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LGHL Ohio State women fall to Virginia Tech 84-74 in Elite Eight
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Ohio State women fall to Virginia Tech 84-74 in Elite Eight
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Despite blistering start, OSU’s offense sputtered in second half, leaving them one win away from the Final Four.
Monday night it was the Elite Eight. The first NCAA regional final for the Ohio State women’s basketball team in 30 years and the first for the Virginia Tech Hokies in the program’s history. Playing for a spot in the Final Four in Dallas, Texas, it was a story of the Buckeyes’ press versus the ACC Tournament champions, entering the game on a 14-game winning streak.
The Hokies pushed the streak to 15 wins, following its 84-74 defeat over the Buckeyes, ending the 22-23 season for the Scarlet and Gray.
To put it lightly, the start of the game was blistering. For all the talk of pressing and defense, it was the offenses that took center stage. Ohio State went 7-for-9 but Virginia Tech went 7-for-7, and in that stretch the Hokies were perfect from beyond the arc, going 3-for-3.
It put Virginia Tech in the driver’s seat, ahead 17-10 after just under four minutes of game time. That’s when Ohio State’s defense showed up but it wasn’t the press.
The defense started going into the media timeout with 4:26 remaining in the first quarter. Center Elizabeth Kitley for Tech had an open look in the paint, or so she thought. Flying in behind the 6-foot-6 star was forward Cotie McMahon. The freshman flew in and swatted the attempt away, sending the ball and herself to the court.
Virginia Tech hit only one of their remaining nine shots in the quarter and Ohio State responded by going 5-for-7. The Buckeyes erased the lead and then some, thanks to 3-for-3 shooting from guard Taylor Mikesell, all from beyond the arc. Mikesell matched her Saturday high in one quarter, looking more comfortable than in the win over UConn.
Ohio State took that renewed comfort and solid play on both sides of the court into the second quarter with a 25-22 lead.
Into the second quarter, the Buckeyes and Hokies continued to trade blows in scoring, but then it was a player receiving a scary blow on a foul. It was outstanding Virginia Tech guard Georgia Amoore fouled by Ohio State forward Eboni Walker. Amoore went to the ground hard and needed help to get off the court. It didn’t keep Amoore out long though, entering 44 game seconds later.
Back in the game, Amoore hit the three that put the Hokies back into the lead, but it didn’t last long. Off the make, the Buckeyes went into a six-point run, including a fourth made three-pointer by Mikesell in a row.
Off a timeout, the Hokies shrunk the five-point Scarlet and Gray lead with a pair of free throws. Then, guard Cayla King hit a three, tying the game at 36 with 4:10 remaining in the first half.
For the rest of the quarter, the game was tied three times and the lead changed three times too. It was evidence of two evenly matched sides battling for their spot in the Final Four.
With under three minutes remaining in the half, Ohio State got up to a five-point lead, their largest of the game to that point but struggled to score for the rest of the quarter. The Scarlet & Gray’s last four points of the half came off free throws, with Virginia Tech scoring six, going ahead 48-45 into halftime.
Also, Ohio State was in the game and competing on every play even without the use of its full-court press. The Buckeyes played half-court defense, sometimes well but sometimes allowing open looks that fell early for the Scarlet and Gray.
It was clear that missing shots regularly wasn’t going to keep head coach Kevin McGuff’s side competing with the strong offensive-minded Virginia Tech Hokies.
Coming out of the locker room, the game stayed close, but Virginia Tech took advantage of a Buckeyes side that initially struggled to hit their shots. Ohio State went 2-for-8 in the first half of the third quarter. Tech didn’t perform much better, but already having a lead, the extra points extended it.
That trend continued into the closing minutes of the third quarter. The Buckeyes faced a five-point deficit with coach McGuff opting for a timeout. In past games, the coach uses the press out of timeouts to provide a spark to the Scarlet & Gray.
Ohio State came out with their press and immediately caused a 10-second violation on Virginia Tech, but the scoring didn’t follow. As the Buckeyes got the Hokies into the bonus, Tech extended their to eight points, with Amoore putting an exclamation point on the end of the quarter with a three-point shot at the buzzer.
The Scarlet and Gray had 10 minutes to get out of a 63-55 deficit if it hoped to make it a game.
Back on the court for the fourth quarter, the shooting woes forged on for the Buckeyes. McMahon got Ohio State going with two fouls, but the press that was just getting going for the Scarlet & Gray led to two layups by Kitley, pushing the Tech lead to 10 points.
Again, coach McGuff called a timeout. It was a moment to slow the VT shooting down and gather the team for the final eight minutes and change left in the game and possibly the season.
The Buckeyes responded, specifically guard Jacy Sheldon did so. Ohio State’s point guard hit a layup and a free throw, getting the game back to within single digits, down seven points. However, VT kept having a response.
Back to a 10-point lead off a layup and FT by Kitley, the Buckeyes were then faced with a Tech side that slowed the game down substantially on offense. That forced Ohio State to go into the half-court exclusively with shots not going in on offense.
The end of Ohio State’s season ticked away off the clock. With five minutes left, it was still up to 10 points, making the likelihood of a comeback more and more unlikely.
Virginia Tech increased the lead more, going up 13 points with 3:44 remaining off another three by Amoore, her fourth of the night.
With only two minutes remaining, and the Buckeyes unable to chip away, it turned into a game of free throws for the Hokies and fervent attacks for Ohio State.
With 57.2 seconds remaining, McMahon was taken out on a run to the basket by VT’s D’Asia Gregg, leaving the freshman in bad shape on the court. With McMahon’s mom cheering her daughter on from the crowd, she hit both free throws to cut the deficit to seven points.
Unfortunately for McGuff’s side, it wasn’t enough to make it competitive in the closing minutes.
Credit goes to Hokies outstanding point guard Amoore who found a way to dribble through the press, going horizontal instead of left to right.
Virginia Tech ended up winning the game 84-74, going to the Final Four for the first time in program history.
For as hot as the shooting was to start the game, hitting 64.3% of shots in the first half, the third quarter saw Ohio State in the freezer. The Buckeyes went 4-for-15 out of halftime, good for 26.7% efficiency.
It was over three and a half minutes between baskets for Ohio State, while Virginia Tech increased their four-point lead up to eight points. It created another required comeback situation, but this time the Buckeyes couldn’t make it up.
Ohio State shot 27.6% in the second half.
Saturday, the Buckeyes’ graduate senior looked a little worse for the wear and scored nine points overall. On every timeout, Mikesell needed attention from the medical staff and at one point was visibly upset going to the bench to rest.
Whatever the training staff did between Saturday afternoon and Sunday night worked. Mikesell scored 19 points in the first half on 6-for-7 shooting. Those 19 points led all players on the court.
If the Buckeyes’ season was going to end, and then Mikesell’s NCAA career as a consequence, it wasn’t going to be the guard’s fault. Mikesell had 25 points on the night, hitting seven three-point shots. A fitting end to the sharpshooter’s NCAA career.
The Buckeyes’ season is now over, so the focus shifts to the offseason. There will be questions surrounding the team, including how it will deal with the hard-to-fill spot left by a departing Mikesell. Will OSU lose any players to the transfer portal? Will McGuff get anyone from the portal himself?
It’ll be a long eight months until the Scarlet and Gray start the 2023-24 regular season.
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
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Despite blistering start, OSU’s offense sputtered in second half, leaving them one win away from the Final Four.
Monday night it was the Elite Eight. The first NCAA regional final for the Ohio State women’s basketball team in 30 years and the first for the Virginia Tech Hokies in the program’s history. Playing for a spot in the Final Four in Dallas, Texas, it was a story of the Buckeyes’ press versus the ACC Tournament champions, entering the game on a 14-game winning streak.
The Hokies pushed the streak to 15 wins, following its 84-74 defeat over the Buckeyes, ending the 22-23 season for the Scarlet and Gray.
To put it lightly, the start of the game was blistering. For all the talk of pressing and defense, it was the offenses that took center stage. Ohio State went 7-for-9 but Virginia Tech went 7-for-7, and in that stretch the Hokies were perfect from beyond the arc, going 3-for-3.
It put Virginia Tech in the driver’s seat, ahead 17-10 after just under four minutes of game time. That’s when Ohio State’s defense showed up but it wasn’t the press.
The defense started going into the media timeout with 4:26 remaining in the first quarter. Center Elizabeth Kitley for Tech had an open look in the paint, or so she thought. Flying in behind the 6-foot-6 star was forward Cotie McMahon. The freshman flew in and swatted the attempt away, sending the ball and herself to the court.
Virginia Tech hit only one of their remaining nine shots in the quarter and Ohio State responded by going 5-for-7. The Buckeyes erased the lead and then some, thanks to 3-for-3 shooting from guard Taylor Mikesell, all from beyond the arc. Mikesell matched her Saturday high in one quarter, looking more comfortable than in the win over UConn.
