint.
The Blue Devils led by 17 points in the third quarter, but did not score for the final six minutes of the third quarter. The Buckeyes slowly pulled even with Duke. But Ohio State struggled to get its offense going in the fourth quarter, missing 11 of its final 12 shots, and turning the ball over five times in the last nine minutes.
Duke held Ohio State to its lowest scoring total of the season. The Buckeyes shot just 32 percent from the field and 28 percent from beyond the arc, while the Blue Devils made 46 percent of their shots and 47 percent of their 3-point attempts.
Senior guard Kelsey Mitchell led Ohio State with 24 points, but played inefficiently. She made just 9-of-27 shots and hit 4-of-17 3s. Redshirt senior guard Linnae Harper added 12 points and eight rebounds.
The Buckeyes forced the Blue Devils into 21 turnovers, including 12 steals, despite their lack of offensive rhythm. Ohio State never led in the entire game.
