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LGHL Cotie McMahon’s internal monologue at the free throw line against the Iowa Hawkeyes

Cotie McMahon’s internal monologue at the free throw line against the Iowa Hawkeyes
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Iowa v Ohio State

Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images

When the game mattered the most, McMahon hit all of her marks in the highest pressure moments.

It has been a tough week for Ohio State forward Cotie McMahon, when gauging it based on conversation surrounding the junior. Controversy momentarily hit McMahon for her off the court gesture to the Maryland Terrapins’ student section in the last game of the regular season. To make matters worse, the Buckeyes lost the game 93-90 on a last-second shot in overtime by the Terps. On Friday, McMahon had a chance to do the same thing, and when the moment came McMahon grabbed ahold of it with two hands.

With 19 seconds remaining, the Buckeyes called a timeout, down one point. The shot clock was off, so Ohio State had potentially the last shot with an opportunity to win and move on in the Big Ten Tournament.

All game, Iowa frustrated the Buckeyes with a zone defense that cut off lanes and made it difficult to get into the paint.

“On the last play in general, we wanted to get the ball in her hands and create space for her to play in,” OSU head coach Kevin McGuff said.

After inbounding the ball, graduate senior Madison Greene found freshman Jaloni Cambridge on the wing, which pulled in two defenders to give McMahon a one-on-one opportunity to go to the basket. McMahon caught the pass and had to get by Iowa forward Hannah Stuelke in the paint and McMahon went through her.

Stuelke’s feet weren’t set on the attempt to get a charge call against the Ohio State forward, McMahon went up for a layup over the fellow junior and missed. However, the officials already blew the whistle for a defensive foul and McMahon had a chance to win it from the free throw line.

Entering Friday, McMahon averaged 65.2 percent from the charity stripe. In the last four games, the forward didn’t shoot over 50 percent and get even closer to the attempt to win the game, McMahon already missed half of her free throws earlier in the fourth quarter.

McMahon stepped up to the line and Gainbridge Fieldhouse got loud. Iowa fans traveled well and filled the arena that former Hawkeye guard Caitlin Clark now calls home with the WNBA’s Indiana Fever. It was noise that added to a week full of it, and mostly directed at the Ohio State junior.

What was going through McMahon’s mind? How could she concentrate in what felt like a volcano about to erupt in Iowa celebration?

“Honestly, I didn’t really hear anything,” said McMahon. “I was kind of cussing myself out, like if I don’t make these free throws, then we’re going home. So I just made them.”

The forward hit both. Ohio State still needed some defense with Iowa getting the last shot, a catch and shoot by Stuelke that clanged off the front of the rim. It gave the Buckeyes a rare two-win season over the Hawkeyes, and eliminated an Iowa side that won the last three Big Ten Tournaments, including the 2023 final where the Hawkeyes dismantled McMahon and the Buckeyes.

McMahon has not kept how she feels about the Iowa Hawkeyes a secret. It’s a rivalry that’s personal to her. In Friday’s edition, the forward Ohio State scored 16 other points before those two vitally important baskets at the end of the game. The forward stepped up when it mattered most for the Buckeyes’ postseason.

Those free throws not only give Ohio State another day of basketball, but it also went a long way in getting the Buckeyes to host the first two rounds of March Madness. The team sat on the edge of not hosting in the Feb. 27 NCAA Tournament committee top-16 seeds release. With the loss to Maryland, Ohio State needed to win in the Big Ten Tournament and get help from other programs.

That help came with the Alabama Crimson Tide, Kansas State Wildcats and Ole Miss Rebels all losing, even though none of that guarantees the Buckeyes avoid NCAA Tournament travel in the first two rounds.

At the free throw line, none of that mattered. Seeding, a rivalry or hand gestures. All of that was fleeting. McMahon became the living proof of the “big players make big plays” adage.

“She made the right play. She got fouled. At that point, you’ve got to step up and put yourself in position to make them, and she did,” said McGuff. “Really happy and proud she could do that for us.”

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LGHL Ohio State can’t hang on in Bloomington, falling to Indiana 66-60 in regular season finale

Ohio State can’t hang on in Bloomington, falling to Indiana 66-60 in regular season finale
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Screenshot_2025_03_08_at_5.38.49_PM.0.png

Photo courtesy of Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) on Twitter/X

The Buckeyes had opportunities to put away Indiana early, but didn’t, and it bit them.

