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LGHL What to watch on Ohio State women’s basketball road trip to Wisconsin, Penn State
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What to watch on Ohio State women’s basketball road trip to Wisconsin, Penn State
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Buckeyes head to Madison and State College for a backtracking two-game road trip
The No. 9 Ohio State women’s basketball team is now comfortably into the Big Ten schedule, riding a 16-game winning streak to start the season. Ohio State is one of only three remaining undefeated teams alongside the No. 1 UCLA Bruins and No. 4 LSU Tigers, and the Buckeyes take that momentum on the road for a pair of away trips.
It begins Thursday night in Madison, Wisconsin, and ends Sunday afternoon in State College, Pennsylvania as the Buckeyes take on two sides near the bottom of the Big Ten standings. With the No. 8 Maryland Terrapins coming to Columbus on Jan. 23, these two games have all the characteristics of trap games.
They are matchups against teams where Ohio State has a clear advantage but wins only count at the end of 40 minutes of basketball. Here’s what to watch across the road trip:
The source of frustration in both games will likely come inside the paint. That’s where Wisconsin forward Serah Williams and Penn State’s Gracie Merkle do their best work.
Williams, the reigning First Team All-Big Ten and Defensive Player of the Year, is a force. After returning to Wisconsin for a third season, the Brooklyn, New York native continues to improve for the Badgers.
At the time of publishing, the 6-foot-4 forward leads the Big Ten in both total rebounds and blocks. Offensively, Williams is one of three players in the conference averaging a double-double in points (18.5) and rebounds (11.2), which isn’t something even UCLA big Lauren Betts can say.
Williams is also the third of those three players that have faced Ohio State this season. The other two are Illinois’ Kendall Bostic and Rutgers’ Destiny Adams. Bostic had 17 points and 13 rebounds, but to the Buckeyes’ credit, those points came more from the midrange. Head coach Kevin McGuff had his post defense ready against the Fighting Illini and it forced the big to move out of the paint.
Adams was another story. The Rutgers forward terrorized the Buckeyes to the tune of 31 points, 17 rebounds, and 4 forced charges (with the charges all coming in the first quarter).
Ohio State will need to bring the same intensity it brought against Bostic against Williams. The Wisconsin big is quicker than Bostic and is better at running the floor too. It’ll be a test for forward Ajae Petty, but the Kentucky transfer won’t be able to do it alone. Expect the Buckeyes to double up the forward when she inevitably gets the ball in the paint. In two previous games against the Buckeyes, Williams averages 19.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
For Merkle, the 6-foot-6 center is an unknown test for Ohio State. Merkle’s in her first season at Penn State after transferring from Bellarmine of the A-Sun. The big averaged 15.1 points and 11 rebounds per game with Bellarmine and since moving to the Big Ten, hasn’t seen much of a decrease. Merkle leads Penn State with 16.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.
The Penn State center plays a different game than Williams, using physicality inside the paint as the primary weapon, offensively. Defensively, Merkle ranks fourth in the Big Ten with 31 blocks. To put that into context, Ohio State’s Elsa Lemmilä, who has 30 blocks playing nine fewer minutes per game than Merkle.
On both Thursday and Sunday, Petty and Lemmilä will have their hands full.
So far this season, freshman point guard Jaloni Cambridge hasn’t had any strong string of games where she wasn’t missing time or entire games. Cambridge took a knock against the Charlotte 49ers that took her out of the game and a bigger fall on her shoulder against Ball State that kept the freshman out nearly four full games.
When healthy and available, Cambridge makes the fantastic look easy. This week, the freshman picked up her first Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor for leading Ohio State back from a 16-point deficit to the Michigan Wolverines. In Ann Arbor, Cambridge scored 22 points in the second half, leading the Buckeyes to the win. Against Oregon Sunday, Cambridge was a little more subdued but still came away with 13 points and four rebounds.
