ThomasCostello
Guest
No. 2 Ohio State women earn B1G top seed with 79-66 win over Maryland
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
The Buckeyes claimed at least a share of the conference title with a hard-fought on Senior Day.
Sunday was a day of celebration in Columbus, giving seniors on the Ohio State women’s basketball team their due. Career Buckeyes, including guard Jacy Sheldon, Rikki Harris, and forward Rebeka Mikulášiková were celebrated along with transfer forwards Eboni Walker, Taiyier Parks, Karla Vres, and guard Celeste Taylor.
After all the excitement and tears, there was still a game to play against the Maryland Terrapins. A win secured the Scarlet and Gray the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten tournament and a share of the Big Ten regular season title.
Full of emotions from Senior Day festivities, the Buckeyes channeled that energy into a victory over Maryland. Beating the Terrapins 79-66.
The celebration also slowed down the start of the game. Although there was no confetti in the Senior Day celebrations, a small amount started falling from the ceiling of the arena. It delayed the game while Ohio State team managers stood in front of a full lower bowl, and one side section of the upper deck, catching the confetti pieces as they fell.
Once the court cleared, the Buckeyes and Terrapins showed that they had the two longest winning streaks in the conference. The two sides traded made baskets, with no defensive stops, until Ohio State went on its first run of the game. Scoring the next seven points, including four points coming off turnovers, the Buckeyes took an early four-point lead into the media timeout.
For Maryland, fouls crept up early. In just over five minutes, the Terps had three fouls called their way, with the Buckeyes staying whistle-free for the start of the quarter. Maryland star guard Shyanne Sellers picked up two in the first quarter, requiring a trip to the bench for the Aurora, Ohioan.
At the end of the first quarter, Ohio State led the visitors 21-13. Of the Buckeyes’ eight made shots in the run of play, five included an assist as the Scarlet and Gray showed its continued emphasis on team basketball during its 13-game winning streak.
The Terps offense ran through guards Brinae Alexander and Bri McDaniel in the first half. With Sellers on the bench with fouls, the duo scored 16 of the Terps' first 20 points. Alexander succeeded from beyond the arc, going 3-for-4 in the first quarter and a half of the game.
Even so, Ohio State kept pushing in a mature display, seemingly devoid of any knowledge of the weight of a win. The Buckeyes went on another seven-point run to push its lead to 14 points, but a team coached by Brenda Frese can’t be held down for too long.
Maryland responded, exploiting lax movement inside the paint by the Buckeyes, after focusing on longer-range efforts earlier in the game. A five-point run put the game back within single digits.
At one moment, McDaniel was under the basket, ending up earning a foul call on Sheldon. Both Sheldon and head coach Kevin McGuff disagreed with the call, with McGuff also letting the other referee on the opposite side of the court how he felt from the bench. Sheldon responded better on the court. On the next offensive possession, the guard hit a three-point shot, her second of the half. It put the Buckeyes lead back up to double-digits.
With 20 seconds remaining in the half, Maryland looked like it was going to hold for the final shot. Instead, the Buckeyes forced a turnover, and forward Cotie McMahon hit two free throws to end the second quarter. It gave Ohio State a 44-31 lead entering the halftime locker room.
Ohio State and Maryland started the second half trading baskets again, but Maryland found its stride. The Terps went on a seven-point run before Coach McGuff called a timeout. It lowered the home side’s lead to eight points.
Coming out of the timeout, Ohio State gave the ball away, with McDaniels intercepting a McMahon pass and running down the court to earn two free throws when McMahon fouled the guard under the basket. McMahon picked up another foul one minute later, appearing to get a block on Sellers.
When the foul was called, McMahon ran to the bench in disbelief, earning her a technical foul and a trip to sit on the bench. Her second technical foul for arguing a call since Feb. 11 when something similar happened against the Michigan State Spartans.
With five minutes remaining in the quarter, and Ohio State outscored 14-9 in the frame, it looked like it could be the first time in a long time that the Buckeyes were outscored in a third quarter. It’s been since Dec. 17, when the UCLA Bruins beat Ohio State in Columbus, when the Bruins scored 26, with 14 by the Buckeyes.
Maryland won the quarter, outscoring the Scarlet and Gray 24-16. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Buckeyes were still in the lead 60-55 but needed a better-looking fourth quarter. Specifically, taking advantage of scoring opportunities.