One game, for all the marbles.

Well, not really, unless you consider “the marbles” to be a bid to the NCAA Tournament — which, for both of these programs, should be the expectation nearly every season.

Regardless, Ohio State and Indiana met up in Bloomington this afternoon, with both teams squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble. Both the Buckeyes and Hoosiers were projected 11-seeds before Saturday’s game, meaning a loss could potentially cost them an at-large bid to the big dance.

Indiana entered Saturday’s game having beaten Ohio State the last four times they’ve played, and with a 66-60 win, they extended that streak to five. The Hoosiers, who are now essentially locked into the NCAA Tournament, were led by Trey Galloway who had 16 points on his senior day.

Devin Royal got the scoring started for Ohio State with his 15th three-pointer of the season, and the two teams played to a 5-5 tie by the first media timeout. IU was trying to get the ball to Oumar Ballo below the basket as much as possible, and he had four of IU’s first five points while being guarded primarily by Sean Stewart.

The teams traded misses for several misses, with Indiana specializing at the free throw variety of misses. The game was still tied 9-9 by the under-12 timeout with 11:55 remaining in the game, but the Hoosiers left points at the stripe, going 3-for-6. Ohio State, by comparison, did not get to the free throw line in the first eight minutes.

Despite Indiana having a a brutally tough first half shooting the ball, the Hoosiers kept themselves in the game with offensive rebounding, grabbing eight offensive boards compared to Ohio State’s one and scoring eight second-chance points. The Buckeyes pushed their lead to nine points late in the first half, but Indiana closed the half on an 8-3 run, making OSU’s lead 29-25 at the halftime break.

John Mobley Jr. and Micah Parrish each had seven first-half points for Ohio State, while Bruce Thornton was held to two points on 1-of-4 shooting in the first half. Galloway had seven points in the first half for IU. Ballo had five first-half points, but only one point in the final 16 minutes of the first half. Ohio State shot 46.2% in the first half, Indiana shot 31%.

Indiana cut the lead to one point on a Luke Goode three to open the half, but the Buckeyes went on a little 7-2 run several minutes later, including a three from Parrish and another bucket from Glover, to go up 43-34 once again with 13 minutes left in the game. The nine-point lead matched the Buckeyes’ largest lead of the game to that point. Indiana called timeout to regroup, as a bit of nervous energy started to set in over the fans in Bloomington.

However, Indiana may have gotten lucky on a few close calls, starting with an absurd play around the 12 minute mark where Micah Parrish went for a loose ball that he had touched last, but an IU fan sitting in the front row grabbed the ball and prevented Parrish from continuing the possession. The ball was called off of Parrish, and Indiana wound up scoring on that possession.

A few minutes later, Mackenzie Mgbako missed a three-pointer but Galloway grabbed the offensive rebound. On the way down it looked like the IU senior may have stepped on the line, but the official was standing right there and did not blow the whistle. It ultimately led to an open three-pointer for Indiana, which cut the Ohio State lead to 46-41 with 11:10 remaining in the game.

The Buckeyes extended their lead to 46-36 shortly thereafter, but Indiana went on an 13-3 run over the next 4:11 to tie the game with 8:14 remaining. That run included free throws for Anthony Leal, who drew a flagrant foul on Mobley with 8:17 left when the freshman elbowed him in the face trying to escape and receive the inbounds pass from Thornton.

Indiana took its first lead of the day when Malik Reneau was fouled by Sean Stewart with 7:06 remaining in the game. The lefty hit both free throws, putting Indiana up 50-49 and Assembly Hall finally making some noise for the home fans.

After Royal missed both free throws in a 56-56 tie game, Evan Mahaffey chased down the miss in the corner and called timeout. Out of that timeout, Mobley missed a long three-pointer, and Mahaffey fouled Reneau on an entry pass to put him back at the free throw line. He hit both, putting the Hoosiers up 58-56 with 2:55 remaining in the game.

Ohio State had a chance to tie or take the lead with 1:44 remaining, but an inbounds pass to Mobley bounced off his foot and rolled out of bounds. Galloway drained a three on the next possession, putting the Hoosiers up 61-56 with 1:05 left in the game.