Should Cambridge play 20 minutes against Wisconsin, it’ll be five games in a row where the freshman hit that total, the longest streak in the young point guard’s career. Having Cambridge on the court is vital for the Buckeyes because she brings speed and unpredictability to games.
Will the guard take a deep shot, run in for a midrange, attack the basket, or find an outlet? Each time Cambridge gets the ball, opponents have to work that much harder.
Despite returning to the court in four consecutive games since hurting her right shoulder, Cambridge still wears a sleeve on that should when not on the court. Coach McGuff assured that Cambridge is fine, even with the shoulder harness.
Even so, with the campaign slightly over halfway to completion, nobody is really at 100%, but for Ohio State, having Cambridge on the floor brings skills that teams struggle to stop.
In the fourth quarter against Oregon, with the Ducks slowly erasing their deficit, McGuff opted to go with graduate senior Madison Greene, but not due to injury.
“Her experience as the game was getting a little tighter,” said McGuff. “Madison is one of our best on-ball defenders and they were really driving the ball on us today.”
Having a tight lead late isn’t something the Buckeyes are used to this season, it’s either coming back or blowing teams away. When Ohio State needed baskets, McGuff still opted for Cambridge, showing the level of trust built quickly for the freshman.
The Nittany Lions have a way of starting their season off strong and building up talk around their program. This season was no different, but the conversation around the program started the wrong way one week into the season.
Onward State published a piece with interviews from former players who talked about their time in the program under head coach Carolyn Kieger. It included allegations of trauma and abuse that the program responded to the next day.
Once games began, the talk around the program went away and games began. The usual “Is Penn State a contender?” conversation resurfaced when the Nittany Lions won their first eight games, including a 20-point victory over the Georgia Bulldogs of the SEC.
Penn State came to Earth when December hit, with the Nittany Lions losing eight of their last nine games.
The Nittany Lions suffered more roster turnover than most in the offseason. Program staple Makenna Marisa’s eligibility ended, former Maryland Terrapin All-American Ashley Owusu left the program after a season dealing with injuries and both Leilani Kapinus and Shay Czeki left Krieger’s program to play for Vanderbilt and Indiana, respectively.
Only 17 percent of the roster’s scoring from last season returned, with Jayla Oden and Alli Campbell the big returnees. Outside of Merkle, Penn State added former Michigan State Spartan Gabby Elliot, who is averaging 11.9 points and 4.8 rebounds. Plus, a sophomore campaign for Moriah Murray who leads the Big Ten with 44 made three-point shots.
All-in-all, it’s a Penn State side that’s full of intrigue. In one game, they’re losing to the Minnesota Golden Gophers 90-54 and in another, they narrowly fall to the Oregon Ducks 63-61.
Currently, the Nittany Lions are on a West Coast trip, losing their first of two games in Los Angeles 95-73, to the USC Trojans. Who will this team be when they return home for Sunday’s game against Ohio State?
At this point, it’s hard to tell, which makes for good television (streaming in this case).
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
Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Buckeyes head to Madison and State College for a backtracking two-game road trip
The No. 9 Ohio State women’s basketball team is now comfortably into the Big Ten schedule, riding a 16-game winning streak to start the season. Ohio State is one of only three remaining undefeated teams alongside the No. 1 UCLA Bruins and No. 4 LSU Tigers, and the Buckeyes take that momentum on the road for a pair of away trips.
It begins Thursday night in Madison, Wisconsin, and ends Sunday afternoon in State College, Pennsylvania as the Buckeyes take on two sides near the bottom of the Big Ten standings. With the No. 8 Maryland Terrapins coming to Columbus on Jan. 23, these two games have all the characteristics of trap games.
They are matchups against teams where Ohio State has a clear advantage but wins only count at the end of 40 minutes of basketball. Here’s what to watch across the road trip:
Serah Williams and Gracie Merkle
The source of frustration in both games will likely come inside the paint. That’s where Wisconsin forward Serah Williams and Penn State’s Gracie Merkle do their best work.
