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LGHL Buckeye ice hockey getting upgraded to a new rink
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Buckeye ice hockey getting upgraded to a new rink
meganhusslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Finally, the women’s team is getting a rink they deserve.
The planning for a new ice hockey facility is officially underway! Pending the Board of Trustees approval, the new rink would be for both the men’s and women’s programs. Construction would start in 2024, and the estimated finish would be in 2026. This has been long overdue for both programs.
Over the past decade, head coach Steve Rohlik of the men’s team has taken this team back into championship contention. The Buckeyes made three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (2017-19) and were poised for a program-record fourth straight trip when the remainder of the season was canceled in 2020.
Among the NCAA trips was a Frozen Four berth in 2018, the first for the program in 20 years. In 2018-19, he guided the squad to the first Big Ten regular season title in program history. He has made Buckeye hockey consistently one of the top teams in the conference.
Currently, they are ranked No. 10 in the country with a 17-11-2 record. Three Big Ten teams are ranked ahead of them with No. 2 Minnesota, No. 4 Michigan and No. 7 Penn State. The Buckeyes are 10-9-1 in conference play.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24430247/1247060518.jpg "COLLEGE HOCKEY: FEB 11 Ohio State at Notre Dame")
Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The men’s team plays their home games in The Schottenstein Center. Ohio State is 12th in the nation in attendance for the sport, averaging about 5,000 fans per game. However, when Penn State came to Columbus, the game was sold out— over 17,000 fans came! The sport is quickly becoming more popular among students and fans alike.
As for the women, I think everyone knows how amazing they are, and if you don’t, where have you been? Simply put, head coach Nadine Muzerall has done a total 180 on this program. In just six seasons, she led the team to its very first national championship during a record-breaking 2021-22 campaign that saw the Buckeyes earn their very first No. 1 national ranking and No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed.
The team has gotten better each year of Muzerall’s tenure. In just her second year at the helm, Muzerall took the Buckeyes to where they had never been before, making the NCAA tournament and NCAA Frozen Four for the first time in program history. Since then, the team has made the Frozen Four two more times, made an NCAA Tournament appearance in the first round and obviously won the entire thing!
Once again this year, Ohio State is on top as they are No. 1 in the nation with a 27-3-2 record with just two games remaining in the regular season. As a little promotion for the team, now is the perfect time to start paying attention to them if you haven’t already, as the postseason starts next week!
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24430251/1391660500.jpg "2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Ice Hockey Championship")
Photo by Justin Berl/NCAA Photos/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Unfortunately for the women, they have had to play in one of the worst arenas in collegiate hockey. Muzerall has been quoted with telling Eleven Warriors, “We’ve won with, let’s be honest, the ugliest rink in collegiate hockey and we still won a national championship.” The OSU Ice Rink was built in 1961 with 1,000 seats. Many times this season, students have been turned away because there isn’t enough room for them to attend games.
Therefore, a new rink is definitely necessary for both teams, especially for the women who deserve to have more than 1,000 fans cheer them on, and receive nicer facilities. As the proposal states, the new facility will include team locker rooms, an athlete lounge, a dining and nutrition area, support services for the men’s and women’s hockey teams, offices for their coaches and training facilities along with expanded seating capacity and broadcasting capabilities over the current OSU Ice Rink.
Let’s all hope the proposal is approved so construction can start ASAP! The Buckeye hockey program deserves it!
Continue reading...
meganhusslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Finally, the women’s team is getting a rink they deserve.
The planning for a new ice hockey facility is officially underway! Pending the Board of Trustees approval, the new rink would be for both the men’s and women’s programs. Construction would start in 2024, and the estimated finish would be in 2026. This has been long overdue for both programs.
Over the past decade, head coach Steve Rohlik of the men’s team has taken this team back into championship contention. The Buckeyes made three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (2017-19) and were poised for a program-record fourth straight trip when the remainder of the season was canceled in 2020.
Among the NCAA trips was a Frozen Four berth in 2018, the first for the program in 20 years. In 2018-19, he guided the squad to the first Big Ten regular season title in program history. He has made Buckeye hockey consistently one of the top teams in the conference.
Currently, they are ranked No. 10 in the country with a 17-11-2 record. Three Big Ten teams are ranked ahead of them with No. 2 Minnesota, No. 4 Michigan and No. 7 Penn State. The Buckeyes are 10-9-1 in conference play.
