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LGHL Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Indiana: Game preview and prediction
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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
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.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25902268/usa_today_25583581.jpg "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.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25902266/2203342647.jpg "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
Continue reading...
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
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
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
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
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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
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.
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.
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.
G- Jaloni Cambridge
G- Chance Gray
G- Taylor Thierry
F- Cotie McMahon
F- Ajae Petty
G- Kiki Rice
G- Londynn Jones
F- Gabriela Jaquez
F- Angela Dugalic
C- Lauren Betts
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.
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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ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
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.
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
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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
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.
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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ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
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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LGHL Ohio State players won’t say it, but they wanted Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament
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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
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.”
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25240762/usa_today_22344388.jpg "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.
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
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.”
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.
Continue reading...
LGHL Big Ten Tournament Game Preview: No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 11 Iowa
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Big Ten Tournament Game Preview: No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 11 Iowa
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Buckeyes and Hawkeyes renew their rivalry three weeks after an overtime thriller.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. It’s March and it’s college basketball. Friday night, Ohio State women’s basketball enters the postseason conference madness before the national March Madness tournament.
After earning the No. 3 tournament seed and a double-bye, Ohio State’s first game is against one of the hottest teams right now in college basketball. A team the Buckeyes have some drama with on and off the court over the past few years.
In the last quarterfinal game of the day, Ohio State takes on the Iowa Hawkeyes, hoping to forget last year’s quarterfinal upset and work towards securing home court for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
To say Iowa is one of the hottest teams in the nation isn’t hyperbole. The Hawkeyes have eight wins in the last 10 games of the season after falling in five straight at the beginning of 2025. In that run, Iowa defeated the eventual Big Ten championship-winning USC Trojans, the lone tarnish on the Los Angeles side’s record in conference play.
Even the losses showed how the Hawkeyes are hitting their stride at the right time. The first came against the Buckeyes, in Columbus. Down 14 points with 1:38 remaining, the Black and Yellow, led by guard Lucy Olsen, forced overtime in a fast and hectic comeback.
Iowa lost, and they lost their next game too but that was a two-point defeat to the UCLA Bruins, in Iowa City.
So, suffice to say that Iowa is not a normal No. 11 seed.
On Thursday, the Hawkeyes beat the No. 24 ranked Michigan State Spartans, the No. 6 tournament seed. After losing to Sparty by two points in the regular season, the Hawkeyes went down four points after the first quarter but had a big response in the second quarter, out scoring Michigan State 20-9.
The Hawkeyes tried holding off Michigan State in the third quarter, but the Spartans are known for late comebacks themselves and took a short-lived five-point lead. Iowa scored eight to finish the third quarter and then scored 20 in the fourth quarter to pull away to a 74-61 victory.
Head coach Jan Jensen, in her first year running the Iowa program, saw her side through a rough spell earlier in the season, a spell due to forward Hannah Stuelke moving from a No. 5 position to a power forward. The Hawkeyes never truly adjusted and Jansen had the wherewithal to go back to what worked, and it’s working.
Stuelke is an offensive weapon who will hurt teams inside the post, even if she’s not scoring baskets consistently. The space she takes, and defenders she pulls in, benefits those on the outside.
Olsen is the main benefactor with a 23.1 points per game average in the last eight games and shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc in that stretch with 23 made three-point shots.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25900964/usa_today_25600235.jpg "Syndication: The Indianapolis Star")
Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
In Columbus, Ohio State built a lead thanks to strong play against Stuelke. The Buckeyes held Stuelke to 10 points and five rebounds, with freshman center Elsa Lemmilä picking up three blocks against the junior forward. Olsen scored 27 and guard Sydney Affolter was relentless on the boards with 15 rebounds.
Since then, rebounding for the Buckeyes has improved through the play of forward Ajae Petty. The graduate forward has three double-doubles in a row after going 10 games where Petty didn’t even reach double-digit points or rebounds.
“My process never changed even when things were going kind of rough,” said Petty about coming out of the cold spell. “Sometimes you gotta accept the place that God places you in. You just gotta continue to keep grinding it out. So sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but that’s the beauty of the game.”
It’s working for Ohio State now but they also need more minutes out of Jaloni Cambridge.
Against Maryland, the guard played 18 minutes due to foul trouble and fouled out in the fourth quarter. Head coach Kevin McGuff said it boils down to Cambridge being hard working player who wants to get into every play. McGuff and Cambridge talked about being careful with her hands and being selective on when to get into a play.
“We need her,” said McGuff. “We need her on the floor.”