Williams, the reigning First Team All-Big Ten and Defensive Player of the Year, is a force. After returning to Wisconsin for a third season, the Brooklyn, New York native continues to improve for the Badgers.
At the time of publishing, the 6-foot-4 forward leads the Big Ten in both total rebounds and blocks. Offensively, Williams is one of three players in the conference averaging a double-double in points (18.5) and rebounds (11.2), which isn’t something even UCLA big Lauren Betts can say.
Williams is also the third of those three players that have faced Ohio State this season. The other two are Illinois’ Kendall Bostic and Rutgers’ Destiny Adams. Bostic had 17 points and 13 rebounds, but to the Buckeyes’ credit, those points came more from the midrange. Head coach Kevin McGuff had his post defense ready against the Fighting Illini and it forced the big to move out of the paint.
Adams was another story. The Rutgers forward terrorized the Buckeyes to the tune of 31 points, 17 rebounds, and 4 forced charges (with the charges all coming in the first quarter).
Ohio State will need to bring the same intensity it brought against Bostic against Williams. The Wisconsin big is quicker than Bostic and is better at running the floor too. It’ll be a test for forward Ajae Petty, but the Kentucky transfer won’t be able to do it alone. Expect the Buckeyes to double up the forward when she inevitably gets the ball in the paint. In two previous games against the Buckeyes, Williams averages 19.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
For Merkle, the 6-foot-6 center is an unknown test for Ohio State. Merkle’s in her first season at Penn State after transferring from Bellarmine of the A-Sun. The big averaged 15.1 points and 11 rebounds per game with Bellarmine and since moving to the Big Ten, hasn’t seen much of a decrease. Merkle leads Penn State with 16.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.
The Penn State center plays a different game than Williams, using physicality inside the paint as the primary weapon, offensively. Defensively, Merkle ranks fourth in the Big Ten with 31 blocks. To put that into context, Ohio State’s Elsa Lemmilä, who has 30 blocks playing nine fewer minutes per game than Merkle.
On both Thursday and Sunday, Petty and Lemmilä will have their hands full.
Jaloni Cambridge Consistency
So far this season, freshman point guard Jaloni Cambridge hasn’t had any strong string of games where she wasn’t missing time or entire games. Cambridge took a knock against the Charlotte 49ers that took her out of the game and a bigger fall on her shoulder against Ball State that kept the freshman out nearly four full games.
When healthy and available, Cambridge makes the fantastic look easy. This week, the freshman picked up her first Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor for leading Ohio State back from a 16-point deficit to the Michigan Wolverines. In Ann Arbor, Cambridge scored 22 points in the second half, leading the Buckeyes to the win. Against Oregon Sunday, Cambridge was a little more subdued but still came away with 13 points and four rebounds.
Should Cambridge play 20 minutes against Wisconsin, it’ll be five games in a row where the freshman hit that total, the longest streak in the young point guard’s career. Having Cambridge on the court is vital for the Buckeyes because she brings speed and unpredictability to games.
Will the guard take a deep shot, run in for a midrange, attack the basket, or find an outlet? Each time Cambridge gets the ball, opponents have to work that much harder.
Despite returning to the court in four consecutive games since hurting her right shoulder, Cambridge still wears a sleeve on that should when not on the court. Coach McGuff assured that Cambridge is fine, even with the shoulder harness.
Even so, with the campaign slightly over halfway to completion, nobody is really at 100%, but for Ohio State, having Cambridge on the floor brings skills that teams struggle to stop.
In the fourth quarter against Oregon, with the Ducks slowly erasing their deficit, McGuff opted to go with graduate senior Madison Greene, but not due to injury.
“Her experience as the game was getting a little tighter,” said McGuff. “Madison is one of our best on-ball defenders and they were really driving the ball on us today.”
Having a tight lead late isn’t something the Buckeyes are used to this season, it’s either coming back or blowing teams away. When Ohio State needed baskets, McGuff still opted for Cambridge, showing the level of trust built quickly for the freshman.
Who is Penn State?