The men’s team plays their home games in The Schottenstein Center. Ohio State is 12th in the nation in attendance for the sport, averaging about 5,000 fans per game. However, when Penn State came to Columbus, the game was sold out— over 17,000 fans came! The sport is quickly becoming more popular among students and fans alike.
As for the women, I think everyone knows how amazing they are, and if you don’t, where have you been? Simply put, head coach Nadine Muzerall has done a total 180 on this program. In just six seasons, she led the team to its very first national championship during a record-breaking 2021-22 campaign that saw the Buckeyes earn their very first No. 1 national ranking and No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed.
The team has gotten better each year of Muzerall’s tenure. In just her second year at the helm, Muzerall took the Buckeyes to where they had never been before, making the NCAA tournament and NCAA Frozen Four for the first time in program history. Since then, the team has made the Frozen Four two more times, made an NCAA Tournament appearance in the first round and obviously won the entire thing!
Once again this year, Ohio State is on top as they are No. 1 in the nation with a 27-3-2 record with just two games remaining in the regular season. As a little promotion for the team, now is the perfect time to start paying attention to them if you haven’t already, as the postseason starts next week!
Unfortunately for the women, they have had to play in one of the worst arenas in collegiate hockey. Muzerall has been quoted with telling Eleven Warriors, “We’ve won with, let’s be honest, the ugliest rink in collegiate hockey and we still won a national championship.” The OSU Ice Rink was built in 1961 with 1,000 seats. Many times this season, students have been turned away because there isn’t enough room for them to attend games.
Therefore, a new rink is definitely necessary for both teams, especially for the women who deserve to have more than 1,000 fans cheer them on, and receive nicer facilities. As the proposal states, the new facility will include team locker rooms, an athlete lounge, a dining and nutrition area, support services for the men’s and women’s hockey teams, offices for their coaches and training facilities along with expanded seating capacity and broadcasting capabilities over the current OSU Ice Rink.
Let’s all hope the proposal is approved so construction can start ASAP! The Buckeye hockey program deserves it!
Continue reading...
LGHL Column: Roses are Red, We’re Scarlet and Gray
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Column: Roses are Red, We’re Scarlet and Gray
JamiJurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Hsu/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
We love the Buckeyes — and not just on Valentine’s Day!
It’s been a weird winter for Ohio State. Ebbs and flows, moments of excitement, moments of frustration, moments of something bordering on apathy, followed almost immediately by moments of pure ecstasy.
If that sounds like it could describe a romantic relationship, that’s because it could. Because our love for Ohio State is a deep love, one that is unshakable even when the going gets tough. And so, on this Valentine’s Day, I’m honoring one of my truest, deepest loves – Ohio State sports.
—-----------
Dear Ohio State Sports,
Oh come, let’s sing Ohio’s praise, for you have given us much to love. You fill our Fall Saturdays and our Mad Marches and our Olympic summers and winters with delight, cheer, and joy which death alone can still.
Whether you are running up the field, swinging your bat, shooting hoops, rowing through the water, or spiking the ball, you give us an outlet for our emotional expression. Whether we need a few hours of enthusiastic cheering or a way to release some pent-up rage, you provide the channel for us at home.
We are so lucky to do this dance with you, to cheer you on from the sidelines, the stands, or our couches at home. You provide the escape from the real world we so often need, and you do so while upholding the standard of excellence Buckeye fans have come to know.
Your athleticism inspires us in our own lives. When things become heavy, we are reminded of the physical and mental hurdles you overcome to win games and represent THE Ohio State. Whether you are overcoming injuries, bouncing back from a tough loss, or simply pushing yourself to the limits to come out on top in a game, your hard work is motivation for the rest of us to keep going, to persevere, and to channel your resilience in our everyday lives.
But most of all, you are a key part in creating the beautiful Buckeye community. You are a reason for us to gather. You give us a sense of belonging to something bigger than ourselves. Anyone who has put their arms around each other’s shoulders at the end of a football game to sing Carmen, who has chanted O-H-I-O in the Schott, or who has piled into someone’s living room to watch the game has found comfort in knowing that hundreds of thousands of other people are doing the same thing. Some of these people are our best friends or family. Some of them are strangers. We come from different backgrounds, we have different skill sets. And yet, for a few hours, you are the uniting force that gets us to set aside our differences and unite toward a common goal.
The atmosphere at Ohio State is better because of you – all of you, no matter what sport you play. Even when it gets shaky. Even in a “rebuilding year.” Even if you’re on the bench. Even if you make a mistake. Our love runs as deep in those moments as it does when we smash through to victory, and no matter the outcome, we cheer you as you go.
