Redshirt-senior Madison Greene (0), graduate Jacy Sheldon (middle), and redshirt-senior Rikki Harris (right) sing Carmen Ohio after then No.3 Ohio State’s 92-36 win over New Hampshire Dec 8, 2022. Sheldon scored her third 30-point game of the season against Belmont Friday night at Value City Arena. Credit: Katie Good | Lantern File Photo
Christmas came early for the Buckeyes with a big win late Friday night in Columbus.
Senior guard Jacy Sheldon added a big bow on top, scoring 31 points with five triples.
The No. 13 Ohio State women’s basketball team (10-2, 1-0 Big Ten) defeated Belmont (7-4, 0-0 MVC ) 84-55 at Value City Arena to finish its last nonconference game of the year.
For the third game this season, Sheldon hit the 30-point mark. The Dublin, Ohio, native main defender was junior Kilyn McGuff, Buckeye head coach Kevin McGuff’s eldest daughter.
Familial ties close to home led Kilyn McGuff to practice with the Buckeyes during the offseason and closely with Sheldon, who’s been a part of the program since 2019. Despite studying her closely, it didn’t slow down the All-Big Ten First Team guard as she notched 30 points in back-to-back games.
The Buckeyes opened the first quarter on a 6-0 run, with Sheldon stringing together four buckets of her own while the Bruins struggled to find their rhythm. Belmont missed four consecutive shots while coupling three turnovers in just four minutes of play.
Eventually, they were able to successfully cross half court with junior sharpshooter Kendal Cheesman knocking down a quick three, but the Buckeyes quickly countered on a layin from Sheldon, putting them up 8-3 midway through the first.
However, the Bruins wouldn’t go away easy as they seamlessly cut into the deficit, thanks to a steal and fast-break layup from Kilyn McGuff right in front of her father’s bench, leading to an Ohio State timeout.
At the 2:24 mark, a layup from Belmont junior forward Carmyn Harrison gave them a 15-14 advantage. However, the lead was short-lived as Ohio State ended the first on a 7-0 run, capped off by a buzzer-beater three from Sheldon.
The Buckeyes extended their lead by double-digits in the second, with Sheldon scoring a quarter-high 9 points. Both teams exchanged buckets back and forth with four lead changes up until the 6:04 mark after Sheldon’s third layup.
Although points in the paint weren’t a heavy factor in the second, they were in the first for both teams as the Buckeyes scored 14 and the Bruins scored 10.
While Ohio State continued to find daylight inside, the Bruins struggled to keep possession of the ball and knocking down timely shots. Belmont shot 1-for-7, garnering five turnovers in the final three minutes.
A dish inside from freshman guard Jailyn Banks to junior Tessa Miller at 28 seconds stopped its scoring drought, but the Buckeyes were able to pull away thanks in large part to the three-ball.
Neither team was exceptional from distance, but the Buckeyes knocked down three 3-pointers, including another buzzer-beater — this time from redshirt senior Rikki Harris, giving them their first double-digit lead entering halftime.
The Buckeyes opened up the second with their starting five as they built onto their lead. Of the lineup, two players scored below single digits, including graduate forward Rebeka Mikulasikova.
Mikulasikova, who averages 9 points per game, was scoreless but didn’t look to attack the basket this time around as she attempted only one shot.
Buckeyes sophomore forward and reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year Cotie McMahon did.
After scoring 7 points against the No. 2 UCLA Bruins, McMahon looked to rebound against this Bruins squad in Belmont. However, she yielded somewhat the same results as she shot 0-for-4 from the field, splitting a pair of free throws at the 8:25 mark as she finished with 1 point.
The Centerville, Ohio, native is the Buckeyes’ second-leading scorer this season, averaging 13.8 points per game. Despite a rough night, Taylor and Sheldon combined for 16 points in the third, nearly outscoring the entire Bruins squad who recorded 19.
Ohio State was also able to get productive minutes from its bench with big nights from veteran forward Eboni Walker and Harris.
The Bruins were streaky from distance, but it was too late as the Buckeyes blew open their lead to 20 points after another three from Harris to end the quarter.
A deep three from Sheldon made for her fifth of the night, as she hit the 31-point mark.
Ohio State will travel to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to face Michigan Saturday in its last game of the year. Big Ten will televise at noon.
