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Second-year forward Cotie McMahon (32) shields the ball away from two defenders during No. 2 Ohio State’s 80-57 win over No. 15 Maine in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday. Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor

Ohio State’s star forward has been an indicator of its success all season long. 

The Buckeyes’ sophomore Cotie McMahon has put up two opposing stat lines in the team’s wins and losses this year. In the first round of the NCAA tournament, she continued the trend in wins by scoring 13 points on 45.5% shooting in Ohio State’s (26-5, 16-2 Big Ten) 80-57 win over the Maine Black Bears (24-10, 14-2 America East) Friday at Value City Arena at the Schottenstein Center.

When the Buckeyes win, McMahon averages 14.9 points in a contest while shooting 50% from the field. Ohio State is scoring 81.8 points per game in victories and additionally outscoring opponents by 21.

However, in losses, the Buckeyes have suffered on the season, McMahon averages just 8.2 points per game while shooting a mere 25.4% from the field. Head coach Kevin McGuff said he believes Ohio State needs McMahon to continue to have strong games to keep its season alive in the March Madness tournament. 

“We need Cotie to be at her best,” McGuff said. “When you look at the games we have not won this year, it is usually on a night where she has not played well.”

Against Maine, McMahon opened the game with six points in the first quarter to help her team take an early 22-16 lead on the Black Bears. She shot 60% from the field and added an assist. 

The Buckeyes turned up the pressure in the second quarter as their full-court press led to six turnovers with McMahon recording an assist off one that generated a 3-pointer by senior guard Rikki Harris, extending their lead to double digits. 

McMahon got back on the scoring sheet with four straight points to get her into double digits and outscore her points averaged in losses before the fourth quarter even started. Her five points in the third helped the Buckeyes earn a 66-45 lead heading into the final 10 minutes. 

An early 2-pointer in the fourth gave McMahon 13 on the game. She was then taken out as the Buckeyes looked to their bench to finish off the Black Bears. McMahon said her physical dominance in the paint could result in a greater focus on her near the rim as the tournament wears on.

“It was a confidence booster,” McMahon said. “I am dominant in the paint so I would not be surprised at a double team in the next round.”

She said getting back to scoring efficiently and often is not only important for her but to the team’s success. 

“It was good for me, but good for us as a team,” McMahon said. “It was good, we played how we usually play as a team.”

The Buckeyes will face the winner of the seventh-seeded Duke Blue Devils and the 10th-seeded Richmond Spiders on Sunday.