On one possession, Ohio State forced a turnover, going on a fast break. Walker led the charge with a three-on-one for the Buckeyes. The senior tried doing a no-look pass that went too far wide for guard Madison Greene. That elicited an angry response from Coach McGuff, yelling at the court in disbelief.
The start of the fourth quarter was better for the Buckeyes. On the back of a six-point run, the lead went back to double-digits for the home side, still needing to hold off Maryland for another eight minutes. The visitors responded quickly.
Within 30 seconds, Maryland hit a midrange and three-point shot, forcing a timeout for Coach McGuff.
It worked, with Ohio State responding with a five-point run, increasing its lead back to double-digits in a yo-yo second half. That forced a Maryland timeout, which Coach McGuff used to bring McMahon back into the game with four fouls. The first time McMahon got the ball in her hand, on offense, she hit a three-pointer to get the home lead back over 10 points for the first time since halfway through the third quarter.
Following the quiet third quarter, an overwhelming fourth quarter of Buckeyes' defense turned into offense. Ohio State came away with a 79-66 victory, guaranteeing a No. 1 Big Ten Tournament seed and at least a share of the Big Ten title, with two games remaining.
Appropriately for Senior Day, Taylor and Sheldon led the way for Ohio State. Taylor led the way with 20 points and three steals, while Sheldon scored 17, plus six assists.
Before the Buckeyes and Terps hit the floor for their game, its group of seniors took to the court. Ohio State featured seven players in a pregame ceremony, including those with no remaining eligibility like Sheldon, Mikulášiková, Taylor, Parks, and Vres.
Also, two players with questions over their return status took to the court, with Harris and Walker honored. Absent from it was Greene, who still has a year of eligibility, like Harris, but didn’t take part in the ceremony. There’s no official word Harris or Greene are returning, but Senior Day can give hints.
Walker was also included, although the Scarlet and Gray are looking into potentially making the forward’s 2021-22 season with the Syracuse Orange a redshirt year. That would open an additional year for the Las Vegas native.
There won’t likely be any official decisions on the three Buckeyes in question until the end of the season.
Ohio State plays two more home games next week, starting at home on Wednesday against the Michigan Wolverines at 7 p.m. ET on Peacock. The Buckeyes finish up the regular season in one week when it heads to Iowa City in a rematch against the Hawkeyes. The titanic struggle will air on Fox on Sunday, March 3 at 1 p.m. ET.
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
The Buckeyes claimed at least a share of the conference title with a hard-fought on Senior Day.
Sunday was a day of celebration in Columbus, giving seniors on the Ohio State women’s basketball team their due. Career Buckeyes, including guard Jacy Sheldon, Rikki Harris, and forward Rebeka Mikulášiková were celebrated along with transfer forwards Eboni Walker, Taiyier Parks, Karla Vres, and guard Celeste Taylor.
After all the excitement and tears, there was still a game to play against the Maryland Terrapins. A win secured the Scarlet and Gray the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten tournament and a share of the Big Ten regular season title.
Full of emotions from Senior Day festivities, the Buckeyes channeled that energy into a victory over Maryland. Beating the Terrapins 79-66.
The celebration also slowed down the start of the game. Although there was no confetti in the Senior Day celebrations, a small amount started falling from the ceiling of the arena. It delayed the game while Ohio State team managers stood in front of a full lower bowl, and one side section of the upper deck, catching the confetti pieces as they fell.
Once the court cleared, the Buckeyes and Terrapins showed that they had the two longest winning streaks in the conference. The two sides traded made baskets, with no defensive stops, until Ohio State went on its first run of the game. Scoring the next seven points, including four points coming off turnovers, the Buckeyes took an early four-point lead into the media timeout.
For Maryland, fouls crept up early. In just over five minutes, the Terps had three fouls called their way, with the Buckeyes staying whistle-free for the start of the quarter. Maryland star guard Shyanne Sellers picked up two in the first quarter, requiring a trip to the bench for the Aurora, Ohioan.
At the end of the first quarter, Ohio State led the visitors 21-13. Of the Buckeyes’ eight made shots in the run of play, five included an assist as the Scarlet and Gray showed its continued emphasis on team basketball during its 13-game winning streak.
The Terps offense ran through guards Brinae Alexander and Bri McDaniel in the first half. With Sellers on the bench with fouls, the duo scored 16 of the Terps' first 20 points. Alexander succeeded from beyond the arc, going 3-for-4 in the first quarter and a half of the game.
Even so, Ohio State kept pushing in a mature display, seemingly devoid of any knowledge of the weight of a win. The Buckeyes went on another seven-point run to push its lead to 14 points, but a team coached by Brenda Frese can’t be held down for too long.