Cambridge led Ohio State with 29 points against the Hawkeyes and should come into Friday with a little more motivation considering her being unavailable when the team needed her against the Terrapins. Both her and McMahon are a focal point for coach Jansen and the Hawkeyes.
“Man, Jaloni [Cambridge], I’ll tell you what, she’s tremendous,” said Jansen following Iowa’s Thursday night win. “Cotie McMahon, tremendous. All of them, man, they’re just really explosive, they’re powerful, they press.”
“We have to handle their press. We have to handle their speed,” said Jansen. “Jaloni got downhill on us real fast, real often there, and I don’t know if anybody’s been able to really slow her down.”
Even with applause from the opposing coach, Ohio State isn’t at a the point where they have played a full 40 minutes of their desired style of basketball. To avoid a second consecutive upset in the Big Ten Tournament, the Buckeyes will need more against the Hawkeyes.
G- Jaloni Cambridge
G- Chance Gray
G- Taylor Thierry
F- Cotie McMahon
F- Ajae Petty
G- Sydney Affolter
G- Kylie Feuerbach
G- Taylor McCabe
G- Lucy Olsen
F- Hannah Stuelke
This game is going to be close. What will get Ohio State over the Hawkeyes is the motivated play of forward Cotie McMahon and freshman Jaloni Cambridge. The two will lead the Buckeye scoring, and Ohio State will force turnovers from the Iowa side.
It will be a loud, pro-Iowa, crowd. The Hawkeye faithful are already in Indianapolis and more will descend as the tournament moves on with Iowa taking part. That will make it a tough environment to play in and give the Hawkeyes a boost.
Date: Friday, March. 7, 2025
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
TV: Big Ten Network
Stream: FOX Sports App
Just when you thought it was safe to watch Big Ten women’s basketball, Iowa guard Caitlin Clark has returned. This time the guard is a spectator, watching the side she led to the last three Big Ten Tournament championships.
Playing in the same arena for the Indiana Fever of the WNBA, Clark watched both Wednesday’s game against the Wisconsin Badgers and the win over Sparty on Thursday.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25900963/usa_today_25592343.jpg "Syndication: The Indianapolis Star")
Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
That means that the guard will more than likely be court side on Friday, adding a little bit of intrigue for an Ohio State side that has their fair share of history with the former Hawkeye star.
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ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Buckeyes and Hawkeyes renew their rivalry three weeks after an overtime thriller.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. It’s March and it’s college basketball. Friday night, Ohio State women’s basketball enters the postseason conference madness before the national March Madness tournament.
After earning the No. 3 tournament seed and a double-bye, Ohio State’s first game is against one of the hottest teams right now in college basketball. A team the Buckeyes have some drama with on and off the court over the past few years.
In the last quarterfinal game of the day, Ohio State takes on the Iowa Hawkeyes, hoping to forget last year’s quarterfinal upset and work towards securing home court for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
Preview
To say Iowa is one of the hottest teams in the nation isn’t hyperbole. The Hawkeyes have eight wins in the last 10 games of the season after falling in five straight at the beginning of 2025. In that run, Iowa defeated the eventual Big Ten championship-winning USC Trojans, the lone tarnish on the Los Angeles side’s record in conference play.
Even the losses showed how the Hawkeyes are hitting their stride at the right time. The first came against the Buckeyes, in Columbus. Down 14 points with 1:38 remaining, the Black and Yellow, led by guard Lucy Olsen, forced overtime in a fast and hectic comeback.
Iowa lost, and they lost their next game too but that was a two-point defeat to the UCLA Bruins, in Iowa City.
So, suffice to say that Iowa is not a normal No. 11 seed.
On Thursday, the Hawkeyes beat the No. 24 ranked Michigan State Spartans, the No. 6 tournament seed. After losing to Sparty by two points in the regular season, the Hawkeyes went down four points after the first quarter but had a big response in the second quarter, out scoring Michigan State 20-9.
The Hawkeyes tried holding off Michigan State in the third quarter, but the Spartans are known for late comebacks themselves and took a short-lived five-point lead. Iowa scored eight to finish the third quarter and then scored 20 in the fourth quarter to pull away to a 74-61 victory.
Head coach Jan Jensen, in her first year running the Iowa program, saw her side through a rough spell earlier in the season, a spell due to forward Hannah Stuelke moving from a No. 5 position to a power forward. The Hawkeyes never truly adjusted and Jansen had the wherewithal to go back to what worked, and it’s working.