The Nittany Lions have a way of starting their season off strong and building up talk around their program. This season was no different, but the conversation around the program started the wrong way one week into the season.
Onward State published a piece with interviews from former players who talked about their time in the program under head coach Carolyn Kieger. It included allegations of trauma and abuse that the program responded to the next day.
Once games began, the talk around the program went away and games began. The usual “Is Penn State a contender?” conversation resurfaced when the Nittany Lions won their first eight games, including a 20-point victory over the Georgia Bulldogs of the SEC.
Penn State came to Earth when December hit, with the Nittany Lions losing eight of their last nine games.
The Nittany Lions suffered more roster turnover than most in the offseason. Program staple Makenna Marisa’s eligibility ended, former Maryland Terrapin All-American Ashley Owusu left the program after a season dealing with injuries and both Leilani Kapinus and Shay Czeki left Krieger’s program to play for Vanderbilt and Indiana, respectively.
Only 17 percent of the roster’s scoring from last season returned, with Jayla Oden and Alli Campbell the big returnees. Outside of Merkle, Penn State added former Michigan State Spartan Gabby Elliot, who is averaging 11.9 points and 4.8 rebounds. Plus, a sophomore campaign for Moriah Murray who leads the Big Ten with 44 made three-point shots.
All-in-all, it’s a Penn State side that’s full of intrigue. In one game, they’re losing to the Minnesota Golden Gophers 90-54 and in another, they narrowly fall to the Oregon Ducks 63-61.
Currently, the Nittany Lions are on a West Coast trip, losing their first of two games in Los Angeles 95-73, to the USC Trojans. Who will this team be when they return home for Sunday’s game against Ohio State?
At this point, it’s hard to tell, which makes for good television (streaming in this case).
Continue reading...
Indiana at Ohio State, Friday, January 17, 2025 @ 8 PM, FOX
- By ScriptOhio
- Buckeye Basketball
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Men's Basketball Hosts Hoosiers for Friday Night Hoops at the Schott
The Ohio State men's basketball team is back in action at the Schottenstein Center on Friday night as the Buckeyes take on the Indiana Hoosiers at 8 p.m. All fans in attendance are encouraged to wear white and arrive at the Schott early as the first 5,000 fans will receive a white rally towel featuring the iconic script Buckeyes logo!
LGHL Ohio State men show life in the second half but still falls to No. 24 Wisconsin 70-68
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Ohio State men show life in the second half but still falls to No. 24 Wisconsin 70-68
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 John Fisher/Getty Images
After trailing by 17, the Buckeyes fought back to make it a one-possession game in the final seconds, but OSU falls in Madison.
The Ohio State Buckeyes (10-7, 2-4) fell to the No. 24 Wisconsin Badgers (14-3, 4-2) 70-68 Tuesday night at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisc., to pick up the Badgers 50th win over the Buckeyes in Madison.
The game got off to the worst possible start for Ohio State, especially when playing on the road, with two turnovers on the first two possessions — the first was a travel by Royal, and the second was a moving screen at the other end by Stewart. John Blackwell started off hot for Wisconsin, recording all nine of the Badger’s first nine points as the Badgers jumped ahead 9-2 after five minutes of play.
The Buckeyes started 1-for-9 from the field, with the only basket coming courtesy of a Stewart dunk. Thornton broke the cold streak with a floater, and Glover found Mahaffey on an alley-oop. However, the Badgers scored twice as well to make the score 13-6.
At the under-12 timeout, the Buckeyes were 3-for-14 from the field and, more importantly for how they play, 0-for-4 from three-point range. McGee knocked down a jumper to make the 17-6 Wisconsin with 10 minutes remaining in the half, but Bradshaw knocked down a three-pointer to cut into the Wisconsin lead.
Wisconsin went up by double-digits early and never looked back in the opening half, opening up the lead to 37-20 after the first 20 minutes.