Maryland responded, exploiting lax movement inside the paint by the Buckeyes, after focusing on longer-range efforts earlier in the game. A five-point run put the game back within single digits.
At one moment, McDaniel was under the basket, ending up earning a foul call on Sheldon. Both Sheldon and head coach Kevin McGuff disagreed with the call, with McGuff also letting the other referee on the opposite side of the court how he felt from the bench. Sheldon responded better on the court. On the next offensive possession, the guard hit a three-point shot, her second of the half. It put the Buckeyes lead back up to double-digits.
With 20 seconds remaining in the half, Maryland looked like it was going to hold for the final shot. Instead, the Buckeyes forced a turnover, and forward Cotie McMahon hit two free throws to end the second quarter. It gave Ohio State a 44-31 lead entering the halftime locker room.
Ohio State and Maryland started the second half trading baskets again, but Maryland found its stride. The Terps went on a seven-point run before Coach McGuff called a timeout. It lowered the home side’s lead to eight points.
Coming out of the timeout, Ohio State gave the ball away, with McDaniels intercepting a McMahon pass and running down the court to earn two free throws when McMahon fouled the guard under the basket. McMahon picked up another foul one minute later, appearing to get a block on Sellers.
When the foul was called, McMahon ran to the bench in disbelief, earning her a technical foul and a trip to sit on the bench. Her second technical foul for arguing a call since Feb. 11 when something similar happened against the Michigan State Spartans.
With five minutes remaining in the quarter, and Ohio State outscored 14-9 in the frame, it looked like it could be the first time in a long time that the Buckeyes were outscored in a third quarter. It’s been since Dec. 17, when the UCLA Bruins beat Ohio State in Columbus, when the Bruins scored 26, with 14 by the Buckeyes.
Maryland won the quarter, outscoring the Scarlet and Gray 24-16. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Buckeyes were still in the lead 60-55 but needed a better-looking fourth quarter. Specifically, taking advantage of scoring opportunities.
On one possession, Ohio State forced a turnover, going on a fast break. Walker led the charge with a three-on-one for the Buckeyes. The senior tried doing a no-look pass that went too far wide for guard Madison Greene. That elicited an angry response from Coach McGuff, yelling at the court in disbelief.
The start of the fourth quarter was better for the Buckeyes. On the back of a six-point run, the lead went back to double-digits for the home side, still needing to hold off Maryland for another eight minutes. The visitors responded quickly.
Within 30 seconds, Maryland hit a midrange and three-point shot, forcing a timeout for Coach McGuff.
It worked, with Ohio State responding with a five-point run, increasing its lead back to double-digits in a yo-yo second half. That forced a Maryland timeout, which Coach McGuff used to bring McMahon back into the game with four fouls. The first time McMahon got the ball in her hand, on offense, she hit a three-pointer to get the home lead back over 10 points for the first time since halfway through the third quarter.
Following the quiet third quarter, an overwhelming fourth quarter of Buckeyes' defense turned into offense. Ohio State came away with a 79-66 victory, guaranteeing a No. 1 Big Ten Tournament seed and at least a share of the Big Ten title, with two games remaining.
Appropriately for Senior Day, Taylor and Sheldon led the way for Ohio State. Taylor led the way with 20 points and three steals, while Sheldon scored 17, plus six assists.
Senior Day
Before the Buckeyes and Terps hit the floor for their game, its group of seniors took to the court. Ohio State featured seven players in a pregame ceremony, including those with no remaining eligibility like Sheldon, Mikulášiková, Taylor, Parks, and Vres.
Also, two players with questions over their return status took to the court, with Harris and Walker honored. Absent from it was Greene, who still has a year of eligibility, like Harris, but didn’t take part in the ceremony. There’s no official word Harris or Greene are returning, but Senior Day can give hints.
Walker was also included, although the Scarlet and Gray are looking into potentially making the forward’s 2021-22 season with the Syracuse Orange a redshirt year. That would open an additional year for the Las Vegas native.
There won’t likely be any official decisions on the three Buckeyes in question until the end of the season.
What’s Next
Ohio State plays two more home games next week, starting at home on Wednesday against the Michigan Wolverines at 7 p.m. ET on Peacock. The Buckeyes finish up the regular season in one week when it heads to Iowa City in a rematch against the Hawkeyes. The titanic struggle will air on Fox on Sunday, March 3 at 1 p.m. ET.
Continue reading...