The Buckeyes had lots of opportunities to bury Indiana in the first half and let them hang around, and ultimately Indiana was able to make a final push late in the second half to win the game and (basically) punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament, 66-60.

If you weren’t around Saturday to see the Buckeyes drop another one in Bloomington on Saturday, here were a few key plays and runs that ultimately led in yet another loss to the neighboring Hoosiers:

Ques Glover with back-to-back baskets off the bench ​


Ques Glover with the spin move @OhioStateHoops #B1GMBBall on CBS pic.twitter.com/60VEJP2Wo7

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) March 8, 2025​
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Ques Glover, who did not score in either of Ohio State’s last two games, checked in with 12:13 left in the first half and scored back-to-back buckets for Ohio State, putting the Buckeyes up 15-9. It’s been tough sledding lately for Ohio State when Bruce Thornton is out of the game, so the bench offense from Glover was a fairly new development.

Parrish triple puts Ohio State up, 26-17 ​


The Buckeyes weren’t taking full advantage of a horrid shooting performance by Indiana in the first half. Despite watching the Hoosiers hit just one out of 13 shots at one point, Ohio State was unable to stretch its lead past five points for much of the opening half.

But one minute after Mobley drained a three to put the Buckeyes up 23-17, Parrish sized up Trey Galloway and snapped off a deep three pointer from the far wing, knocking it down to increase Ohio State’s lead to 26-17 with 3:47 left to go until halftime.

Hoosiers close on an 8-3 run, go into half down four points ​


After Parrish put the Buckeyes up nine, they would only score three more points for the remainder of the half, courtesy of Aaron Bradshaw. The Hoosiers got seven points from Galloway in the final 2:40 of the half to make it a two-possession game at halftime.

Royal’s stepback three makes it a 10-point game ​


With Ohio State leading 43-36 and 12:12 remaining in the game, Royal knocked down a step-back three from close to the Ohio State bench, making it 46-36. It was Ohio State’s first double-digit lead of the game, and was Royal’s second three-point make of the game.

Fan interference? ​


With Ohio State up 46-36 and just over 12 minutes remaining in the game, Parrish got in a scrum for a loose ball near the opposite sideline, and touched the ball last. However, after he touched the ball he tried to grab it again, but an Indiana fan sitting in the front row grabbed it as it started to go towards his seat.

Parrish lifted his arms up and asked what he was supposed to do, but the ball was called off Parrish last, and it was Indiana ball. The Hoosiers went on to score that possession, cutting it to 46-38.

Mobley called for flagrant foul, IU ties it ​


With 8:16 left in the game and Indiana in the middle of a big run, Mobley tried to get free of Leal to get the inbounds pass from Thornton, and in the process hit Leal in the head with his elbow. The foul was upgraded to a flagrant, and Leal was awarded both free throws. Leal hit both, and Indiana scored on the free possession as well to tie the game 49-49 with 8:13 remaining on the clock.

Mobley takes his eye off the inbounds pass, IU goes up 5 ​


Thornton tried to inbound the ball to Mobley with just over a minute remaining, but the freshman took his eye off it and the ball bounced off his foot and rolled out of bounds. Galloway hit a triple on the ensuing IU possession, making it 61-56 Hoosiers with 1:24 left in the game.

What’s next? ​


With Indiana winning this one, Ohio State will go into the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 10 seed, and will not get a first-round bye. The Buckeyes will take on the No. 15 seed, which — as of this afternoon — could be Rutgers, Iowa, USC, Minnesota, Northwestern, or Nebraska.

That game is set to tip off at roughly 6:00 p.m. ET on Peacock.

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Google Transfer Portal Rumor: OSU QB Speculated to Exit Program as Ryan Day Confirms Future Stance on Will Howard’s Successor - EssentiallySports

Transfer Portal Rumor: OSU QB Speculated to Exit Program as Ryan Day Confirms Future Stance on Will Howard’s Successor - EssentiallySports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Transfer Portal Rumor: OSU QB Speculated to Exit Program as Ryan Day Confirms Future Stance on Will Howard’s Successor EssentiallySports

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LGHL Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Indiana: Game preview and prediction

Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Indiana: Game preview and prediction
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Penn State v Indiana

Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images

The Buckeyes head to Assembly Hall for a win-and-in game against the Hoosiers for the NCAA Tournament

The Ohio State men’s basketball team (17-13 overall, 9-10 in conference) will head to Bloomington, Indiana and the iconic Assembly Hall for what is basically an NCAA Tournament game against the Indiana Hoosiers (18-12 overall, 9-10 in conference).