So on this Valentine’s Day, I just wanted to say we, the fans, love you – the athletes, coaches, and trainers that make Ohio State great.
Roses are Red. We hate Gold and Blue. The OSU Buckeyes are a love that is true.
Continue reading...
JamiJurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Hsu/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
We love the Buckeyes — and not just on Valentine’s Day!
It’s been a weird winter for Ohio State. Ebbs and flows, moments of excitement, moments of frustration, moments of something bordering on apathy, followed almost immediately by moments of pure ecstasy.
If that sounds like it could describe a romantic relationship, that’s because it could. Because our love for Ohio State is a deep love, one that is unshakable even when the going gets tough. And so, on this Valentine’s Day, I’m honoring one of my truest, deepest loves – Ohio State sports.
—-----------
Dear Ohio State Sports,
Oh come, let’s sing Ohio’s praise, for you have given us much to love. You fill our Fall Saturdays and our Mad Marches and our Olympic summers and winters with delight, cheer, and joy which death alone can still.
Whether you are running up the field, swinging your bat, shooting hoops, rowing through the water, or spiking the ball, you give us an outlet for our emotional expression. Whether we need a few hours of enthusiastic cheering or a way to release some pent-up rage, you provide the channel for us at home.
We are so lucky to do this dance with you, to cheer you on from the sidelines, the stands, or our couches at home. You provide the escape from the real world we so often need, and you do so while upholding the standard of excellence Buckeye fans have come to know.
Your athleticism inspires us in our own lives. When things become heavy, we are reminded of the physical and mental hurdles you overcome to win games and represent THE Ohio State. Whether you are overcoming injuries, bouncing back from a tough loss, or simply pushing yourself to the limits to come out on top in a game, your hard work is motivation for the rest of us to keep going, to persevere, and to channel your resilience in our everyday lives.
But most of all, you are a key part in creating the beautiful Buckeye community. You are a reason for us to gather. You give us a sense of belonging to something bigger than ourselves. Anyone who has put their arms around each other’s shoulders at the end of a football game to sing Carmen, who has chanted O-H-I-O in the Schott, or who has piled into someone’s living room to watch the game has found comfort in knowing that hundreds of thousands of other people are doing the same thing. Some of these people are our best friends or family. Some of them are strangers. We come from different backgrounds, we have different skill sets. And yet, for a few hours, you are the uniting force that gets us to set aside our differences and unite toward a common goal.
The atmosphere at Ohio State is better because of you – all of you, no matter what sport you play. Even when it gets shaky. Even in a “rebuilding year.” Even if you’re on the bench. Even if you make a mistake. Our love runs as deep in those moments as it does when we smash through to victory, and no matter the outcome, we cheer you as you go.
So on this Valentine’s Day, I just wanted to say we, the fans, love you – the athletes, coaches, and trainers that make Ohio State great.
Roses are Red. We hate Gold and Blue. The OSU Buckeyes are a love that is true.
Continue reading...
LGHL Silver Bullets Podcast: Offseason news, transfers, coaching staff, and spring ball
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Silver Bullets Podcast: Offseason news, transfers, coaching staff, and spring ball
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jay Drowns/Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images
A dive into the big stories from the Peach Bowl until now, including thoughts on the Buckeye career of Dimitrious Stanley.
Ohio State football news never sleeps, even during the offseason. There’s a lot of ground to cover since our last show, which capped a season that ended a bit earlier than we liked, and we’re here to talk about it.
We start by recapping Ohio State’s NFL Draft declarations and decisions to return, including who the biggest surprises were on both sides of the issue. That led to discussion of which Buckeyes will be taking part in the NFL Combine this spring.
The transfer portal was also a busy “place” after the last game of the season, and we talked about some of the comings and goings via that route as well.
The death of Dimitrious Stanley at age 48 was a blow to some of us ‘elder statesmen’ in the Buckeye fan base, so it was worth revisiting his legacy and put some respect on the name of a guy who may not have the huge numbers or the most famous name in OSU history, but he was integral to the success of a great 1996 Ohio State team.
The Ohio State coaching staff hasn’t exactly been shaken up so far this offseason, but there have been some changes. We discussed what the addition of Buckeye great James Laurinaitis as a graduate assistant — focused on linebackers — will affect the team going forward. We also talked extensively about Brian Hartline’s future looks like as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator. We like both moves for the Buckeyes as well as for the careers of those two individuals.