Ohio State took that renewed comfort and solid play on both sides of the court into the second quarter with a 25-22 lead.
Into the second quarter, the Buckeyes and Hokies continued to trade blows in scoring, but then it was a player receiving a scary blow on a foul. It was outstanding Virginia Tech guard Georgia Amoore fouled by Ohio State forward Eboni Walker. Amoore went to the ground hard and needed help to get off the court. It didn’t keep Amoore out long though, entering 44 game seconds later.
Back in the game, Amoore hit the three that put the Hokies back into the lead, but it didn’t last long. Off the make, the Buckeyes went into a six-point run, including a fourth made three-pointer by Mikesell in a row.
Off a timeout, the Hokies shrunk the five-point Scarlet and Gray lead with a pair of free throws. Then, guard Cayla King hit a three, tying the game at 36 with 4:10 remaining in the first half.
For the rest of the quarter, the game was tied three times and the lead changed three times too. It was evidence of two evenly matched sides battling for their spot in the Final Four.
With under three minutes remaining in the half, Ohio State got up to a five-point lead, their largest of the game to that point but struggled to score for the rest of the quarter. The Scarlet & Gray’s last four points of the half came off free throws, with Virginia Tech scoring six, going ahead 48-45 into halftime.
Also, Ohio State was in the game and competing on every play even without the use of its full-court press. The Buckeyes played half-court defense, sometimes well but sometimes allowing open looks that fell early for the Scarlet and Gray.
It was clear that missing shots regularly wasn’t going to keep head coach Kevin McGuff’s side competing with the strong offensive-minded Virginia Tech Hokies.
Coming out of the locker room, the game stayed close, but Virginia Tech took advantage of a Buckeyes side that initially struggled to hit their shots. Ohio State went 2-for-8 in the first half of the third quarter. Tech didn’t perform much better, but already having a lead, the extra points extended it.
That trend continued into the closing minutes of the third quarter. The Buckeyes faced a five-point deficit with coach McGuff opting for a timeout. In past games, the coach uses the press out of timeouts to provide a spark to the Scarlet & Gray.
Ohio State came out with their press and immediately caused a 10-second violation on Virginia Tech, but the scoring didn’t follow. As the Buckeyes got the Hokies into the bonus, Tech extended their to eight points, with Amoore putting an exclamation point on the end of the quarter with a three-point shot at the buzzer.
The Scarlet and Gray had 10 minutes to get out of a 63-55 deficit if it hoped to make it a game.
Back on the court for the fourth quarter, the shooting woes forged on for the Buckeyes. McMahon got Ohio State going with two fouls, but the press that was just getting going for the Scarlet & Gray led to two layups by Kitley, pushing the Tech lead to 10 points.
Again, coach McGuff called a timeout. It was a moment to slow the VT shooting down and gather the team for the final eight minutes and change left in the game and possibly the season.
The Buckeyes responded, specifically guard Jacy Sheldon did so. Ohio State’s point guard hit a layup and a free throw, getting the game back to within single digits, down seven points. However, VT kept having a response.
Back to a 10-point lead off a layup and FT by Kitley, the Buckeyes were then faced with a Tech side that slowed the game down substantially on offense. That forced Ohio State to go into the half-court exclusively with shots not going in on offense.
The end of Ohio State’s season ticked away off the clock. With five minutes left, it was still up to 10 points, making the likelihood of a comeback more and more unlikely.
Virginia Tech increased the lead more, going up 13 points with 3:44 remaining off another three by Amoore, her fourth of the night.
With only two minutes remaining, and the Buckeyes unable to chip away, it turned into a game of free throws for the Hokies and fervent attacks for Ohio State.
With 57.2 seconds remaining, McMahon was taken out on a run to the basket by VT’s D’Asia Gregg, leaving the freshman in bad shape on the court. With McMahon’s mom cheering her daughter on from the crowd, she hit both free throws to cut the deficit to seven points.
Unfortunately for McGuff’s side, it wasn’t enough to make it competitive in the closing minutes.
Credit goes to Hokies outstanding point guard Amoore who found a way to dribble through the press, going horizontal instead of left to right.
Virginia Tech ended up winning the game 84-74, going to the Final Four for the first time in program history.
Cold Shooting
For as hot as the shooting was to start the game, hitting 64.3% of shots in the first half, the third quarter saw Ohio State in the freezer. The Buckeyes went 4-for-15 out of halftime, good for 26.7% efficiency.
It was over three and a half minutes between baskets for Ohio State, while Virginia Tech increased their four-point lead up to eight points. It created another required comeback situation, but this time the Buckeyes couldn’t make it up.
Ohio State shot 27.6% in the second half.
Taylor Mikesell Bounces Back
Saturday, the Buckeyes’ graduate senior looked a little worse for the wear and scored nine points overall. On every timeout, Mikesell needed attention from the medical staff and at one point was visibly upset going to the bench to rest.
Whatever the training staff did between Saturday afternoon and Sunday night worked. Mikesell scored 19 points in the first half on 6-for-7 shooting. Those 19 points led all players on the court.
If the Buckeyes’ season was going to end, and then Mikesell’s NCAA career as a consequence, it wasn’t going to be the guard’s fault. Mikesell had 25 points on the night, hitting seven three-point shots. A fitting end to the sharpshooter’s NCAA career.
What’s Next
The Buckeyes’ season is now over, so the focus shifts to the offseason. There will be questions surrounding the team, including how it will deal with the hard-to-fill spot left by a departing Mikesell. Will OSU lose any players to the transfer portal? Will McGuff get anyone from the portal himself?
It’ll be a long eight months until the Scarlet and Gray start the 2023-24 regular season.
Continue reading...
LGHL In Elite Eight, Ohio State women’s press is something Virginia Tech hasn’t seen
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In Elite Eight, Ohio State women’s press is something Virginia Tech hasn’t seen
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
While the Hokies have experience playing teams who defend the full court, Monday will look different
The Ohio State women’s basketball team is single-handedly making the full-court press the talk of Seattle, Washington. Entering the Sweet Sixteen, entering a game headlining matchup against the UConn Huskies, legendary head coach Geno Auriemma set the tone for the weekend.
“Not crazy about our matchup, you know,” said Auriemma. “They’re a unique team that poses unique problems, so we’ve got our hands full tomorrow.”
After coach Auriemma, UConn players said they were confident going up against the Buckeyes’ press. Citing the practice team using their biggest and fastest guys to challenge the Huskies in the days leading up to the Sweet Sixteen.
What transpired in Saturday’s Sweet Sixteen game was nothing short of one-sided. The chaos of Ohio State’s press forced 18 first-half turnovers, already eclipsing UConn’s 16.4 turnovers per game average. The Buckeyes went on to win 73-61.
The Huskies sat in the bottom tenth percentile of programs in Division I in facing the press, but for the Virginia Tech Hokies it’s a different story.
“I think the whole ACC teams, Duke, Louisville, Miami, they’re all aggressive styles and they all pressed at some points in the game,” said guard Cayla King. “So playing those teams throughout the year and the ACC tournament I think has prepared us some for this.”
Tech has a unique advantage of going up against teams with a press, but a look closer shows that what the Hokies will see against the Buckeyes is nothing the ACC side has faced this season.
On March 5, the Hokies faced the Louisville Cardinals in the ACC Tournament title game. In the Cardinals’ press, Louisville plays man-to-man in the press, not letting the opposing team walk up the court alone, but there’s room to operate. The Cardinals don’t double up on the player receiving the inbound pass, even late in games.
In the third quarter of the championship, Louisville cut its deficit to nine points, and on the inbound pass, there was a press, but didn’t turn into more than the Cardinals getting to their assigned player and backing into the offensive half of the court as Virginia Tech moved up the court to set their next play.
Louisville forced 13 turnovers in the Hokies’ victory, the first ACC Tournament title for Virginia Tech in program history.
A better comparison between what the Hokies have seen and will see Monday night comes one day earlier, in the ACC Tournament semifinal against the Duke Blue Devils.
For folks who haven’t watched Duke, it’s not the most flowing or entertaining basketball in America, but it works. The Blue Devils are third in the country in scoring defense per game. Duke allows 51 points per game, and only mid-major Norfolk State and the No. 1 overall team in the nation — South Carolina — sit in front of the side from Durham.
Duke does it through a swarming defense of their own. Head coach Kara Lawson employs a press that’s similar to Louisville, in a way, but the players are more in the face of their opponents. From the inbound pass, or even after a miss on offense, players find their assignments and make life difficult.
In the Blue Devil’s first round of the ACC Tournament, they beat the North Carolina Tar Heels by a score of 44-40. That’s not for a half, but the entire game. Against Virginia Tech, Duke’s press caused 16 turnovers but wasn’t enough to keep a strong offensive Hokies team off the board.
Virginia Tech won 58-37, but even with the defensive skill of Duke, it's not the same as Ohio State’s press. Although, Duke’s defense is the catalyst for the type of Hokies the Buckeyes will see Monday night.