Both teams struggled throughout the first half. Ohio State shot 9-for-28 from the field and 1-for-7 from three-point range, while Wisconsin was 11-for-25 from the field and 2-for-11 from three-point range. The main difference was that the Buckeyes were 1-for-1 from the free-throw line, while Wisconsin was 13-for-14 from the free-throw line.
The Buckeyes never got anything going offensively, as the Badgers led 37-20 heading into the half.
Crowl led the Badgers at the half with ten points and three rebounds on 3-for-7 shooting. Blackwell had nine points and five rebounds at the half, and John Tonje had six points. For Ohio State, Bradshaw and Royal had five points at the half, but Royal had four turnovers, and Bradshaw had three fouls.
Thornton, who only had two points in the first half, scored four points in the opening minute of the second half to cut the Badgers' lead to 13. Thornton knocked down the second three-pointer of the game for Ohio State to make the score 39-27 Wisconsin.
Another three-pointer for John Mobley cut the Badger lead to single digits for the first time in the second half, and Ohio State started the first five minutes of the second half on a 10-2 run to show some life.
The Buckeyes continued to knock down shots and put Wisconsin on edge, with a Royal three-pointer with 10 minutes left making the score 48-44 Wisconsin. The Badgers got the score back to 53-46, and then a Stewart bucket and drawn charge on the defensive end gave Ohio State the momentum back. Wisconsin led 53-48 with eight minutes remaining.
The Buckeyes and Badgers traded three-pointers out of the break, one from Klesmit and one from Parrish, and Wisconsin maintained its five-point lead. Ohio State was called for three fouls in one possession to go from three team fouls to six in 30 seconds.
The Buckeyes got some fantastic minutes from an unlikely source, as Ivan Njegovan came in as Bradshaw dealt with foul trouble and was able to make his presence in the paint felt.
However, the Buckeyes had three empty possessions in a row after the clock hit the five-minute mark. Wisconsin led 65-57 with 2:19 left in the game, and Thornton headed to the free-throw line.
The Buckeyes went on a 5-0 run, punctuated by a Royal layup, to cut the deficit to three points with 30 seconds remaining. A missed Badger three gave the ball back to Ohio State with 26.8 seconds remaining. Parrish made a layup for Ohio State to cut the lead to one point, sending Wisconsin to the line with 14.9 seconds left. Blackwell missed the free throw, but Wisconsin recorded the offensive rebound to get a second chance.
McGee knocked down two free throws to give Wisconsin a three-point lead. Thornton was then fouled, knocking down both to cut the Wisconsin lead back to one point with 7.3 seconds left.
Ohio State fouled and sent Wisconsin back to the free-throw line, where they made both. Mobley was fouled with 3.7 seconds left, where he also made both. Ohio State then fouled with 1.3 seconds left and Wisconsin missed the first and made the second to make the score 70-68. Ohio State could not convert the full-court pass and the Badgers won by two.
On Friday, Jan. 17 at 8 p.m. ET, Ohio State will look to defend its home court as it hosts Indiana (13-5, 4-3), which is coming off a 25-point home loss to Illinois. Both teams will look to get back on track, and it is a big one for Ohio State because they will not want to be 2-5 in the conference heading to Mackey Arena to take on Purdue next week.
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 John Fisher/Getty Images
After trailing by 17, the Buckeyes fought back to make it a one-possession game in the final seconds, but OSU falls in Madison.
The Ohio State Buckeyes (10-7, 2-4) fell to the No. 24 Wisconsin Badgers (14-3, 4-2) 70-68 Tuesday night at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisc., to pick up the Badgers 50th win over the Buckeyes in Madison.
The game got off to the worst possible start for Ohio State, especially when playing on the road, with two turnovers on the first two possessions — the first was a travel by Royal, and the second was a moving screen at the other end by Stewart. John Blackwell started off hot for Wisconsin, recording all nine of the Badger’s first nine points as the Badgers jumped ahead 9-2 after five minutes of play.
The Buckeyes started 1-for-9 from the field, with the only basket coming courtesy of a Stewart dunk. Thornton broke the cold streak with a floater, and Glover found Mahaffey on an alley-oop. However, the Badgers scored twice as well to make the score 13-6.