Both the Buckeyes and Hoosiers have had up-and-down seasons, and in other seasons might not even be on the NCAA Tournament bubble. However, it is a historically weak bubble with teams losing left and right.

This will be the 202nd all-time meeting between Ohio State and Indiana. Officially, the Hoosiers lead the series 110-84 after taking into account six vacated games (three wins by each team).

Of late, Indiana has dominated the series, as the Hoosiers have won five of the last six meetings, including the game earlier this season in Columbus. The teams have split the last 16 meetings 8-8, with the Hoosiers holding a slight eight-point edge in the overall point total.

The last Buckeye win in Bloomington was a 55-52 victory on Feb. 10, 2019. That was also the last time the teams met in Bloomington.

In the first meeting, Ohio State erased a 10-point deficit in the final four minutes of regulation to send the game to overtime, and Bruce Thornton’s three-pointer at the buzzer rattled in and out as the Hoosiers escaped with a 77-76 victory.

John Mobley Jr. led the Buckeyes with 22 points. Of note, Devin Royal did not play in this game due to injury, and it was noticed as the Hoosiers out-rebounded the Buckeyes 39-to-35 overall and 14-to-9 on the offensive glass.

The winner on Saturday will pick up another Quad 1 win to help bolster its NCAA Tournament resume, but will also claim the No. 9 seed in next week’s Big Ten Tournament. The No. 9 seed will open play on Thursday, while the loser will get the No. 10 seed and begin its tournament on Wednesday evening.

The Buckeyes are currently No. 36 in the NET rankings and No. 34 in KenPom.

Ohio State is coming off a 116-114 double-overtime victory over Nebraska on Tuesday evening. Four Buckeyes scored 20 or more points for the first time in program history, and the 116 points were tied for the second-most in a game in program history. Thornton led the way with 29 points and nine assists.

According to Ohio State Athletics, Thornton has averaged 23.3 points per game over the last three games and has 17 assists with just one turnover. He’s also 14-of-14 from the free-throw line. This is the first time in his career in which he’s scored 20 or more points in three consecutive games.

Preview​

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State is led into this one by junior point guard Bruce Thornton, who is averaging 17.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 50 percent from the field, 84 percent from the free-throw line, and 43 percent from three-point range.

Devin Royal is averaging 13.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game on 53 percent shooting from the field. Royal missed the first game against the Hoosiers due to injury. Freshman guard John Mobley Jr. averages 13.4 points per game on 40 percent shooting from three-point range.

Micah Parrish averages 13.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. According to Ohio State Athletics, Parrish has now played in 164 career games. In those games, he’s scored 20 or more points just eight times, and five of them have come in the last 12 games.

Indiana is led into the contest by transfer center Oumar Ballo, who is averaging 13.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. The Arizona transfer played 40 minutes in the first matchup, recording 21 points and 15 rebounds.

Malik Reneau averages 13.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, while Mackenzie Mgbako averages 12.3 and 4.5, respectively.

Ohio State is fifth in the conference in scoring at 79.7 points per game, while Indiana is No. 14 at 75.5 points per game. Ohio State is also third in the conference in three-point percentage at 37.5 percent, while Indiana is No. 16 at 32.6 percent.

Prediction​

Indiana v Oregon
Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images

After the Michigan loss, it seemed like 3-2 in Ohio State’s last five games would do the job and get the Buckeyes in the tournament. They put themselves in a tough spot, losing the next two games, but wins over USC and Nebraska put them in a spot that, with a Quad 1 win in Bloomington, would put Ohio State in the tournament.

This. Is. March.

The Buckeyes lost by one point at home in January against the Hoosiers, but Devin Royal did not play, and Sean Stewart and Aaron Bradshaw had a minimal impact. If the Buckeyes can get more production from the frontcourt, they will give themselves a shot in this one. Another factor in this one is the rest aspect, as Thornton played 48 minutes in the double overtime win over Nebraska.