“When we got beat at Duke, the game before Virginia. They really manhandled us,” said Hokies head coach Kenny Brooks. “From that point on, we developed a mantra. It was like, okay, we have to be physical and not — a lot of times when people say you got to be physical, they’re talking about the defensive end, be physical, be physical, be physical. But we took that to also mean we need to be physical on the offensive end.”
The Hokies haven’t lost in 14 games, it was on Jan. 26, against Duke, that Brooks’ mantra took hold of Tech. Physicality on offense means getting up the floor and taking hold of the defense. Virginia does it by dumping the ball into 6-foot-6 center Elizabeth Kitley or sending up a three if the defense is taking their time getting set.
For the Buckeyes, that physicality on offense compliments its press well. Why? Because Ohio State wants teams to play fast. It's the speed that leads to mistakes, which the Scarlet and Gray have a knack for causing when their press is locked in. Ask the players who produce that press and even they’re caught off guard by it.
“We play off each other, so if I see somebody else do something, I’m like, okay, I see her move. Let me slide over,” said guard Rikki Harris. “But mainly it’s just scramble and we just run. So it definitely has to do with conditioning because you have to run nonstop, but it’s just — nobody can really scout it because we don’t even know what we’re going to do next, so how can somebody else know?”
Ohio State takes the press of Louisville, minimizing the gap between the offensive and defensive players of Duke, and slams its foot on the pedal.
Off the inbound pass, the Buckeyes have two players on the person receiving the ball. If that player doesn’t find an outlet in a small window, it’s more than likely a jump ball whistle by one of a few different Ohio State guards, a timeout wasted by the opposition, or every so often a foul called on the Buckeyes.
The Scarlet and Gray take that chance though. Getting turnovers or wasting the offense’s time and forcing a 10 or five-second violation all result in the same thing: The ball in the Buckeyes’ hands.
If there is an outlet found, there’s a Buckeye on that player too. Make the wrong decision or lob the pass too high in the air and an Ohio State player is likely the one receiving the pass.
From turnovers, Ohio State gets easier points. The Buckeyes had 23 points off turnovers against UConn on Saturday, compared to 14 for the Huskies.
Those are extra points that don’t come from a drawn-up offensive set, which the Buckeyes still have and employ in the half-court. Ohio State isn’t only a pressing team. Rarely in the win over North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament’s Second Round did the Buckeyes press.
The plays head coach McGuff calls helped the Buckeyes get last-second wins over the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal and that win over the Tar Heels last Monday.
Also, with guard Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State’s press that was effective during the regular season hits another level. Since returning from injury the Dublin, Ohio native has 2.3 steals per game, and those are just steals. The stat doesn’t include the pressure Sheldon brings that forces bad passes or those violations in the backcourt.
“She just pushes the ball so aggressively and everybody’s got to come with her,” said McGuff. “And then we’re more effective in our press. Her ball pressure, her speed quickness, ability to cover ground, quick hands just puts us at another level.”
That’s a level the Hokies have to reach on Monday, should the Buckeyes get into that press. If recent games are any predictor of how Ohio State sets up in the Elite Eight, there’s the potential for a lot of exciting, and hectic, basketball ahead.
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
Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
While the Hokies have experience playing teams who defend the full court, Monday will look different
The Ohio State women’s basketball team is single-handedly making the full-court press the talk of Seattle, Washington. Entering the Sweet Sixteen, entering a game headlining matchup against the UConn Huskies, legendary head coach Geno Auriemma set the tone for the weekend.
“Not crazy about our matchup, you know,” said Auriemma. “They’re a unique team that poses unique problems, so we’ve got our hands full tomorrow.”
After coach Auriemma, UConn players said they were confident going up against the Buckeyes’ press. Citing the practice team using their biggest and fastest guys to challenge the Huskies in the days leading up to the Sweet Sixteen.
What transpired in Saturday’s Sweet Sixteen game was nothing short of one-sided. The chaos of Ohio State’s press forced 18 first-half turnovers, already eclipsing UConn’s 16.4 turnovers per game average. The Buckeyes went on to win 73-61.
The Huskies sat in the bottom tenth percentile of programs in Division I in facing the press, but for the Virginia Tech Hokies it’s a different story.
“I think the whole ACC teams, Duke, Louisville, Miami, they’re all aggressive styles and they all pressed at some points in the game,” said guard Cayla King. “So playing those teams throughout the year and the ACC tournament I think has prepared us some for this.”
Tech has a unique advantage of going up against teams with a press, but a look closer shows that what the Hokies will see against the Buckeyes is nothing the ACC side has faced this season.
On March 5, the Hokies faced the Louisville Cardinals in the ACC Tournament title game. In the Cardinals’ press, Louisville plays man-to-man in the press, not letting the opposing team walk up the court alone, but there’s room to operate. The Cardinals don’t double up on the player receiving the inbound pass, even late in games.
In the third quarter of the championship, Louisville cut its deficit to nine points, and on the inbound pass, there was a press, but didn’t turn into more than the Cardinals getting to their assigned player and backing into the offensive half of the court as Virginia Tech moved up the court to set their next play.
Louisville forced 13 turnovers in the Hokies’ victory, the first ACC Tournament title for Virginia Tech in program history.
A better comparison between what the Hokies have seen and will see Monday night comes one day earlier, in the ACC Tournament semifinal against the Duke Blue Devils.
For folks who haven’t watched Duke, it’s not the most flowing or entertaining basketball in America, but it works. The Blue Devils are third in the country in scoring defense per game. Duke allows 51 points per game, and only mid-major Norfolk State and the No. 1 overall team in the nation — South Carolina — sit in front of the side from Durham.
Duke does it through a swarming defense of their own. Head coach Kara Lawson employs a press that’s similar to Louisville, in a way, but the players are more in the face of their opponents. From the inbound pass, or even after a miss on offense, players find their assignments and make life difficult.
In the Blue Devil’s first round of the ACC Tournament, they beat the North Carolina Tar Heels by a score of 44-40. That’s not for a half, but the entire game. Against Virginia Tech, Duke’s press caused 16 turnovers but wasn’t enough to keep a strong offensive Hokies team off the board.
Virginia Tech won 58-37, but even with the defensive skill of Duke, it's not the same as Ohio State’s press. Although, Duke’s defense is the catalyst for the type of Hokies the Buckeyes will see Monday night.
“When we got beat at Duke, the game before Virginia. They really manhandled us,” said Hokies head coach Kenny Brooks. “From that point on, we developed a mantra. It was like, okay, we have to be physical and not — a lot of times when people say you got to be physical, they’re talking about the defensive end, be physical, be physical, be physical. But we took that to also mean we need to be physical on the offensive end.”
The Hokies haven’t lost in 14 games, it was on Jan. 26, against Duke, that Brooks’ mantra took hold of Tech. Physicality on offense means getting up the floor and taking hold of the defense. Virginia does it by dumping the ball into 6-foot-6 center Elizabeth Kitley or sending up a three if the defense is taking their time getting set.
For the Buckeyes, that physicality on offense compliments its press well. Why? Because Ohio State wants teams to play fast. It's the speed that leads to mistakes, which the Scarlet and Gray have a knack for causing when their press is locked in. Ask the players who produce that press and even they’re caught off guard by it.
“We play off each other, so if I see somebody else do something, I’m like, okay, I see her move. Let me slide over,” said guard Rikki Harris. “But mainly it’s just scramble and we just run. So it definitely has to do with conditioning because you have to run nonstop, but it’s just — nobody can really scout it because we don’t even know what we’re going to do next, so how can somebody else know?”
Ohio State takes the press of Louisville, minimizing the gap between the offensive and defensive players of Duke, and slams its foot on the pedal.
Off the inbound pass, the Buckeyes have two players on the person receiving the ball. If that player doesn’t find an outlet in a small window, it’s more than likely a jump ball whistle by one of a few different Ohio State guards, a timeout wasted by the opposition, or every so often a foul called on the Buckeyes.
The Scarlet and Gray take that chance though. Getting turnovers or wasting the offense’s time and forcing a 10 or five-second violation all result in the same thing: The ball in the Buckeyes’ hands.
If there is an outlet found, there’s a Buckeye on that player too. Make the wrong decision or lob the pass too high in the air and an Ohio State player is likely the one receiving the pass.
From turnovers, Ohio State gets easier points. The Buckeyes had 23 points off turnovers against UConn on Saturday, compared to 14 for the Huskies.
Those are extra points that don’t come from a drawn-up offensive set, which the Buckeyes still have and employ in the half-court. Ohio State isn’t only a pressing team. Rarely in the win over North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament’s Second Round did the Buckeyes press.
The plays head coach McGuff calls helped the Buckeyes get last-second wins over the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal and that win over the Tar Heels last Monday.
Also, with guard Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State’s press that was effective during the regular season hits another level. Since returning from injury the Dublin, Ohio native has 2.3 steals per game, and those are just steals. The stat doesn’t include the pressure Sheldon brings that forces bad passes or those violations in the backcourt.
