Ohio State then-freshman forward Cotie McMahon (32) is helped off the floor during the No.2 Ohio State-No.10 Iowa game Monday. Ohio State lost 83-72. Credit: Katie Good | Lantern File
Ohio State came out victorious in the battle of the OSUs as it took down Oklahoma State 75-57 in its second game of the Pink Flamingo Championship Wednesday evening in the Bahamas.
Junior forward Taylor Thierry posted a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds after coming up one rebound shy against East Carolina.
Despite a 6-point lead at halftime, the Buckeyes (4-1, 0-0 Big Ten) were out-rebounded by the Cowgirls (2-3, 0-0 Big 12) in the first 20 minutes, but a strong start to the second half propelled Ohio State to victory.
“We weren’t physical enough,” head coach Kevin McGuff said. “They were being the more physical team on the boards in the first half, so I challenged them to match that physicality and toughness and win the war on the boards and our kids responded.”
Although the Buckeyes were out-rebounded in the first half, they won the battle in the second by 16 boards and ended the game with 47 rebounds, six more than the Cowgirls.
Sophomore forward Cotie McMahon was active early on for the Buckeyes, scoring 8 of the team’s first 10 points. Graduate guard Jacy Sheldon ended the first half with 10 points, going 5-for-11 from the field.
In the second quarter, Ohio State scored just 12 points as it shot 29 percent from the field, going 1-of-9 from beyond the arc. The Buckeyes managed to sustain a 36-30 lead at halftime thanks to their defensive efforts, which held the Cowgirls to 32 percent shooting from the field.
“We shouldn’t be getting killed on the boards like that in the first half,” McMahon said. “Just kind of not waiting until the last half, the last second because that will really bite us in the butt later on.”
In the third quarter, the Buckeyes were able to improve their shooting numbers and match the Cowgirls’ intensity.
Redshirt-sophomore guard Emma Shumate made a 3-pointer to cap off a 10-2 run by the Buckeyes to extend their lead to 14 with one quarter to play.
Oklahoma State freshman guard Stailee Heard led the Cowgirls with 15 points and seven rebounds. Her counterpartner, senior guard Chandler Prater, posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
The Buckeyes finished the game strong as they continued to score in the final quarter, building a 19-point cushion, their largest of the game.
Despite the shooting struggles from beyond the arc, Shumate said she is always ready to get out on the floor and contribute.
“You never know when my name is going to be called,” Shumate said. “I always just want to contribute, and we are a really good team this year, so I just want to add to that and help as much as I can.”
The Buckeyes will look to add to their four-game win streak Sunday at home when they take on Cornell at Value City Arena.
Tipoff is set to begin at 1:00 p.m. on B1G+
