The No. 8 Ohio State women’s basketball team (2-0) traveled to Athens, Ohio. for a matchup with Ohio University (0-2) on Thursday. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor
In its first game after climbing six spots in the newest Associated Press women’s basketball rankings, No. 8 Ohio State defeated Ohio 86-56 Thursday at the Convocation Center to move to 3-0 on the season.
Although neither team shot well throughout the night, Ohio State’s defense once again put forth a dominant performance. Ohio held a higher shooting percentage for the game, but the difference came in their 33 turnovers which directly led to 41 Ohio State points.
Ohio State head coach Kevin McGuff said the Bobcats came in with a good game plan, but he’d like to see his team execute more on offense. Although they ended with 86 points, the Buckeyes shot 30-for-79 from the floor.
“To our kids’ credit, any missed shots didn’t affect the effort on defense in our full court pressure, so I was proud of that,” McGuff said. “We just got to be a little more efficient on offense.”
The first quarter got off to a fast start in typical Ohio State fashion, continuing its effective full-court press, forcing one-third of Ohio’s turnovers in the opening quarter. Senior guard Jacy Sheldon led the team with eight points, including a pair of and-ones, to give Ohio State an 18-8 lead.
Ohio State increased its advantage in the second quarter, leaning on senior forward Rebeka Mikulasikova and redshirt junior guard Madison Greene. The duo, who were both on the 2019 roster that lost to the Bobcats, shot a combined six-for-seven on field goals for 15 points to give Ohio State a 43-22 advantage at the half.
In the ensuing half, Ohio remained unable to get much going offensively. The Bobcats scored 13 points on 5-for-13 shooting in the third quarter with Ohio State’s pressure continuing. The Bobcats turned it over eight more times and the Buckeyes entered the final 10 minutes up 68-35.
As the game clock dwindled down, Ohio State maintained its lead and got some experience for some of the younger players. Freshman guard Kaia Henderson played her first regular season minutes for Ohio State in the fourth quarter, turning a steal into an and-one to record her first three points in a scarlet and gray uniform.
Although she did not repeat her 11-steal performance from Sunday, Sheldon still tallied three takeaways in the contest. She also led the team in scoring for the first time this season finishing with 16 points. It’s still early on in the season, but Sheldon said the defense is the backbone of this team.
“Our good defense leads to offense, so I think just having an emphasis on that every night no matter who we’re playing is important for us,” Sheldon said. “They always ask about our press and it’s kind of sporadic but it works.”
Ohio guard sophomore Yaya Felder did everything she could to keep the Bobcats in the game. In the losing effort, Felder scored a career-high 21 points on 9-for-18 shooting.
Sophomore guard Taylor Thierry has started her second year with the Buckeyes impressively. As a starter, the Cleveland native is averaging 9.0 points per game and grabbed a game-high seven offensive rebounds against Ohio, but according to Sheldon she may only be scratching the surface.
“Honestly, we have to get on her to be more aggressive,” Sheldon said. “She can be a real offensive threat too and she will be eventually.”
In spite of its poor shooting night, Ohio State was able to get back on track from the free throw line. After shooting 60 percent from the charity stripe in their first two games, they shot 20-for-26 against the Bobcats.
Ohio State returns to Columbus for a three-game home stretch starting Sunday at the Schottenstein Center, where they’ll face McNeese State at 1 p.m. The game will be available on B1G+.