Q4 | Stealscore!! This is the @jacysheldon we know and love!!!#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/Iw7tMoRuMG
— Ohio State WBB (@OhioStateWBB) March 4, 2023
“She just pushes the ball so aggressively and everybody’s got to come with her,” said McGuff. “And then we’re more effective in our press. Her ball pressure, her speed quickness, ability to cover ground, quick hands just puts us at another level.”
That’s a level the Hokies have to reach on Monday, should the Buckeyes get into that press. If recent games are any predictor of how Ohio State sets up in the Elite Eight, there’s the potential for a lot of exciting, and hectic, basketball ahead.
Continue reading...
LGHL Column: ESPN/Disney has invested in the Women’s NCAA Tournament and fans are responding with viewership
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Column: ESPN/Disney has invested in the Women’s NCAA Tournament and fans are responding with viewership
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
This year’s Women’s NCAA Tournament has set viewing records and is making history.
March Madness is a spectacle, and every year the masses get together to view one of the greatest three week stretches in sports. The spectacle of sports grabs the attention of the American public. This year the the adoration and fandom has not stopped at the Men’s tournament, and the annual Women’s NCAA Tournament has been on a record setting run.
Over the year, many of the major sports programming networks have made a commitment of broadcasting women sporting events in the spotlight. This year’s women’s tournament can be found on Disney’s linear broadcast network ABC and the primary ESPN channel with additional coverage on the other ESPN networks.
ESPN’s dedicated studio show is one of the staples of the past few weeks. Rather than competing with their own group of analysts covering the men’s tournament, they have stuck to the increased investment leaning into having women’s coverage from the start of the tournament until the day ends.
This investment has paid off, and the viewership numbers show that fans will watch when the games are accessible.
The first round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball tournament averaged over 257,000 viewers over the 32 games that make up the first round. According to ESPN’s PR account, that is a 27 percent year over year increase.
That comes on the back of multiple consecutive years of viewership increase. Last season there was a 16 percent increase, and that is all in line with the additional coverage given to the women’s tournament.
The men’s tournament has also set records in their opening round viewership. This shows the NCAA’s investment into both tournaments have been returned, and the additional commitment to increasing eyes on the women’s game does not rely on competing interest with the men’s game. If anything, it says the coexistence makes both tournaments even more viable with staggered start times, different days for games, and different locations creates the ability to maximize the potential of both.
Moving forward to the full viewership totals of the first two rounds, Iowa’s matchup against Georgia on ABC had 1.46 million viewers, which was the most for a second round matchup all-time in the women’s tournament. The tournament favorite South Carolina is a draw with over 1.1 million viewers for their second round matchup, where the game was really never in reach for their opponent USF.
The likes of Ohio State, North Carolina, UConn, and the remaining brand names led to an average top-10 game viewership of 852,400.
Looking deeper at those numbers, the games on ABC have outranked their corresponding round total viewership and have ranked as the highest viewership totals on their respective days. This has been a milestone, and the NCAA has been aiming to give this platform to the game for some time.
“Scheduling the Division I Women’s Basketball Championship on ABC has been a goal for quite some time in our ongoing efforts to maximize the exposure of women’s sports in collaboration with the NCAA,” said Burke Magnus, President, Programming and Original Content in a Statement on NCAA’s website. “Women’s NCAA Championships continue to generate strong audiences across the ABC/ESPN networks and this move represents yet another unique opportunity to showcase this marquee event and the student-athletes who are competing for a national championship.”
The NCAA Tournament is not the only area there has been milestones The Big Ten has increased their own commitment to broadcasting the women’s game. Ohio State holds another part of a record in this regard, taking part in the most watched women’s basketball game on the Big Ten Network. This is where the growth of the game has been holistic, as conferences are seeing additional value as well.
All these numbers have shown an increase that warrants more commitment. The numbers from the second weekend should reflect even bigger viewership. When those are released, there will be increased year-over-year viewership which says everything about the tired tropes that many fans still trot out. When the people responsible for programming give the women’s game a platform, people are not only willing to watch, but they live and die with their school the same way.
For Ohio State fans, the winning shot from Jacy Sheldon against North Carolina was the No. 1 trending topic in Ohio, and was a major trending topic in 27 states according to the Google Trends. And Ohio State’s tweet about the women’s team making the Elite 8 got over 500,000 views — with a typo.
Now all these stories are just small individual parts of a grander conversation about the commitment to women’s sports. Looking around, the growth of the women’s game has been immense over the last decade.
The stories about the USWMNT getting equal pay representation with the United State Soccer Federation, the Women’s College World Series outdrew the last season’s men’s college world series, and this year the Women’s NCAA Tournament has set viewership records every single round. There is nothing to say that this increased investment by networks into women’s sports won’t continue this growth of the respective sports.
That growth in Women’s College Basketball will culminate in the national championship on April 2nd. There’s the current powerhouse South Carolina led by superstar coach Dawn Staley, the best player in the women’s game in Caitlin Clark and her Iowa Hawkeyes, and the list includes Ohio State’s Jacy Sheldon and breakout star Cotie McMahon.
Watching the Buckeyes continue on this run has been stressful, exciting, and the whole wave of emotion. The Buckeyes struggled out of the gate against James Madison, but suffocated the overmatched Lady Dukes into a double digit defeat. Following the first round the Buckeyes had blew a huge lead to the North Carolina Tar Heels. This led to the Sheldon’s career moment.
They weren’t done yet, even if the country thought UConn was a shoe-in to the Elite 8. Ohio State’s press was too much for even the great Geno Auriemma, and now the Buckeyes are a game away from the Final Four in San Antonio, Texas.
If you haven’t yet, the biggest game in Ohio State’s program in over 40 years is tonight at 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Buckeyes will be playing the Virginia Tech Hokies, and there is little doubt this game will be incredible. The Buckeyes are in real contention for a national title, and have represented Buckeye nation with a will to fight to the end.
Disney has invested in the women’s game, and the results show in the record viewership that the investment has been well worth it.
Continue reading...
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
This year’s Women’s NCAA Tournament has set viewing records and is making history.
March Madness is a spectacle, and every year the masses get together to view one of the greatest three week stretches in sports. The spectacle of sports grabs the attention of the American public. This year the the adoration and fandom has not stopped at the Men’s tournament, and the annual Women’s NCAA Tournament has been on a record setting run.
Over the year, many of the major sports programming networks have made a commitment of broadcasting women sporting events in the spotlight. This year’s women’s tournament can be found on Disney’s linear broadcast network ABC and the primary ESPN channel with additional coverage on the other ESPN networks.
ESPN’s dedicated studio show is one of the staples of the past few weeks. Rather than competing with their own group of analysts covering the men’s tournament, they have stuck to the increased investment leaning into having women’s coverage from the start of the tournament until the day ends.
This investment has paid off, and the viewership numbers show that fans will watch when the games are accessible.
The first round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball tournament averaged over 257,000 viewers over the 32 games that make up the first round. According to ESPN’s PR account, that is a 27 percent year over year increase.
That comes on the back of multiple consecutive years of viewership increase. Last season there was a 16 percent increase, and that is all in line with the additional coverage given to the women’s tournament.
The men’s tournament has also set records in their opening round viewership. This shows the NCAA’s investment into both tournaments have been returned, and the additional commitment to increasing eyes on the women’s game does not rely on competing interest with the men’s game. If anything, it says the coexistence makes both tournaments even more viable with staggered start times, different days for games, and different locations creates the ability to maximize the potential of both.
Moving forward to the full viewership totals of the first two rounds, Iowa’s matchup against Georgia on ABC had 1.46 million viewers, which was the most for a second round matchup all-time in the women’s tournament. The tournament favorite South Carolina is a draw with over 1.1 million viewers for their second round matchup, where the game was really never in reach for their opponent USF.
The likes of Ohio State, North Carolina, UConn, and the remaining brand names led to an average top-10 game viewership of 852,400.
Looking deeper at those numbers, the games on ABC have outranked their corresponding round total viewership and have ranked as the highest viewership totals on their respective days. This has been a milestone, and the NCAA has been aiming to give this platform to the game for some time.
“Scheduling the Division I Women’s Basketball Championship on ABC has been a goal for quite some time in our ongoing efforts to maximize the exposure of women’s sports in collaboration with the NCAA,” said Burke Magnus, President, Programming and Original Content in a Statement on NCAA’s website. “Women’s NCAA Championships continue to generate strong audiences across the ABC/ESPN networks and this move represents yet another unique opportunity to showcase this marquee event and the student-athletes who are competing for a national championship.”
The NCAA Tournament is not the only area there has been milestones The Big Ten has increased their own commitment to broadcasting the women’s game. Ohio State holds another part of a record in this regard, taking part in the most watched women’s basketball game on the Big Ten Network. This is where the growth of the game has been holistic, as conferences are seeing additional value as well.
