The Ohio State Buckeyes huddle up on the court after a timeout during the Ohio State-Purdue game on Feb. 18. Ohio State won 100-85. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
In the two teams’ first-ever meeting, the Ohio State women’s basketball team dominated Norfolk State on all fronts, defeating the Spartans 86-48 at the Schottenstein Center Sunday.
The Buckeyes’ (2-0) pressure defense took their opponent, who entered the game with four players averaging double digits in scoring, out of its offensive rhythm throughout the game, holding the Spartans to just 29 percent from the field and forcing 15 turnovers.
Head coach Kevin McGuff said although his team’s defense needs to improve as the season progresses, the defensive effort and intensity his players showed was a reflection of the work they have put in during practice.
“We certainly have been emphasizing that in practice,” McGuff said. “We are not anywhere near where we need to be defensively, but we did make some progress today.”
Although Norfolk State (2-1) entered the game averaging 44 rebounds per game, Ohio State took care of business on the glass — out-rebounding the Spartans 47-30, including 11 offensive rebounds.
McGuff said his team took away the Spartans’ biggest strength by boxing out and making a concerted effort to grab loose balls, something he said it had struggled to do in its first game.
“We blocked out a little better today and pursued the ball,” McGuff said. “We did have a couple of tip balls that we could’ve grabbed. We still got to be better rebounding, but we made a little progress.”
On the offensive end, the Buckeyes were led by junior forward Rebeka Mikulasikova, who imposed her will in the paint with a career-high 19 points and 6 rebounds.
The Nitra, Slovakia, native —who scored 13 of her 19 points in the second half —said her late-game success was attributed to McGuff and his staff calming her down at halftime and urging her to play to her strengths.
“I trusted myself more in the second half,” Mikulasikova said. “I took shots and read the defense better. I talked to my coaches during halftime and they just calmed me down.”
Mikulasikova was one of three Buckeye forwards who made an impact on both ends Sunday, with graduate and sophomore forwards Tanaya Beacham and Gabby Hutcherson combining for nine points and nine rebounds.
McGuff said he hopes to see his frontcourt players both pose a threat inside the paint and stay out of foul trouble, as it will add another dimension to an Ohio State team that is already formidable at the guard position.
“We need them,” McGuff said. “We need them to be a really big presence for us on both ends of the court. I thought the girls played a little better today without fouling. We got into a little bit of foul trouble last time.”
With solid play in the frontcourt, the Buckeyes received elite guard play from its starting backcourt for the second consecutive game.
After leading the team in scoring in its season opener against Bucknell, junior and senior guards Jacy Sheldon and Taylor Mikesell responded by completing another double-digit scoring performance — netting 10 and 12 points respectively on a combined 5-of-10 shooting.
Working with the two guards in the frontcourt, Mikulasikova said playing with Sheldon and Mikesell makes her job easier.
“Both of them, they are great shooters,” Mikulasikova said. “I know that when I have two defenders on me, I can always kick the ball out and they will make the three. I trust them, they trust me, so I am really glad that they are my teammates.”
The Buckeyes will look to start the season 3-0 when they host Bowling Green Wednesday at the Schottenstein Center at 7 p.m.
