A dominant second-half performance led No. 3 Ohio State to a 92-36 win over New Hampshire Thursday at the Schottenstein Center. Freshman forward Cotie McMahon tied career highs on both sides of the ball, scoring 20 points and adding five steals.
After getting off to a slower start than they would have liked, the Buckeyes (9-0) dominated the Wildcats (4-7) in the second half, allowing only seven points — which tied for the fewest allowed in a half since giving up as many to Nicholls Nov. 26, 2005.
The Buckeyes only made four of their first 13 attempts from the field, which allowed the Wildcats to hold a one-point advantage with three minutes remaining in the first. Ohio State went on a 9-0 run to regain the lead 17-9.
The Wildcats responded to Ohio State’s run, shooting 50 percent from 3-point range and only outscored 22-20 in the second quarter.
However, the Buckeyes still led 39-29 at halftime, led by senior guard Taylor Mikesell with 11 points.
Although the Buckeyes were winning, head coach Kevin McGuff said he didn’t feel great about the first-half performance. He said he felt the team wasn’t playing to its capabilities.
“We didn’t talk about any X’s and O’s stuff,” McGuff said. “Just about our effort, intensity and I told them at halftime, ‘We look like a team for the last 10 days. Everybody’s been telling us how good we are, and not like the team that started the year as one of the hardest playing teams in the country.’”
It’s safe to say his players received the message. Ohio State opened the second half with a quick 15-2 run, capped off by a Mikesell layup.
The Buckeyes dominated the Wildcats in the third quarter, limiting New Hampshire to only four points as their press forced 11 turnovers.
McMahon played a sizable role in the third quarter surge. The Centerville, Ohio, native scored 10 points and recorded four of her five steals to help the Buckeyes outscore the Wildcats 30-4 in the period.
With New Hampshire’s upset hopes dwindling, the Buckeyes added to their lead by starting the final frame with a 9-0 run. They limited the Wildcats to three points in the fourth quarter before scoring another nine unanswered points to close out the contest.
Ohio State forced 18 turnovers in the second half, which boosted its overall tally to 27 for the game. Even without senior guard Jacy Sheldon, who missed her second-consecutive game and fourth of the season, the Buckeyes still lead the nation averaging 28 takeaways per game.
McMahon is now averaging 9.1 points through her first nine collegiate games. The freshman said the team knew it could have started the game better, but felt it got back to playing its game.
“We knew what we were capable of doing,” McMahon said. “We just had to put it out there on the floor, and so I think we did that, and it obviously showed.”
Ohio State partnered with Columbus City Schools and the 2nd and 7 Foundation, which is a program dedicated to “providing free books and positive role models to kids in need while encouraging young athletes of the community to pay it forward,” according to its mission statement, and invited nearly 4,000 students to the game.
The noise resounded in the arena as the students in attendance cheered all game. Sophomore forward Taylor Thierry said the players used the crowd’s energy as motivation, and McGuff said the experience was fun for the team.
“We have great, really great kids in our program,” McGuff said. “I hope some of these kids that were able to come to the game today look at our kids as role models and hopefully it had a positive impact on them.”
The Buckeyes resume play Sunday with a Big Ten matchup against Michigan State. Tipoff is scheduled for a 4 p.m. at the Schottenstein Center and is available on Big Ten Network.