All these numbers have shown an increase that warrants more commitment. The numbers from the second weekend should reflect even bigger viewership. When those are released, there will be increased year-over-year viewership which says everything about the tired tropes that many fans still trot out. When the people responsible for programming give the women’s game a platform, people are not only willing to watch, but they live and die with their school the same way.
For Ohio State fans, the winning shot from Jacy Sheldon against North Carolina was the No. 1 trending topic in Ohio, and was a major trending topic in 27 states according to the Google Trends. And Ohio State’s tweet about the women’s team making the Elite 8 got over 500,000 views — with a typo.
Now all these stories are just small individual parts of a grander conversation about the commitment to women’s sports. Looking around, the growth of the women’s game has been immense over the last decade.
The stories about the USWMNT getting equal pay representation with the United State Soccer Federation, the Women’s College World Series outdrew the last season’s men’s college world series, and this year the Women’s NCAA Tournament has set viewership records every single round. There is nothing to say that this increased investment by networks into women’s sports won’t continue this growth of the respective sports.
That growth in Women’s College Basketball will culminate in the national championship on April 2nd. There’s the current powerhouse South Carolina led by superstar coach Dawn Staley, the best player in the women’s game in Caitlin Clark and her Iowa Hawkeyes, and the list includes Ohio State’s Jacy Sheldon and breakout star Cotie McMahon.
Watching the Buckeyes continue on this run has been stressful, exciting, and the whole wave of emotion. The Buckeyes struggled out of the gate against James Madison, but suffocated the overmatched Lady Dukes into a double digit defeat. Following the first round the Buckeyes had blew a huge lead to the North Carolina Tar Heels. This led to the Sheldon’s career moment.
They weren’t done yet, even if the country thought UConn was a shoe-in to the Elite 8. Ohio State’s press was too much for even the great Geno Auriemma, and now the Buckeyes are a game away from the Final Four in San Antonio, Texas.
If you haven’t yet, the biggest game in Ohio State’s program in over 40 years is tonight at 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Buckeyes will be playing the Virginia Tech Hokies, and there is little doubt this game will be incredible. The Buckeyes are in real contention for a national title, and have represented Buckeye nation with a will to fight to the end.
Disney has invested in the women’s game, and the results show in the record viewership that the investment has been well worth it.
Continue reading...
DC DE Dylan Stewart (South Carolina Verbal)
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Weight: 245lbs
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LGHL UConn underestimate Ohio State women’s Cotie McMahon in historic defeat
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UConn underestimate Ohio State women’s Cotie McMahon in historic defeat
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
It was an interesting response from the Huskies following the Buckeyes win regarding the B1G Freshman of the Year
Saturday afternoon, the Ohio State women’s basketball team shocked the world on network television. In the Buckeyes’ first game on ABC this season, head coach Kevin McGuff’s side started slow, but after it got ahead it never looked back.
Following the 73-61 Buckeyes victory, in the post game press conference, legendary UConn head coach Geno Auriemma addressed numerous topics. Auriemma was savvy in talking about the end of UConn’s Final Four streak, discussed his group of players, like all coaches do, but had an interesting answer when asked about Ohio State forward Cotie McMahon.
That’s from 11-time NCAA championship-winning coach Geno Auriemma. The coach who’s led players like Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart and Maya Moore to 34 years of out of this world success. The coach who’s Storrs, Connecticut arena was a stopping point for anyone aspiring to collegiate, or even olympic, glory.
There’s an argument to be made that the UConn machine has scouts, other coaches and staff who have their hand in preparation. It’s not Auriemma’s job alone, but how does a coach of that stature not know McMahon?
UConn knows McMahon now.
McMahon was the pendulum swinging momentum in the Buckeyes’ favor on Saturday. The forward led Ohio State with 23 points, two shy of game-leading guard Lou Lopez Sénéchal’s 25 points on the day.
Playing 33 minutes, slightly lower than usual due to foul trouble, the Centerville, Ohio native made life difficult on both sides of the ball. Defensively, McMahon had two steals, didn’t give up on plays and closed down shooters all game.
Offensively, the wrecked havoc on the Huskies defense. McMahon had 18 points in the first half, eight in the run of play on layups, four from free throws in her relentless pursuit of the basket and six from beyond the arc.
It wasn’t until the second half that UConn adjusted, putting multiple bodies in the paint to close down lanes. The North Carolina Tar Heels had to adjust the same way in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.
Now, there can be some grace given to the Tar Heels who had a day to prepare for the Buckeyes. Auriemma and the Huskies had four days. That’s four days to watch film, practice at home and prepare.
In those four days, the Freshman of the Year in a top NCAA Power Five conference, a six-time freshman of the week, a player who averaged a double-double in the Big Ten tournament didn’t warrant enough attention for the head coach of the UConn Huskies.
Let that sink in.
It’s part of the reason the Huskies are now watching the NCAA Tournament on television for the last week of March Madness action.
From Ohio State’s viewpoint, it did wonders. McMahon had the space to impose her will in the first 20 minutes of the game, and the Buckeyes’ press did a good job of distracting UConn.
McMahon credits the same thing that Auriemma ended up focusing on, following his comments about the freshman’s “surprise” performance.
“I feel like that’s usually how our team is guarded, kind of focused on our shooters,” said McMahon. “It gives me the ability to drive and create shots for myself, but not only create shots for myself, for my teammates as well.”
The freshman did that, with two assists on the night. It was slightly under the forward’s 2.4 assists per game average, but the press worked so well that whoever got the ball had the best chance of scoring.
McMahon has a point though. For two seasons now, talk surrounding the Buckeyes goes to the “splash sisters” in guards Taylor Mikesell and Jacy Sheldon. Saturday, McMahon hit as many threes as Sheldon and Mikesell combined.
A reason for this could be the increasing parity in NCAA women’s basketball. McMahon, ranked No. 23 in the country by ESPN, isn’t in the same world that UConn looks at in their recruiting. Even though McMahon led Team USA in the 2022 FIBA WU18 Americas Championship and sits second on the Buckeyes in scoring.
For folks who don’t follow the Buckeyes across social media, McMahon outperformed the Huskies wearing bright green shoes. It’s a reference to her favorite Christmas movie: “The Grinch.” Not one single version of “The Grinch” but all of them.
While the freshman isn’t in the market for stealing family’s holiday celebrations, for one afternoon in the NCAA Tournament, she was the forward who stole UConn’s season.
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
Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
It was an interesting response from the Huskies following the Buckeyes win regarding the B1G Freshman of the Year
Saturday afternoon, the Ohio State women’s basketball team shocked the world on network television. In the Buckeyes’ first game on ABC this season, head coach Kevin McGuff’s side started slow, but after it got ahead it never looked back.
Following the 73-61 Buckeyes victory, in the post game press conference, legendary UConn head coach Geno Auriemma addressed numerous topics. Auriemma was savvy in talking about the end of UConn’s Final Four streak, discussed his group of players, like all coaches do, but had an interesting answer when asked about Ohio State forward Cotie McMahon.
That’s from 11-time NCAA championship-winning coach Geno Auriemma. The coach who’s led players like Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart and Maya Moore to 34 years of out of this world success. The coach who’s Storrs, Connecticut arena was a stopping point for anyone aspiring to collegiate, or even olympic, glory.
There’s an argument to be made that the UConn machine has scouts, other coaches and staff who have their hand in preparation. It’s not Auriemma’s job alone, but how does a coach of that stature not know McMahon?
UConn knows McMahon now.
McMahon was the pendulum swinging momentum in the Buckeyes’ favor on Saturday. The forward led Ohio State with 23 points, two shy of game-leading guard Lou Lopez Sénéchal’s 25 points on the day.
Playing 33 minutes, slightly lower than usual due to foul trouble, the Centerville, Ohio native made life difficult on both sides of the ball. Defensively, McMahon had two steals, didn’t give up on plays and closed down shooters all game.
Offensively, the wrecked havoc on the Huskies defense. McMahon had 18 points in the first half, eight in the run of play on layups, four from free throws in her relentless pursuit of the basket and six from beyond the arc.
It wasn’t until the second half that UConn adjusted, putting multiple bodies in the paint to close down lanes. The North Carolina Tar Heels had to adjust the same way in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.
Now, there can be some grace given to the Tar Heels who had a day to prepare for the Buckeyes. Auriemma and the Huskies had four days. That’s four days to watch film, practice at home and prepare.
In those four days, the Freshman of the Year in a top NCAA Power Five conference, a six-time freshman of the week, a player who averaged a double-double in the Big Ten tournament didn’t warrant enough attention for the head coach of the UConn Huskies.
Let that sink in.
It’s part of the reason the Huskies are now watching the NCAA Tournament on television for the last week of March Madness action.
From Ohio State’s viewpoint, it did wonders. McMahon had the space to impose her will in the first 20 minutes of the game, and the Buckeyes’ press did a good job of distracting UConn.
