Ohio State freshman guard Jaloni Cambridge (22) scores in the game against Maryland Thursday. Cambridge tallied 20 points as the Buckeyes defeated the Terrapins 74-66. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor

Ohio State freshman guard Jaloni Cambridge (22) scores in the game against Maryland Thursday. Cambridge tallied 20 points as the Buckeyes defeated the Terrapins 74-66. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor

Ohio State was down by 10 points in the third quarter. 

After a 15-0 run, they never trailed again. 

The No. 12 Buckeyes (18-1, 7-1 Big Ten) defeated the No. 8 Maryland Terrapins (16-3, 6-2 Big Ten) 74-66 thanks to a dominant third quarter Thursday night at the Schottenstein Center.

Ohio State shot 61% from the field in the third while forcing five Maryland turnovers, outsourcing the Terrapins 30-20 in the frame.

Head coach Kevin McGuff credited his team’s confidence for the comeback.

“I think they have confidence that regardless of the score, we can come back and we can win,” McGuff said.

The Buckeyes had four players in double figures, including 20 points from guard Jaloni Cambridge and a career-high 12 points from guard Kennedy Cambridge.

Maryland got on the board first at 8:11 in the first quarter with a layup by forward Christina Dalce, followed by a 3-pointer from forward Allie Kubek.

Maryland controlled the momentum for the remainder of the quarter, extending its lead to as many as 12 points before taking a 22-12 advantage into the second.

The Terrapins pushed their lead to 15 early in the second frame, capped by a 3-pointer from guard Sarah Te-Biasu.

Ohio State began to chip away, as it went on a 6-0 run, while forward Cotie McMahon scored four points to pull the Buckeyes within four with 1:37 left in the half.

Kennedy Cambridge opened the second half with a basketball, which cut the lead to five.

A brief spurt from Maryland, capped by a Te-Biasu 3-pointer, gave the Terrapins a 50-40 lead with 5:52 remaining in the third.

That’s when the switch flipped for Ohio State. 

The Buckeyes went on a 15-0 run, fueled by Maryland turnovers and timely baskets, which allowed them to take their first lead of the game at 51-50 off the heels of a Kennedy Cambridge 3-pointer with 3:05 left in the quarter.

McGuff praised Kennedy Cambridge’s energy, noting her defensive plays and hustle.

“I thought [Cambridge] was terrific tonight,” McGuff said. Her energy was contagious, and she just really uplifted us when she came in the game. She was really pesky on defense. She was getting tough rebounds, making hustle plays and just great minutes for her tonight.

Ohio State took a 57-54 lead into the fourth quarter, as Jaloni Cambridge led the Buckeyes with eight points in the third frame.

The Buckeyes carried their momentum into the final 10 minutes, opening with a 7-0 run capped by a layup from forward Taylor Thierry, giving Ohio State a 64-54 lead.

Maryland cut the deficit to as little as six late, but Ohio State’s lead proved too much to overcome, as the Buckeyes held on for a 74-66 victory.

Jaloni Cambridge credited the team’s resilience for the second-half turnaround.

“I don’t care if we are down by 20. ‘Who wants to lose?” Cambridge said. “If you want to lose you’re going to let up. But that’s not who we are, and we’ve shown that game after game.

Next up, the Buckeyes will travel to Lincoln, Nebraska, to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers at 3 p.m. Sunday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.