With only three days off between that game and this one, the Buckeyes will need guys like Ques Glover and Colin White to play some minutes and take some of the burden off Thornton, Mobley, and Parrish.


ESPN BPI: Indiana 52.4%
Time: 3:45 p.m. ET
TV: CBS

LGHL score prediction: Ohio State 78, Indiana 72​


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LGHL Big Ten Tournament Game Preview: No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 2 UCLA

Big Ten Tournament Game Preview: No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 2 UCLA
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

NCAA Womens Basketball: Ohio St. at UCLA

Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The Buckeyes and Bruins meet again, with a spot in the Big Ten Tournament title game on the line.

It was touch and go for Ohio State women’s basketball Friday night in the Big Ten Tournament. The Buckeyes faced an Iowa team that entered the postseason on a tear, and despite an off shooting night by freshman Jaloni Cambridge as well as head coach Kevin McGuff going to his infrequently used second bench forward, came away with a 60-59 victory.

The reward for the Buckeyes a Saturday matchup against center Lauren Betts and the UCLA Bruins in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal.

Preview​


UCLA and Ohio State represented the bottom of the Big Ten bracket, and before the Buckeyes dispatched their rivals from Iowa City, the Bruins played the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a game closer than most people expected.

Nebraska freshman guard Britt Prince led the Huskers with a shooting clinic, going 9-of-15 from the field and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. Prince scored 24 points but it wasn’t enough to lead Big Red to victory. After heading into halftime down only two points to the conference regular season runners up, UCLA outscored Nebraska 44-35 in the second half.

Bruins’ 6-foot-7 center Betts scored 15 of UCLA’s second half points to cap off a one-sided performance in the paint. With Nebraska’s senior leader and post presence Alexis Markowski picking up early fouls, she played only 28 minutes before fouling. That gave Betts more room to work and led all scorers with 28 points on with 13 rebounds and five assists.


28 points, 13 rebounds, and seven blocks

Lauren Betts came in clutch tonight on both sides of the ball for @UCLAWBB

@TIAA #WinWithAPurpose pic.twitter.com/tUGBQjQ2yv

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) March 8, 2025​
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Now, Ohio State has to regroup quickly to play against a team that had the Buckeyes’ number back in February.

The Buckeyes lost 65-52 against the Bruins on Feb. 5 despite having a strong game plan against Betts. Ohio State avoided the trap most teams play into of double-teaming the big and letting her either find an outlet or score anyway. For most of three quarters, the Buckeyes played one-on-one with forward Ajae Petty center Elsa Lemmilä taking turns on the center. Instead of trying to stop a shot from Betts, Ohio State attempted to stop the ball from getting to her in the first place.

Ohio State was successful when they kept with the strategy in the first and third quarters. In the second, the plan was abandoned. Combine that with a season low 29.4 percent shooting and the Buckeyes went from tied against the Bruins in the first minute of the fourth quarter to a 13-point defeat.

That strategy can work against UCLA on Saturday, but the offensive side of the ball needs improving for the Scarlet and Gray to truly compete.

Friday against the Hawkeyes, the Buckeyes scored 60 points, the third lowest point total in a game this season. Freshman guard Jaloni Cambridge struggled to get out of her head following two early fouls. The explosive point guard never lit the fuse and shot 3-of-15 from the floor.

Forwards Cotie McMahon and Taylor Thierry led a resilient performance with 18 and 14 points respectively, the biggest two coming from McMahon from the free throw line with six seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

A silver lining Ohio State takes into Saturday is that the low-scoring win was something the Buckeyes have not achieved this season. Of the Buckeyes’ five losses this season, four came when the team failed to score 65 points. Ohio State’s 60 points is the lowest winning point total this season. It’s not the most glamorous or exciting statistic, but one that shows the Buckeyes are still fighting.

There were many times against Iowa where the Buckeyes from earlier this season would have crumbled and failed, but not Friday. Now, Ohio State will have to look past the star of Betts and play a combination of their high-powered offense and a defense that can bend but not break.