McMahon credits the same thing that Auriemma ended up focusing on, following his comments about the freshman’s “surprise” performance.
“I feel like that’s usually how our team is guarded, kind of focused on our shooters,” said McMahon. “It gives me the ability to drive and create shots for myself, but not only create shots for myself, for my teammates as well.”
The freshman did that, with two assists on the night. It was slightly under the forward’s 2.4 assists per game average, but the press worked so well that whoever got the ball had the best chance of scoring.
McMahon has a point though. For two seasons now, talk surrounding the Buckeyes goes to the “splash sisters” in guards Taylor Mikesell and Jacy Sheldon. Saturday, McMahon hit as many threes as Sheldon and Mikesell combined.
A reason for this could be the increasing parity in NCAA women’s basketball. McMahon, ranked No. 23 in the country by ESPN, isn’t in the same world that UConn looks at in their recruiting. Even though McMahon led Team USA in the 2022 FIBA WU18 Americas Championship and sits second on the Buckeyes in scoring.
For folks who don’t follow the Buckeyes across social media, McMahon outperformed the Huskies wearing bright green shoes. It’s a reference to her favorite Christmas movie: “The Grinch.” Not one single version of “The Grinch” but all of them.
While the freshman isn’t in the market for stealing family’s holiday celebrations, for one afternoon in the NCAA Tournament, she was the forward who stole UConn’s season.
Continue reading...
LGHL Softball: Bucks split Sunday doubleheader against Michigan in dramatic fashion
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Softball: Bucks split Sunday doubleheader against Michigan in dramatic fashion
meganhusslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
@OhioStateSB Twitter
A 10-inning heartbreaker, followed by a run rule!
The matchup that Buckeye fans had been waiting three days for finally happened Sunday. After the first two games of the series against Michigan (14-12) got postponed on Friday and Saturday, the rivals played a doubleheader Sunday, with each team walking away with a win.
Playing in front of a standing-room only crowd, Ohio State (19-8) gave its fan a show right off the bat. Junior Allison Smith, who has been having a tremendous season thus far, once again shined. She struck out three batters and hit one in the first, starting off strong. Then, the offense supported her by getting on the board first by way of a Kami Kortokrax RBI single.
Smith gave up a solo home run in the third inning to tie, and it would remain this way through the seventh inning, sending the game into extras. The Buckeyes had a chance to walk it off in the eighth as catcher Sam Hackenbracht singled to start off the inning, then her pinch runner advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. However, the offense could not get her across, so more softball was to be played!
A Kortokrax single was all that happened in the ninth, and then the Wolverines scored in the tenth. Following two singles, another single assisted with an error resulted in Michigan plating two runs and taking the lead. In the bottom of the inning, once again the Bucks could only get one single on the board, so the Wolverines took game one.
Smith, however, was absolutely brilliant, pitching the entire 10 innings. She surrendered nine hits, three runs and zero walks while striking out 10. She is now 9-4 on the season with a 2.07 ERA.
The second game was a totally different story, as this game was over in half of the amount of innings as the first. This time, junior Emily Ruck got the start and she also was outstanding. The real story in this game was the offensive explosion that came from the Buckeyes’ bats.
The first run scored came by a Meggie Otte single down the left field line with two outs and bases loaded. Hackenbracht simply unloaded the bases with a three-run moonshot over the left field wall to put Ohio State up 4-0 in the first inning.
The only time Ruck got a bit roughed up came in the third inning, where she gave up two runs, one earned, on three hits, cutting the Buckeyes’ lead in half. However, they tacked on two more in the bottom of the inning with left fielder Jaycee Ruberti reaching on a fielding error which scored a run, and freshman catcher Hannah Church continuing to tear it up with a RBI single.
The fourth inning came with five runs from the Bucks and zero from the Wolverines. The team hit for the cycle in this inning, with McKenzie Bump doubling to knock in a run, Otte hitting a two-run home run, Hackenbracht singling up the middle and second baseman Kaitlyn Farley with a two-run triple to increase their lead to 11-2.
Ruck got three quick outs in the top of the fifth and that was all that was needed for the mercy rule to kick in. She finished the five innings with six hits and two runs given up, while striking out two. Her ERA is now 2.56 and she is 5-4 on the season. Seven different players recorded a hit. Otte, Hackenbracht and Farley each went 2-for-3.
So, what a great Sunday for the Bucks! The rubber match takes place today at 4 p.m. and is on BTN+. Tune in if you can, or if not, follow along on Twitter @OhioStateSB. It’s going to be a good one!
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
@OhioStateSB Twitter
A 10-inning heartbreaker, followed by a run rule!
The matchup that Buckeye fans had been waiting three days for finally happened Sunday. After the first two games of the series against Michigan (14-12) got postponed on Friday and Saturday, the rivals played a doubleheader Sunday, with each team walking away with a win.
Playing in front of a standing-room only crowd, Ohio State (19-8) gave its fan a show right off the bat. Junior Allison Smith, who has been having a tremendous season thus far, once again shined. She struck out three batters and hit one in the first, starting off strong. Then, the offense supported her by getting on the board first by way of a Kami Kortokrax RBI single.
Smith gave up a solo home run in the third inning to tie, and it would remain this way through the seventh inning, sending the game into extras. The Buckeyes had a chance to walk it off in the eighth as catcher Sam Hackenbracht singled to start off the inning, then her pinch runner advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. However, the offense could not get her across, so more softball was to be played!
A Kortokrax single was all that happened in the ninth, and then the Wolverines scored in the tenth. Following two singles, another single assisted with an error resulted in Michigan plating two runs and taking the lead. In the bottom of the inning, once again the Bucks could only get one single on the board, so the Wolverines took game one.
Smith, however, was absolutely brilliant, pitching the entire 10 innings. She surrendered nine hits, three runs and zero walks while striking out 10. She is now 9-4 on the season with a 2.07 ERA.
The second game was a totally different story, as this game was over in half of the amount of innings as the first. This time, junior Emily Ruck got the start and she also was outstanding. The real story in this game was the offensive explosion that came from the Buckeyes’ bats.
The first run scored came by a Meggie Otte single down the left field line with two outs and bases loaded. Hackenbracht simply unloaded the bases with a three-run moonshot over the left field wall to put Ohio State up 4-0 in the first inning.
The only time Ruck got a bit roughed up came in the third inning, where she gave up two runs, one earned, on three hits, cutting the Buckeyes’ lead in half. However, they tacked on two more in the bottom of the inning with left fielder Jaycee Ruberti reaching on a fielding error which scored a run, and freshman catcher Hannah Church continuing to tear it up with a RBI single.
The fourth inning came with five runs from the Bucks and zero from the Wolverines. The team hit for the cycle in this inning, with McKenzie Bump doubling to knock in a run, Otte hitting a two-run home run, Hackenbracht singling up the middle and second baseman Kaitlyn Farley with a two-run triple to increase their lead to 11-2.
Ruck got three quick outs in the top of the fifth and that was all that was needed for the mercy rule to kick in. She finished the five innings with six hits and two runs given up, while striking out two. Her ERA is now 2.56 and she is 5-4 on the season. Seven different players recorded a hit. Otte, Hackenbracht and Farley each went 2-for-3.
So, what a great Sunday for the Bucks! The rubber match takes place today at 4 p.m. and is on BTN+. Tune in if you can, or if not, follow along on Twitter @OhioStateSB. It’s going to be a good one!
Continue reading...
LGHL No. 3 Ohio State women vs. No. 1 Virginia Tech: Preview, prediction and projected lineups
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- 0 Replies
No. 3 Ohio State women vs. No. 1 Virginia Tech: Preview, prediction and projected lineups
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
The Buckeyes are back in the Elite Eight for the first time since 1993, facing the ACC Tournament champions
Monday night, Ohio State women's basketball aims to continue their run in the NCAA Tournament. Following an upset win over the UConn Huskies, the Scarlet & Gray look for their second-straight upset of the Seattle 3 regional — this time against the Virginia Tech Hokies.
While the two sides don’t have a deep history, playing just once, the teams each aim to make program history.
In 1993, the Buckeyes made it all the way to the NCAA Championship game in Atlanta, Georgia. Ohio State fell to Texas A&M, led by future 1996 Olympic gold medal-winning guard Sheryl Swoopes. The Caitlin Clark-like player of her day, Swoopes was heralded as the Michael Jordan of women’s basketball.
The Buckeyes lost 86-84, a tough defeat for Ohio State. With many senior leaders leaving Ohio State following that season, guard Katie Smith played her most important college basketball her freshman year.
Saturday night, the Scarlet & Gray punched their ticket to the Elite Eight for the first time since that run 30 years ago. Up next is Virginia Tech, the No. 1 seed in their first Elite Eight in program history.
A game against the Hokies feels like a game against the Indiana Hoosiers. Like the Hoosiers, Tech features an impressive big in the paint surrounded by role-players and lethal shooters.