Stuelke is an offensive weapon who will hurt teams inside the post, even if she’s not scoring baskets consistently. The space she takes, and defenders she pulls in, benefits those on the outside.
Olsen is the main benefactor with a 23.1 points per game average in the last eight games and shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc in that stretch with 23 made three-point shots.
In Columbus, Ohio State built a lead thanks to strong play against Stuelke. The Buckeyes held Stuelke to 10 points and five rebounds, with freshman center Elsa Lemmilä picking up three blocks against the junior forward. Olsen scored 27 and guard Sydney Affolter was relentless on the boards with 15 rebounds.
Since then, rebounding for the Buckeyes has improved through the play of forward Ajae Petty. The graduate forward has three double-doubles in a row after going 10 games where Petty didn’t even reach double-digit points or rebounds.
“My process never changed even when things were going kind of rough,” said Petty about coming out of the cold spell. “Sometimes you gotta accept the place that God places you in. You just gotta continue to keep grinding it out. So sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but that’s the beauty of the game.”
It’s working for Ohio State now but they also need more minutes out of Jaloni Cambridge.
Against Maryland, the guard played 18 minutes due to foul trouble and fouled out in the fourth quarter. Head coach Kevin McGuff said it boils down to Cambridge being hard working player who wants to get into every play. McGuff and Cambridge talked about being careful with her hands and being selective on when to get into a play.
“We need her,” said McGuff. “We need her on the floor.”
Cambridge led Ohio State with 29 points against the Hawkeyes and should come into Friday with a little more motivation considering her being unavailable when the team needed her against the Terrapins. Both her and McMahon are a focal point for coach Jansen and the Hawkeyes.
“Man, Jaloni [Cambridge], I’ll tell you what, she’s tremendous,” said Jansen following Iowa’s Thursday night win. “Cotie McMahon, tremendous. All of them, man, they’re just really explosive, they’re powerful, they press.”
“We have to handle their press. We have to handle their speed,” said Jansen. “Jaloni got downhill on us real fast, real often there, and I don’t know if anybody’s been able to really slow her down.”
Even with applause from the opposing coach, Ohio State isn’t at a the point where they have played a full 40 minutes of their desired style of basketball. To avoid a second consecutive upset in the Big Ten Tournament, the Buckeyes will need more against the Hawkeyes.
Projected Starters
Ohio State
G- Jaloni Cambridge
G- Chance Gray
G- Taylor Thierry
F- Cotie McMahon
F- Ajae Petty
Lineup Notes
- Ohio State has 15 games this season where four players reached double-digit scoring in the same game.
- Ajae Petty has three double-doubles in a row, which is the first OHio State player to do that since forward Dorka Juhász in the 20-21 season.
- The Buckeyes have at least 10 steals in 23 games this season.
Iowa
G- Sydney Affolter
G- Kylie Feuerbach
G- Taylor McCabe
G- Lucy Olsen
F- Hannah Stuelke
Lineup Notes
- This Iowa starting lineup has a 9-3 record this season and have started together for the last 11 games in a row.
- Hannah Stuelke only played 22 minutes due to foul trouble against Michigan State on Thursday night but still had 12 points and 10 rebounds.
- Lucy Olsen earned a unanimous All-Big Ten First Team selection by the coaches, with a First Team honor from the media. Stuelke landed on the media’s Second Team but not the coaches.
Prediction
This game is going to be close. What will get Ohio State over the Hawkeyes is the motivated play of forward Cotie McMahon and freshman Jaloni Cambridge. The two will lead the Buckeye scoring, and Ohio State will force turnovers from the Iowa side.
It will be a loud, pro-Iowa, crowd. The Hawkeye faithful are already in Indianapolis and more will descend as the tournament moves on with Iowa taking part. That will make it a tough environment to play in and give the Hawkeyes a boost.
How to Watch
Date: Friday, March. 7, 2025
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
TV: Big Ten Network
Stream: FOX Sports App
LGHL Score Prediction: 78-77, Ohio State Buckeyes
Caitlin Clark is in the building
Just when you thought it was safe to watch Big Ten women’s basketball, Iowa guard Caitlin Clark has returned. This time the guard is a spectator, watching the side she led to the last three Big Ten Tournament championships.
Playing in the same arena for the Indiana Fever of the WNBA, Clark watched both Wednesday’s game against the Wisconsin Badgers and the win over Sparty on Thursday.
That means that the guard will more than likely be court side on Friday, adding a little bit of intrigue for an Ohio State side that has their fair share of history with the former Hawkeye star.
Continue reading...