Projected Lineups​

Ohio State​


G- Jaloni Cambridge
G- Chance Gray
G- Taylor Thierry
F- Cotie McMahon
F- Ajae Petty

UCLA​


G- Kiki Rice
G- Londynn Jones
F- Gabriela Jaquez
F- Angela Dugalic
C- Lauren Betts

Prediction​


Ohio State will hit early three-point shots and have a strong performance beyond the arc, despite Betts excelling inside the paint. Jaloni Cambridge will shake off the rust of Friday night’s performance and come out with an inspired offensive performance to keep the game close, but the Bruins will be too much for the Buckeyes to overcome but in a closer ending than February in Los Angeles.

LGHL Score Prediction: 72-68, UCLA Bruins​

How to Watch​


Date: Saturday, March. 8, 2025
Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Television: Big Ten Network
Stream: FOX Sports App

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LGHL Ohio State women survive last-second shot to beat Iowa 60-59 to advance to B1G semis

Ohio State women survive last-second shot to beat Iowa 60-59 to advance to B1G semis
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: MAR 07 Women’s Big Ten Tournament Iowa vs Ohio State


It came down to the final buzzer, but the Bucks came out on top.

Ohio State women’s basketball entered the Big Ten Tournament Friday as the No. 3 seed and they started a hopeful postseason run against the No. 11 Iowa Hawkeyes. Iowa came in with wins over the Wisconsin Badgers and Michigan State Spartans, and with former Iowa legend Caitlin Clark looking on, the Buckeyes sent Iowa home 60-59 behind a strong performance by Cotie McMahon, who hit two free throws to ice the victory.

The Buckeyes entered Friday following a tough overtime defeat in College Park, Maryland. In that heartbreaker, fouls limited the effectiveness of forward Cotie McMahon and guard Jaloni Cambridge. Ohio State thought it was behind them, but Friday saw the same issues come to the surface.

In the first quarter, Cambridge and McMahon each picked up early fouls, with McMahon getting called for two. Those especially hurt the Buckeyes because the start of the game was all McMahon. The junior scored the first two baskets of the game for Ohio State, both beyond the arc.

McMahon’s scoring fed into her teammates and Ohio State built a nine-point lead in the first 7:08 of the game. After the first quarter, the Buckeyes led 14-9 and defensively held the Hawkeyes to 17.6 percent shooting from the floor, but it wouldn’t last to start the second quarter.

Head coach Kevin McGuff kept McMahon on the bench with the two fouls and added Cambridge. With the two off the court, and guards Madison Greene, Chance Gray, and Kennedy Cambridge on the court, there was no flow to the offense. The defense responded, stopping five Iowa shots in a row but could only hold them off for so long and the shots started falling without response from the Buckeyes.

A seven-point lead for the Hawkeyes erased the Ohio State lead, prompting a McGuff timeout. McMahon returned to the court out of the timeout, with Jaloni Cambridge who came in before the junior, and the offense responded. The Buckeyes increased their lead back to six points with a run of 3:05 without Iowa making a shot.

With 2:34 remaining in the half, Jaloni Cambridge picked up her second foul but McGuff wasn’t phased and kept the freshman on the court. However, Cambridge looked nervous about being too aggressive going to the basket and potentially picking up a third foul.

Ohio State shot 2-of-10 in the final five minutes of the quarter while Iowa hit four shots in a row to take a two-point lead. It was Iowa’s first lead of the game, but it didn’t last long. Forward Taylor Thierry got the Buckeyes ahead with 16 seconds remaining when the senior went up for a layup, received contact and hit the shot and subsequent free throw.

The Buckeyes entered halftime up 29-28 behind eight points from McMahon and six points and six rebounds from forward Ajae Petty.

Coming out of half time, no team asserted itself. Instead, the two teams traded blows as if it was a boxing match. The quarter featured four lead changes and three times when the game was tied. Neither side ever had more than a two-possession lead, with an unlikely name providing important minutes for the Buckeyes.

McGuff brought in forward Eboni Walker, who has played sparingly this season, but on Friday, she showed that maybe she should have seen the court a bit more throughout the year.

Walker played six minutes and had four points but more importantly provided stability and quickness on defense that Petty and freshman Elsa Lemmilä couldn't provide. With Walker on the court, the forward had a +6 plus/minus and along with two three-point shots from Kennedy Cambridge, the Buckeyes narrowly edged the Hawkeyes in the period.

On one of Kennedy Cambridge’s made shots from beyond the arc, it was her sister Jaloni Cambridge finding her with a laser of a pass that cut across the width of the court.