In the paint is 6-foot-6 center and Naismith National Player of the Year finalist Elizabeth Kitley. Like the Hoosiers’ MacKenzie Holmes, Kitley uses her size in the paint to hit layups over opponents. Also, the Virginia Tech offense runs screens not only on the perimeter but within the paint, using picks strategically near the paint to give the center mismatches.
Against Ohio State, Kitley doesn’t have a comparable player who can step up to the ACC Player of the Year. Forwards Eboni Walker, Rebeka Mikulášiková, Cotie McMahon and Taylor Thierry will have their hands full.
While Kitley doesn’t have the same finesse near the rim as Holmes, the center is dangerous away from the paint too. Stretching out near the three-point line, Kitley can hit longer midrange shots, which pulls defenses away from the paint.
Away from post presence is guard Georgia Amoore. The Australian will shoot from deep, averaging close to 10 attempts per game. What’s most impressive is Amoore’s move before shooting. Amoore moves into the perimeter before a quick step back, combining it with a quick release.
The guard shoots quickly too, not waiting for teammates to get down the court or necessarily set up plays. Ohio State thrives on playing with pace. Guard Jacy Sheldon and McMahon especially get down the court quickly, which might make the Hokies either slow down or take bad shots.
If shots don’t fall, there’s always the option of dumping the ball to Kitley. The Buckeyes can’t afford to get lazy on the perimeter or in the paint.
Defensively, a press from the Buckeyes is expected at this point of the season. Conditioning for Ohio State is strong, as evidenced by the 25 turnovers they forced on UConn after playing since the beginning of November.
Ohio State’s press is also like nothing Tech’s seen this year. Sure, Virginia’s played teams with a press over the season, a few actually, but the effectiveness of the Buckeyes’ press hasn’t bee replicated.
“You can’t scout it. We don’t know — if you ask the regular team, they’re just like, we just move and run,” said guard Rikki Harris. “We play off each other, so if I see somebody else do something, I’m like, okay, I see her move. Let me slide over. But mainly it’s just scramble and we just run.”
Sunday, the Hokies sounded confident that they could handle the press, but so did the Huskies before Saturday’s defeat.
There’s no ending to Monday’s game that would be especially surprising. The matchup suits the Buckeyes but the Hokies are dangerous in many areas on the court. However, guard Taylor Mikesell is going to standout for Ohio State.
Even through what appears to be an injury, Mikesell will either hit shots or give space for others like McMahon or Sheldon to attack the lane. The Buckeyes will have a better offensive start than they did in the first five minutes against the Huskies.
It’ll be a close game with the Buckeyes pulling out a narrow victory, upsetting the Hokies and putting at least two Big Ten teams in the Final Four.
Date: Monday, March 27, 2023
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
Where: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, Washington
Television: ESPN
Stream: ESPN App
Before any Elite Eight game was played, the Big Ten conference already made history. With the Buckeyes, Maryland Terrapins and Iowa Hawkeyes winning Sweet Sixteen matchups, it’s the first time three teams from the conference made the Elite Eight.
Now, the Big Ten has its eyes set on the Final Four. Sunday, the Hawkeyes stamped their ticket to Dallas, Texas when guard Caitlin Clark and Iowa defeated the Louisville Cardinals. Iowa’s win means that the Big Ten has a team in the national semifinal for the first time since the Terrapins reached it in 2015. Monday night, the Buckeyes and Terps can join the Hawkeyes in the Final Four.
Both Ohio State and Maryland have tough challenges ahead, each facing a No. 1 seed. Maryland faces overall No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks.
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1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
The Buckeyes are back in the Elite Eight for the first time since 1993, facing the ACC Tournament champions
Monday night, Ohio State women's basketball aims to continue their run in the NCAA Tournament. Following an upset win over the UConn Huskies, the Scarlet & Gray look for their second-straight upset of the Seattle 3 regional — this time against the Virginia Tech Hokies.
While the two sides don’t have a deep history, playing just once, the teams each aim to make program history.
Preview
In 1993, the Buckeyes made it all the way to the NCAA Championship game in Atlanta, Georgia. Ohio State fell to Texas A&M, led by future 1996 Olympic gold medal-winning guard Sheryl Swoopes. The Caitlin Clark-like player of her day, Swoopes was heralded as the Michael Jordan of women’s basketball.
The Buckeyes lost 86-84, a tough defeat for Ohio State. With many senior leaders leaving Ohio State following that season, guard Katie Smith played her most important college basketball her freshman year.
Saturday night, the Scarlet & Gray punched their ticket to the Elite Eight for the first time since that run 30 years ago. Up next is Virginia Tech, the No. 1 seed in their first Elite Eight in program history.
A game against the Hokies feels like a game against the Indiana Hoosiers. Like the Hoosiers, Tech features an impressive big in the paint surrounded by role-players and lethal shooters.
In the paint is 6-foot-6 center and Naismith National Player of the Year finalist Elizabeth Kitley. Like the Hoosiers’ MacKenzie Holmes, Kitley uses her size in the paint to hit layups over opponents. Also, the Virginia Tech offense runs screens not only on the perimeter but within the paint, using picks strategically near the paint to give the center mismatches.
Against Ohio State, Kitley doesn’t have a comparable player who can step up to the ACC Player of the Year. Forwards Eboni Walker, Rebeka Mikulášiková, Cotie McMahon and Taylor Thierry will have their hands full.
While Kitley doesn’t have the same finesse near the rim as Holmes, the center is dangerous away from the paint too. Stretching out near the three-point line, Kitley can hit longer midrange shots, which pulls defenses away from the paint.
Away from post presence is guard Georgia Amoore. The Australian will shoot from deep, averaging close to 10 attempts per game. What’s most impressive is Amoore’s move before shooting. Amoore moves into the perimeter before a quick step back, combining it with a quick release.
The guard shoots quickly too, not waiting for teammates to get down the court or necessarily set up plays. Ohio State thrives on playing with pace. Guard Jacy Sheldon and McMahon especially get down the court quickly, which might make the Hokies either slow down or take bad shots.
If shots don’t fall, there’s always the option of dumping the ball to Kitley. The Buckeyes can’t afford to get lazy on the perimeter or in the paint.
Defensively, a press from the Buckeyes is expected at this point of the season. Conditioning for Ohio State is strong, as evidenced by the 25 turnovers they forced on UConn after playing since the beginning of November.
Ohio State’s press is also like nothing Tech’s seen this year. Sure, Virginia’s played teams with a press over the season, a few actually, but the effectiveness of the Buckeyes’ press hasn’t bee replicated.
“You can’t scout it. We don’t know — if you ask the regular team, they’re just like, we just move and run,” said guard Rikki Harris. “We play off each other, so if I see somebody else do something, I’m like, okay, I see her move. Let me slide over. But mainly it’s just scramble and we just run.”
Sunday, the Hokies sounded confident that they could handle the press, but so did the Huskies before Saturday’s defeat.
Projected Lineups
Lineup Notes
- Guard Jacy Sheldon’s improved not only in steals this year, averaging 3.8 per game, but turnovers are also down to 2.4 per game, compared to 3.1 in the 21-22 season
- Guard Taylor Mikesell’s +15 +/- led the Buckeyes, showing the impact the guard has even without a scoring night closer to her 17.2 points per game
- It wasn’t Sheldon leading Ohio State in steals Saturday but forward Taylor Thierry grabbing four steals in the victory
Lineup Notes
- Virginia Tech was taken aback by the Tennessee Volunteers’ press on Saturday, allowing 18 turnovers in the victory
- Guard Georgia Amoore’s 110 three-point field goals made this season is first in the ACC and second in the NCAA
- Forward Elizabeth Kitley led the ACC with 10.7 rebounds per game
Prediction
There’s no ending to Monday’s game that would be especially surprising. The matchup suits the Buckeyes but the Hokies are dangerous in many areas on the court. However, guard Taylor Mikesell is going to standout for Ohio State.
Even through what appears to be an injury, Mikesell will either hit shots or give space for others like McMahon or Sheldon to attack the lane. The Buckeyes will have a better offensive start than they did in the first five minutes against the Huskies.
It’ll be a close game with the Buckeyes pulling out a narrow victory, upsetting the Hokies and putting at least two Big Ten teams in the Final Four.
How to Watch
Date: Monday, March 27, 2023
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
Where: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, Washington
Television: ESPN
Stream: ESPN App
LGHL Score Prediction: 77-74 Ohio State Buckeyes
Big Ten History
Before any Elite Eight game was played, the Big Ten conference already made history. With the Buckeyes, Maryland Terrapins and Iowa Hawkeyes winning Sweet Sixteen matchups, it’s the first time three teams from the conference made the Elite Eight.
Now, the Big Ten has its eyes set on the Final Four. Sunday, the Hawkeyes stamped their ticket to Dallas, Texas when guard Caitlin Clark and Iowa defeated the Louisville Cardinals. Iowa’s win means that the Big Ten has a team in the national semifinal for the first time since the Terrapins reached it in 2015. Monday night, the Buckeyes and Terps can join the Hawkeyes in the Final Four.