At the under-12 timeout, the Buckeyes were 3-for-14 from the field and, more importantly for how they play, 0-for-4 from three-point range. McGee knocked down a jumper to make the 17-6 Wisconsin with 10 minutes remaining in the half, but Bradshaw knocked down a three-pointer to cut into the Wisconsin lead.
Steal
John Tonje and @BadgerMBB are rolling in the first half.#B1GMBBall on Peacock pic.twitter.com/PgaxSQimjj
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) January 15, 2025
Wisconsin went up by double-digits early and never looked back in the opening half, opening up the lead to 37-20 after the first 20 minutes.
Both teams struggled throughout the first half. Ohio State shot 9-for-28 from the field and 1-for-7 from three-point range, while Wisconsin was 11-for-25 from the field and 2-for-11 from three-point range. The main difference was that the Buckeyes were 1-for-1 from the free-throw line, while Wisconsin was 13-for-14 from the free-throw line.
The Buckeyes never got anything going offensively, as the Badgers led 37-20 heading into the half.
Crowl led the Badgers at the half with ten points and three rebounds on 3-for-7 shooting. Blackwell had nine points and five rebounds at the half, and John Tonje had six points. For Ohio State, Bradshaw and Royal had five points at the half, but Royal had four turnovers, and Bradshaw had three fouls.
Thornton, who only had two points in the first half, scored four points in the opening minute of the second half to cut the Badgers' lead to 13. Thornton knocked down the second three-pointer of the game for Ohio State to make the score 39-27 Wisconsin.
Another three-pointer for John Mobley cut the Badger lead to single digits for the first time in the second half, and Ohio State started the first five minutes of the second half on a 10-2 run to show some life.
The Buckeyes continued to knock down shots and put Wisconsin on edge, with a Royal three-pointer with 10 minutes left making the score 48-44 Wisconsin. The Badgers got the score back to 53-46, and then a Stewart bucket and drawn charge on the defensive end gave Ohio State the momentum back. Wisconsin led 53-48 with eight minutes remaining.
The Buckeyes and Badgers traded three-pointers out of the break, one from Klesmit and one from Parrish, and Wisconsin maintained its five-point lead. Ohio State was called for three fouls in one possession to go from three team fouls to six in 30 seconds.
The Buckeyes got some fantastic minutes from an unlikely source, as Ivan Njegovan came in as Bradshaw dealt with foul trouble and was able to make his presence in the paint felt.
However, the Buckeyes had three empty possessions in a row after the clock hit the five-minute mark. Wisconsin led 65-57 with 2:19 left in the game, and Thornton headed to the free-throw line.
The Buckeyes went on a 5-0 run, punctuated by a Royal layup, to cut the deficit to three points with 30 seconds remaining. A missed Badger three gave the ball back to Ohio State with 26.8 seconds remaining. Parrish made a layup for Ohio State to cut the lead to one point, sending Wisconsin to the line with 14.9 seconds left. Blackwell missed the free throw, but Wisconsin recorded the offensive rebound to get a second chance.
McGee knocked down two free throws to give Wisconsin a three-point lead. Thornton was then fouled, knocking down both to cut the Wisconsin lead back to one point with 7.3 seconds left.
Ohio State fouled and sent Wisconsin back to the free-throw line, where they made both. Mobley was fouled with 3.7 seconds left, where he also made both. Ohio State then fouled with 1.3 seconds left and Wisconsin missed the first and made the second to make the score 70-68. Ohio State could not convert the full-court pass and the Badgers won by two.
Up Next
On Friday, Jan. 17 at 8 p.m. ET, Ohio State will look to defend its home court as it hosts Indiana (13-5, 4-3), which is coming off a 25-point home loss to Illinois. Both teams will look to get back on track, and it is a big one for Ohio State because they will not want to be 2-5 in the conference heading to Mackey Arena to take on Purdue next week.
Continue reading...