Ohio State outscored Iowa 19-18 in the quarter, with Walker picking up the last basket at the buzzer after rebounding a missed Kennedy Cambridge layup attempt. It gave the Buckeyes a 48-46 advantage and 10 minutes left to hold onto the lead if they hoped to continue their conference postseason run.

Jaloni Cambridge started going to the basket in the fourth quarter, entering the frame with only two fouls to her name. However, the freshman was hesitating, missing her first attempts in the final period. Thierry and McMahon picked up the scoring, hitting the first five points for Ohio State and extended the lead to four points.

Thierry, who hasn't played consistently on the offensive side of the court this season, added a second three-point shot in the fourth quarter to bring the lead to six points but Iowa kept fighting. McMahon missed two of four free throws and the Hawkeyes added a layup and three-point shot. Ohio State still had a lead, but it was dwindling, down to two points.

Iowa erased the lead when guard Sydney Affolter hit a second three in a row. It gave the Hawkeyes a one-point lead. On the next offensive drive, Jaloni Cambridge went up for a layup and got called for a charge, putting Iowa in the bonus with 48.8 seconds remaining.

Ohio State allowed an open three-point shot from Iowa with 29 seconds remaining that Kylie Feuerbach missed. That gave Ohio State the final possession, down one point. The Buckeyes called a timeout to regroup and out of it, McMahon went to the basket and hit a layup, but a foul was called before McMahon went up for the basket.

McMahon went to the line with a chance to win the game with free throws and hit them both, but Ohio State had to make one final defensive stop without fouling. Affolter had a chance to win it, but overthrew the basket with pressure from Walker.

With .7 seconds remaining, Stuelke had a chance to win the game on a quick catch and shoot but it was too short, sealing the victory for Ohio State.

McMahon and Thierry led the Buckeyes in scoring with 18 and 14 points, respectively. Thierry added five steals and seven rebounds. Jaloni Cambridge ended the day with six points on 3-of-15 shooting.

For Iowa, the trio of Stuelke, Olsen and Affolter propelled the Hawkeyes. All three scored 14 points in the Hawkeyes’ defeat.

What’s Next​


With the loss, the Buckeyes’ Big Ten Tournament run is over before it really got going. Ohio State has nine days until the NCAA Tournament Selection Show, where they — and 67 other teams — will find out their seeding for this year’s Big Dance.

With the win, the Buckeyes play Saturday against the No. 2 UCLA Bruins. The game tips off at 5:30 p.m. ET with the winner playing either the No. 5 Michigan Wolverines or No. 1 USC Trojans in the championship game, on Sunday.

On Feb. 5, Ohio State played the Bruins in Los Angeles and were tied at 44-44 in the first minute of the fourth quarter but guard Kiki Rice led a late UCLA charge. The Buckeyes fell 65-52.

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Google Big Ten women’s basketball tournament: How to watch Ohio State vs. Iowa (3/7/25) | FREE LIVE STREAM, Time, TV - NJ.com

Big Ten women’s basketball tournament: How to watch Ohio State vs. Iowa (3/7/25) | FREE LIVE STREAM, Time, TV - NJ.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Big Ten women’s basketball tournament: How to watch Ohio State vs. Iowa (3/7/25) | FREE LIVE STREAM, Time, TV NJ.com

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Google Ohio State Women’s Basketball Fights Past Iowa in Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals, 60-59 | Eleven Warriors - Eleven Warriors

Ohio State Women’s Basketball Fights Past Iowa in Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals, 60-59 | Eleven Warriors - Eleven Warriors
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Ohio State Women’s Basketball Fights Past Iowa in Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals, 60-59 | Eleven Warriors Eleven Warriors

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LGHL Ohio State players won’t say it, but they wanted Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament

Ohio State players won’t say it, but they wanted Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Buckeyes take on the Hawkeyes tonight, and they wouldn’t have it any other way

On Thursday afternoon, before Ohio State women’s basketball was set for their last practiced at home before taking the three-hour bus trip west to Indianapolis, Indiana, forwards Taylor Thierry and Ajae Petty spoke with the media. It was a “last hurrah” kind of availability to fit in last second questions about March experience for the two senior members of the team, team chemistry and if the team is prepared for the postseason.