Both Ohio State and Maryland have tough challenges ahead, each facing a No. 1 seed. Maryland faces overall No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks.
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LGHL Reactions following big recruiting weekend for Ohio State
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Reactions following big recruiting weekend for Ohio State
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
2024 four-star LB Payton Pierce | Parker Thune, 247Sports
The Buckeyes dished out some new offers and earned a number of Crystal Ball predictions.
Ohio State is coming off the first major recruiting weekend this spring, reportedly hosting over 30 prospects in Columbus over the past few days. The visitor list was mostly comprised of those in the 2024 class, but a number of players in both the 2025 and 2026 classes were in attendance as well.
Let’s jump right into the biggest storylines surrounding the Buckeyes on the trail.
Just last week we took a look at some of the biggest names in the 2024 class with Crystal Ball predictions on 247Sports in favor of Ohio State. This week, that list got even bigger as the Buckeyes appeared to have picked up steam with a number of high-end prospects during their latest visits.
One of the biggest additions to the OSU radar is four-star linebacker Payton Pierce. With prior Crystal Balls to Oklahoma (from 2022) and Notre Dame (January 2023), the No. 15 LB and No. 151 player overall in the 2024 class picked up an Ohio State Crystal Ball from Bucknuts’ Bill Kurelic on Saturday following his visit.
The 6-foot-1, 225-pounder backer already has a whopping 40 offers to his name, including one from the Buckeyes, and already has a return visit — this time of the official variety — set for June 23. While the Sooners got out to an early lead in his recruitment, it seems as though the tandem of Jim Knowles and James Laurinaitis may be able to pull another win out of the state of Texas.
In addition to Pierce, Ohio State also picked up new Crystal Balls for twins Devontae Armstrong and Deontae Armstrong. Both of the Ohio natives already held three CBs apiece in favor of the Buckeyes, but 247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong also felt comfortable enough to add his own prediction on Sunday following their visit for them to both wind up in scarlet in gray.
Deontae, the higher rated of the two, is a four-star offensive tackle at 6-foot-6, 280 pounds, coming in as the No. 25 OT and the No. 9 player in Ohio in the 2024 class per the 247Sports Composite. Devontae, an interior lineman, is also a four-star prospect at 6-foot-5, 288 pounds, rated as the No. 23 IOL and No. 13 in-state player in the 2024 class. Justin Frye has a lot of heavy lifting to do to make up for the mistakes of his predecessor, but landing the Armstrongs would be a big step in replenishing his position group.
While not one of the guys in attendance this weekend, it is also worth mentioning that running back James Peoples also saw a Crystal Ball cast in favor of Ohio State on Friday. The nation’s No. 5 RB and No. 69 overall player in 2024, Tony Alford is in big need of a win here after losing Jordan Marshall to Michigan. It is notable that the CB for Peoples came from an Oklahoma insider — one of the other schools Peoples in heavily considering.
Of course, what would a big recruiting weekend be without its share of new offers?
Seemingly one of the most impactful offers of the weekend went out to in-state safety Reggie Powers. The 2024 Dayton native is currently listed as the No. 54 player in Ohio by 247Sports’ own rankings, and immediately garnered an OSU Crystal Ball from Kurelic following the news. The 6-foot-1 DB may be a three-star prospect for now, but his over two dozen offers show he could be underrated at this stage in the game.
While not another offer, since he has held one from Ohio State since January, the Buckeyes also got a chance to host five-star cornerback Kobe Black over the weekend. One of the best players in the 2024 class regardless of position, Black currently ranks as the No. 2 CB and No. 15 player nationally per the 247Sports Composite. With over 30 offers to him name, including all of the heavy hitters, getting Black up to Columbus from Waco, TX on his own dime is an important step for Ohio State.
Ryan Day and Ohio State cannot afford to drag their feet much longer, as Noland has a commitment date set for April 8. It seems as though the Georgia native would very much like to come play for the Buckeyes, and should an offer come soon, they would almost certainly be the favorite here.
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
2024 four-star LB Payton Pierce | Parker Thune, 247Sports
The Buckeyes dished out some new offers and earned a number of Crystal Ball predictions.
Ohio State is coming off the first major recruiting weekend this spring, reportedly hosting over 30 prospects in Columbus over the past few days. The visitor list was mostly comprised of those in the 2024 class, but a number of players in both the 2025 and 2026 classes were in attendance as well.
Let’s jump right into the biggest storylines surrounding the Buckeyes on the trail.
A flood of Crystal Ball predictions
Just last week we took a look at some of the biggest names in the 2024 class with Crystal Ball predictions on 247Sports in favor of Ohio State. This week, that list got even bigger as the Buckeyes appeared to have picked up steam with a number of high-end prospects during their latest visits.
One of the biggest additions to the OSU radar is four-star linebacker Payton Pierce. With prior Crystal Balls to Oklahoma (from 2022) and Notre Dame (January 2023), the No. 15 LB and No. 151 player overall in the 2024 class picked up an Ohio State Crystal Ball from Bucknuts’ Bill Kurelic on Saturday following his visit.
The 6-foot-1, 225-pounder backer already has a whopping 40 offers to his name, including one from the Buckeyes, and already has a return visit — this time of the official variety — set for June 23. While the Sooners got out to an early lead in his recruitment, it seems as though the tandem of Jim Knowles and James Laurinaitis may be able to pull another win out of the state of Texas.
In addition to Pierce, Ohio State also picked up new Crystal Balls for twins Devontae Armstrong and Deontae Armstrong. Both of the Ohio natives already held three CBs apiece in favor of the Buckeyes, but 247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong also felt comfortable enough to add his own prediction on Sunday following their visit for them to both wind up in scarlet in gray.
Deontae, the higher rated of the two, is a four-star offensive tackle at 6-foot-6, 280 pounds, coming in as the No. 25 OT and the No. 9 player in Ohio in the 2024 class per the 247Sports Composite. Devontae, an interior lineman, is also a four-star prospect at 6-foot-5, 288 pounds, rated as the No. 23 IOL and No. 13 in-state player in the 2024 class. Justin Frye has a lot of heavy lifting to do to make up for the mistakes of his predecessor, but landing the Armstrongs would be a big step in replenishing his position group.
While not one of the guys in attendance this weekend, it is also worth mentioning that running back James Peoples also saw a Crystal Ball cast in favor of Ohio State on Friday. The nation’s No. 5 RB and No. 69 overall player in 2024, Tony Alford is in big need of a win here after losing Jordan Marshall to Michigan. It is notable that the CB for Peoples came from an Oklahoma insider — one of the other schools Peoples in heavily considering.
New DBs on the radar
Of course, what would a big recruiting weekend be without its share of new offers?
Seemingly one of the most impactful offers of the weekend went out to in-state safety Reggie Powers. The 2024 Dayton native is currently listed as the No. 54 player in Ohio by 247Sports’ own rankings, and immediately garnered an OSU Crystal Ball from Kurelic following the news. The 6-foot-1 DB may be a three-star prospect for now, but his over two dozen offers show he could be underrated at this stage in the game.
While not another offer, since he has held one from Ohio State since January, the Buckeyes also got a chance to host five-star cornerback Kobe Black over the weekend. One of the best players in the 2024 class regardless of position, Black currently ranks as the No. 2 CB and No. 15 player nationally per the 247Sports Composite. With over 30 offers to him name, including all of the heavy hitters, getting Black up to Columbus from Waco, TX on his own dime is an important step for Ohio State.
Quick Hits
- Ohio State appears to be trending favorably for four-star wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan. The 6-foot, 190-pound wideout made the trek to Columbus this weekend from Saint Louis, and a Rivals FutureCast to the Buckeyes followed shortly thereafter. McClellan is the No. 24 WR and No. 142 player overall on 247Sports. Brian Hartline, of course, has already landed the No. 1 WR in the country in Jeremiah Smith, whom they will need to hold on to until Signing Day.
Ohio State has received a prediction for 2024 4️ WR Jeremiah McClellan (Rivals).
Jeremiah was in Columbus today. pic.twitter.com/MO8R4d5f7K
— Buckeye Realm (@BuckeyeRealm_) March 26, 2023
- One of the best players and best names in the 2024 recruiting class, quarterback Air Noland dropped his top seven schools over the weekend, and Ohio State made the cut despite not having yet extended an offer. Noland, the No. 7 QB and No. 55 player overall on 247Sports, has over 34 offers to his name thus far, but the Buckeyes are surprisingly not one of them as they continue to pursue Alabama commit Julian Sayin.
Ryan Day and Ohio State cannot afford to drag their feet much longer, as Noland has a commitment date set for April 8. It seems as though the Georgia native would very much like to come play for the Buckeyes, and should an offer come soon, they would almost certainly be the favorite here.
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