Other topics included mentioning the players who are sitting out this upcoming spring and who stands to gain ground during the practices leading up to the 2023 Spring Game. It will be an important time especially for the offensive line as well as some of the younger wide receivers who are competing to get time in 2023 and become the successors to Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and Julian Fleming.
We’ll be back next month, or possibly sooner if news warrants, as we remain in our offseason broadcast schedule. In the meantime, feel free to reach out with your feedback and questions below in the comments section or send us an email. Be sure to subscribe, rate, review, and share.
Continue reading...
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jay Drowns/Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images
A dive into the big stories from the Peach Bowl until now, including thoughts on the Buckeye career of Dimitrious Stanley.
Ohio State football news never sleeps, even during the offseason. There’s a lot of ground to cover since our last show, which capped a season that ended a bit earlier than we liked, and we’re here to talk about it.
We start by recapping Ohio State’s NFL Draft declarations and decisions to return, including who the biggest surprises were on both sides of the issue. That led to discussion of which Buckeyes will be taking part in the NFL Combine this spring.
The transfer portal was also a busy “place” after the last game of the season, and we talked about some of the comings and goings via that route as well.
The death of Dimitrious Stanley at age 48 was a blow to some of us ‘elder statesmen’ in the Buckeye fan base, so it was worth revisiting his legacy and put some respect on the name of a guy who may not have the huge numbers or the most famous name in OSU history, but he was integral to the success of a great 1996 Ohio State team.
The Ohio State coaching staff hasn’t exactly been shaken up so far this offseason, but there have been some changes. We discussed what the addition of Buckeye great James Laurinaitis as a graduate assistant — focused on linebackers — will affect the team going forward. We also talked extensively about Brian Hartline’s future looks like as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator. We like both moves for the Buckeyes as well as for the careers of those two individuals.
Other topics included mentioning the players who are sitting out this upcoming spring and who stands to gain ground during the practices leading up to the 2023 Spring Game. It will be an important time especially for the offensive line as well as some of the younger wide receivers who are competing to get time in 2023 and become the successors to Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and Julian Fleming.
We’ll be back next month, or possibly sooner if news warrants, as we remain in our offseason broadcast schedule. In the meantime, feel free to reach out with your feedback and questions below in the comments section or send us an email. Be sure to subscribe, rate, review, and share.
Continue reading...
LGHL No. 13 Ohio State falls to No. 2 Indiana 83-59
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- 0 Replies
No. 13 Ohio State falls to No. 2 Indiana 83-59
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ben Cole - Land-Grant Holy Land
A tough night for the Buckeyes, losing to the Hoosiers for the second time in under four weeks
The Ohio State women’s basketball team only has four games left in the 2022-23 regular season. In that time, the Buckeyes hope to stay in the top four of the Big Ten. Their fourth place position in the conference is a stark contrast to leading the conference until the week of Jan. 23 when the began a stretch of four losses in five games.
Monday provided the toughest matchup between now and the start of the Big Ten women’s basketball tournament on March 1, a visit by the No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, it was a repeat story to their Jan. 26 trip to Indiana and then some, losing to the Hoosiers 83-59.
Ohio State started the game going toe-to-toe with Indiana. On the Hoosiers first few possessions of the game, forward Mackenzie Holmes was mostly neutralized, with forward Eboni Walker, who started for injured Rebeka Mikulášiková, not giving the Indiana star much room to move.
On the offensive end though, the Buckeyes couldn’t capitalize. Walker missed two early layups, showing obvious frustration at the misses, appearing to force her shots. Ohio State and Indiana were locked up at six points apiece, but then Indiana looked like Indiana.
The rest of the first quarter featured an 18-6 run for the Crimson and the second quarter didn’t go any better for the Buckeyes. Indiana went on a 17-2 run to start the quarter and leading the way was substitute guard Sara Scalia.
Scalia joined the Hoosiers via the transfer portal from fellow Big Ten side the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The guard had nine of those 17 points to start the second quarter and hitting 17 total points in the first half on 5-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc.
After those first few minutes of effective defense, Holmes turned back into Holmes. The forward led all players with 18 points in the first half, hitting from not only in the paint but from midrange.
Indiana went up 27 points in the second quarter, but the Buckeyes weren’t giving up the fight. It began with a three-point shot by guard Taylor Mikesell.