At the time, the opponent for the Buckeyes’ Friday night quarterfinal game of the Big Ten Tournament was undecided. It would either be the No. 24 Michigan State Spartans or the unranked Iowa Hawkeyes.

Thierry and Petty were asked point blank: which team would you rather face?

The pair laughed and sighed. Then out came the PC answer.

“I honestly don’t care. I think they’re both really good teams,” said Thierry. “It’s gonna be either, honestly, any team that we play, they’re just gonna be hard, it’s gonna be tough games. So I don’t think I really have a preference, but I just wanna focus on our end, on executing our game plan.”

A great, well-trained, answer to a question that doesn’t have a right answer. Say a specific team, get that team and then lose to them creates bulletin board material. It puts undue pressure on the situation.

Pressure is not something the Iowa vs. Ohio State rivalry lacked over the last four years. The two sides shared a Big Ten regular season title, the Hawkeyes beat the Buckeyes in the 2023 Big Ten Tournament final and the two played a pay-per-view level overtime thriller in Columbus in January of 2024.

Later on in the conversation, Thierry was asked more about Iowa. This time it was seeing if Thierry felt the same way forward Cotie McMahon feels about the Hawkeyes.

Last year, after the overtime win for Ohio State, a win that went towards the Buckeyes earning the sole custody of the Big Ten regulars season title, McMahon shared how personal it was to beat the Hawkeyes and this year she reinforced it after scoring 25 points against them on Feb. 17. After the win, McMahon was asked if she still thinks the matchup is personal.

“Oh, yeah, for sure. It’s never going to change,” said McMahon.

This rivalry hit a fever pitch in January of 2023. After beating Ohio State in Columbus, then Iowa guard Caitlin Clark took a dub chain shirt (a giveaway that night) and threw it over her shoulder as she walked in front of the Buckeyes’ bench.

“Caitlin Clark took the dub chain shirt, as like a little joke, whatever, which is cool,” said McMahon. “I was just thinking in my head, seeing that, we just have to smile through it and move on to the next.”

In 2024, the next regular season game for the two teams, McMahon had 33 points and 12 rebounds in the 100-92 Ohio State victory. That was the first time McMahon shared more about how the Buckeyes see the Hawkeyes.

“This game was personal. This game was very personal,” said McMahon. “And I think I responded well.”

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

On Friday, Ohio State is looking for another good response for many reasons. For one, it’s the postseason. Any loss is the team’s last for the tournament. The Buckeyes potentially only have two games left the entire season if they both end in defeat.

Another reason is earning home court advantage in March Madness. Even though the team doesn’t outwardly say it, no side wants to travel over staying at a home. The Buckeyes are teetering on the edge of hosting, with Bracketology experts moving the side to a No. 5 seed, when top-four seeds all host the first two rounds of March Madness.

The last reason is that Ohio State wants to beat Iowa. It’s a rivalry game. To answer the previous question, Thierry is clear about how she feels about playing Iowa.

“Obviously, looking at the past games that we’ve had against them, I feel like it’s always been a chippy game, pretty physical game,” said Thierry. “I feel like there’s been a little bit of disrespect on their end. So I think that we just use that as motivators and just out there ready to compete.”

What was that disrespect, in Thierry’s eyes? Can the hybrid guard/forward elaborate? Thierry stumbled slightly before saying two simple words.

“That’s okay.”

The world may never know all of the reasons, but Ohio State knows. On Friday, that will all come back to Ohio State. How the Buckeyes respond will decide who wins the next chapter of the rivalry and who gets to move on to play on Saturday.

There will likely be a familiar face in the crowd on Friday too, with former Hawkeye and now Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark taking in both previous Iowa games of the tournament from court side.

Don’t expect many Ohio State players to go over and say hello.

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Google Press Coverage: New Buckeye Defensive Coordinator Matt Patricia Makes a Good First Impression, C.J. Hicks Movi - Eleven Warriors

Press Coverage: New Buckeye Defensive Coordinator Matt Patricia Makes a Good First Impression, C.J. Hicks Movi - Eleven Warriors
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Press Coverage: New Buckeye Defensive Coordinator Matt Patricia Makes a Good First Impression, C.J. Hicks Movi Eleven Warriors

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