It was the guard’s lone three of the half, but it began a seven-point run, only their second time in the game to that point with back-to-back baskets. The reason Mikesell was ineffective from deep was the game plan of the Hoosiers. Like other teams late into the Big Ten schedule, Mikesell wasn’t given any room to shoot, courtesy of guard Chloe Moore-McNeil.
Mikesell had five points on 2-for-7 shooting in the first half, but making up the Buckeyes’ scoring was forward Cotie McMahon. The freshman scored 12 points in the first half and in the second quarter had half of them, all on long runs down the court.
It started with McMahon intercepting a pass to Holmes and running the length of the court on a layup. She made similar runs on the next two offensive possessions, but the Buckeyes’ defense couldn’t stop Indiana on the other end of the basket, allowing the visitors to shoot 74.2% for the first two quarters.
After cutting their 27-point deficit down to 20, the Hoosiers pushed it back out to 25 points going into the halftime locker room.
Inside the Schottenstein Center, it was muggy. The higher than normal February temperatures meant a toastier inside to the arena in the first half. The second half it cooled down with the air starting to work and the Buckeyes’ shooting followed suit.
Ohio State went 64.3% in the third quarter, led by a pair of 10-point scorers in McMahon and Mikesell. The two led a Buckeyes quarter where they outscored the Hoosiers 24-14. A part of that was better perimeter defense.
After Indiana shot 63.6% from deep in the first half, they shot only 28.6% in the third quarter. That allowed the Buckeyes to trim the lead down to 10 points with 2:11 remaining in the third quarter.
However, the Hoosiers weren’t held back for too long. Indiana hit their only two three-point shots in the quarter in the final two minutes. Scalia added her sixth of the game and Berger hit her first. Ohio State let the lead go back up by five, but still trimmed 10-points off their halftime deficit, going into the final quarter down 15 points.
The Buckeyes needed a strong start to the fourth quarter to have a fighting chance, but it began in the Crimson’s favor. Indiana scored the first two baskets of the quarter, pushing coach Kevin McGuff to take an early quarter timeout.
Out of the timeout, Walker scored her 10th point of the night and Taylor Thierry followed it up with a layup of her own in a quieter than usual night for the sophomore.
While the Buckeyes showed fight, it was two quarters too early. Ohio State ultimately falls to the top team in the conference, losing to Indiana 83-59.
Before Monday’s game, the questions surrounding guard Jacy Sheldon and Mikulášiková were a main point of concern for the Buckeyes and it was a worst case scenario for Ohio State. Neither of the usual Scarlet & Gray starters made it onto the court against the Hoosiers.
Sheldon’s absence was especially frustrating for fans after getting a glimpse of her return against the No. 8 Maryland Terrapins. Without either of the players, the Buckeyes’ smaller lineup had trouble all night matching up against Holmes in the paint.
Also, the first half didn’t have the same intensity in the press that a healthy Sheldon would give and without Mikulášiková, it was more difficult to pull people out of the paint to give other players to work.
Coach McGuff references having Sheldon ready for the stretch run, but with now a minimum of only five games left, including postseason, the question is: When does that stretch run begin?
What’s Next
Following Monday’s game, the Scarlet & Gray play their final unranked opponent of the conference season on Thursday. Thats’ when the Buckeyes travel to Happy Valley for a matchup against the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Following Thursday’s game, Ohio State goes back to the ranked grind, starting the final week of the season in Michigan against the No. 12 Michigan Wolverines before welcoming the No. 8 Maryland Terrapins in the final game of the season. It’s the Buckeyes’ last chance to solidify a top-four spot on Feb. 24.
Continue reading...
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ben Cole - Land-Grant Holy Land
A tough night for the Buckeyes, losing to the Hoosiers for the second time in under four weeks
The Ohio State women’s basketball team only has four games left in the 2022-23 regular season. In that time, the Buckeyes hope to stay in the top four of the Big Ten. Their fourth place position in the conference is a stark contrast to leading the conference until the week of Jan. 23 when the began a stretch of four losses in five games.
Monday provided the toughest matchup between now and the start of the Big Ten women’s basketball tournament on March 1, a visit by the No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, it was a repeat story to their Jan. 26 trip to Indiana and then some, losing to the Hoosiers 83-59.
Ohio State started the game going toe-to-toe with Indiana. On the Hoosiers first few possessions of the game, forward Mackenzie Holmes was mostly neutralized, with forward Eboni Walker, who started for injured Rebeka Mikulášiková, not giving the Indiana star much room to move.
On the offensive end though, the Buckeyes couldn’t capitalize. Walker missed two early layups, showing obvious frustration at the misses, appearing to force her shots. Ohio State and Indiana were locked up at six points apiece, but then Indiana looked like Indiana.
The rest of the first quarter featured an 18-6 run for the Crimson and the second quarter didn’t go any better for the Buckeyes. Indiana went on a 17-2 run to start the quarter and leading the way was substitute guard Sara Scalia.
Scalia joined the Hoosiers via the transfer portal from fellow Big Ten side the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The guard had nine of those 17 points to start the second quarter and hitting 17 total points in the first half on 5-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc.
After those first few minutes of effective defense, Holmes turned back into Holmes. The forward led all players with 18 points in the first half, hitting from not only in the paint but from midrange.
Indiana went up 27 points in the second quarter, but the Buckeyes weren’t giving up the fight. It began with a three-point shot by guard Taylor Mikesell.
It was the guard’s lone three of the half, but it began a seven-point run, only their second time in the game to that point with back-to-back baskets. The reason Mikesell was ineffective from deep was the game plan of the Hoosiers. Like other teams late into the Big Ten schedule, Mikesell wasn’t given any room to shoot, courtesy of guard Chloe Moore-McNeil.
Mikesell had five points on 2-for-7 shooting in the first half, but making up the Buckeyes’ scoring was forward Cotie McMahon. The freshman scored 12 points in the first half and in the second quarter had half of them, all on long runs down the court.
It started with McMahon intercepting a pass to Holmes and running the length of the court on a layup. She made similar runs on the next two offensive possessions, but the Buckeyes’ defense couldn’t stop Indiana on the other end of the basket, allowing the visitors to shoot 74.2% for the first two quarters.
After cutting their 27-point deficit down to 20, the Hoosiers pushed it back out to 25 points going into the halftime locker room.
Inside the Schottenstein Center, it was muggy. The higher than normal February temperatures meant a toastier inside to the arena in the first half. The second half it cooled down with the air starting to work and the Buckeyes’ shooting followed suit.
Ohio State went 64.3% in the third quarter, led by a pair of 10-point scorers in McMahon and Mikesell. The two led a Buckeyes quarter where they outscored the Hoosiers 24-14. A part of that was better perimeter defense.
After Indiana shot 63.6% from deep in the first half, they shot only 28.6% in the third quarter. That allowed the Buckeyes to trim the lead down to 10 points with 2:11 remaining in the third quarter.
However, the Hoosiers weren’t held back for too long. Indiana hit their only two three-point shots in the quarter in the final two minutes. Scalia added her sixth of the game and Berger hit her first. Ohio State let the lead go back up by five, but still trimmed 10-points off their halftime deficit, going into the final quarter down 15 points.
The Buckeyes needed a strong start to the fourth quarter to have a fighting chance, but it began in the Crimson’s favor. Indiana scored the first two baskets of the quarter, pushing coach Kevin McGuff to take an early quarter timeout.
Out of the timeout, Walker scored her 10th point of the night and Taylor Thierry followed it up with a layup of her own in a quieter than usual night for the sophomore.
While the Buckeyes showed fight, it was two quarters too early. Ohio State ultimately falls to the top team in the conference, losing to Indiana 83-59.
Injuries Stack Up
Before Monday’s game, the questions surrounding guard Jacy Sheldon and Mikulášiková were a main point of concern for the Buckeyes and it was a worst case scenario for Ohio State. Neither of the usual Scarlet & Gray starters made it onto the court against the Hoosiers.
Sheldon’s absence was especially frustrating for fans after getting a glimpse of her return against the No. 8 Maryland Terrapins. Without either of the players, the Buckeyes’ smaller lineup had trouble all night matching up against Holmes in the paint.
Also, the first half didn’t have the same intensity in the press that a healthy Sheldon would give and without Mikulášiková, it was more difficult to pull people out of the paint to give other players to work.
Coach McGuff references having Sheldon ready for the stretch run, but with now a minimum of only five games left, including postseason, the question is: When does that stretch run begin?
What’s Next
Following Monday’s game, the Scarlet & Gray play their final unranked opponent of the conference season on Thursday. Thats’ when the Buckeyes travel to Happy Valley for a matchup against the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Following Thursday’s game, Ohio State goes back to the ranked grind, starting the final week of the season in Michigan against the No. 12 Michigan Wolverines before welcoming the No. 8 Maryland Terrapins in the final game of the season. It’s the Buckeyes’ last chance to solidify a top-four spot on Feb. 24.
Continue reading...
