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No. 7 Ohio State women's basketball fall to Juju Watkins and No. 21 USC 83-74
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 Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Buckeyes had questions surrounding its offense this preseason, and after Monday’s game there aren’t many answered
The Ohio State women’s basketball team didn’t want to wait until next season to start playing some of its new Pac-12 defectors. Monday, a potential Big Ten rivalry in the making tipped off the 23-24 Buckeyes season, at the Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas.
With all the expectations of the 23-24 campaign on the shoulders of the Buckeyes, it was a freshman that made life difficult. Guard Juju Watkins led the Trojans to an 83-74 victory to put an early speed bump in Ohio State’s season.
After Ohio State won the tip, it took each side a couple possessions before shots fell, but the rust fell off quickly. In the first 5:09 of the game, there were five lead changes, including some deep shooting by the Buckeyes.
Guard Jacy Sheldon was one of four Buckeyes to take deep shots to start the game. Sheldon hit two, plus one from forward Cotie McMahon, to put Ohio State up 11-9 at the first timeout of the game.
Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, forwards Taylor Thierry and Cotie McMahon each picked up fouls. Thierry, who matched up against the 6-foot-2 freshman guard Juju Watkins, had two herself, sending her to the bench early.
The early substitutions gave Ohio State fans the first view of forward Taiyier Parks. Graduate senior and former Michigan State Spartan went up against USC forward Rayah Marshall, but there was little stopping the Trojans big to start the game.
Marshall had six rebounds in the first quarter and six points. with USC out rebounding Ohio State 15-8 in the first 10 minutes of the game. Even so, diverse shooting and a late quarter running layup by Sheldon put Ohio State up 18-15 at the end of the first quarter.
Buckeyes didn’t hold the lead long into the second quarter. After two quick Buckeye turnovers, USC went up two. The lead came off a picked off pass by Thierry at the top of the key. Marshall intercepted the pass and a five-point run forced head coach Kevin McGuff to call a timeout with over eight minutes left in the half.
It didn’t get much better out of the timeout though. The Ohio State offense lacked cohesion. After five minutes, the Buckeyes only had two points, off free throws. Overall, the scarlet and gray mustered only three shots halfway through the second quarter. Compare that to 7-for-13 shooting in the second quarter for the Trojans.
McGuff called a second timeout because of the 13-point run of the Trojans. Guard Rikki Harris came in off the bench to knock down a shot from deep, but the Trojans answered back with one of their own.
Ohio State’s second quarter dug a big hole. USC outscored the Buckeyes 31-10, with five of those 10 points coming from the free throw line.
With seven turnovers, three off intercepted passes, the movement and distribution for the Buckeyes all but halted, forcing bad shots by the scarlet and gray. Instead of running plays or finding the open teammate, a credit to the Trojans defensive adjustments for clogging passing lanes, the Buckeyes received passes, dribbled for a second and then threw up low percentage shots.
For the Trojans, Watkins was as advertised. Entering the halftime locker room, the No. 1 overall freshman in the country led everyone with 12 points, hitting 5-for-8 in shot attempts and four free throws. Marshall added a first half double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
The Buckeyes were out rebounded, outshot and less careful with the ball than USC, requiring a lot of work from McGuff’s side entering the second half.
In that second half, Ohio State started looking better offensively. With 5:35 remaining in the third quarter, the Buckeyes already matched its second quarter point total of 10 points. McGuff’s side did it putting bodies in the paint and forcing turnovers. In the first half of the quarter, Ohio State forced four from the Trojans, scoring six points off those turnovers.
At the line, the Buckeyes went 6-for-6 from the free throw line, leading to a six-point run that cut the USC lead down to 13 points. Cut down from a high of 19 points earlier in the quarter. Ohio State kept pushing and cut the lead down further to six points, thanks to a 14-to-2 run and eight points in the paint.
It was also half court defense helping put Ohio State back in the game. With under three minutes left in the quarter, the Buckeyes cut USC’s shooting percentage from a 66.7% in the second quarter to only 30% in the third.
While fouls were holding the scarlet and gray back in the first half, Watkins had to take a seat on the bench with four fouls in the third quarter. That meant the then 25-point scorer couldn’t help the Trojans offensively.
Thierry, who had a quieter first half with foul concerns of her own, came alive in the third quarter. The guard/forward scored 10 points (four from the free throw line) after forcing her will in the paint. Sheldon led the Buckeyes with 12 points and three steals at the same time. At the end of the third quarter, Ohio State outscored USC 30-10 to go up 58-56 with 10 minutes remaining.
To start the fourth, the two sides exchanged shots. Making it easier for the Trojans was the reemergence of Marshall. After only grabbing two rebounds in the third quarter, Marshall had three within minutes of the start of the fourth.
The Trojans also found scoring from non-Watkins players. Guard McKenzie Forbes, who had three points in the first three quarters, starting hitting shots. Forbes had six points in 36 seconds after making a layup, free throw and three-point shot. On the Trojan’s next possession, off a Buckeyes intercepted pass, Watkins hit a running shot and a free throw thanks to a light foul call against Sheldon. That run put USC up seven again with 6:35 remaining.
Watkins continued her tear, ending the day with 32 points. After a third quarter with the Buckeyes at the driver’s seat, Watkins bumped OSU out for good. The freshman added five more points and two assists, putting the Buckeyes down eight with two minutes remaining. Sheldon cut it down to six, but the Trojans slowed the game down, using as much clock as possible and then letting playmakers make plays.
Former Buckeyes guard Taylor Mikesell was a storyline entering Monday’s game. The now-professional led Ohio State in scoring and three-point shooting, so the obvious question was how would the team make up for it?
In the first quarter, it was extra passes, movement and finding the open player. The Buckeyes went ahead because players found open teammates and confused the USC defense into giving OSU open shots from deep. That stopped in the second.
If a pass wasn’t intercepted, there wasn’t enough going on for players to find a scoring option or run a play.
Part of that offensive problem too was a quiet game from McMahon. The forward had seven points on 3-for-11 shooting, not a normal day by any means for the sophomore.
Although its early in the season, and teams aren't playing their best basketball from the jump, there’s a lot to watch for improvement in this Buckeyes team.
Last season, the Buckeyes came back from 17 and 24-point deficits. In the third quarter alone, Ohio State turned a 19-point deficit into a two-point lead. The scarlet and gray got there with their leadership and remembering why there are so many expectations around this team.
Upperclassmen Sheldon and Thierry showed their poise in the run. It showed that even with some offensive things to work on, the foundation is there for the Buckeyes to turn a tough opening night of the season into a longterm positive.
Ohio State travels back home for its first home game of the season. On Sunday, Nov. 12, the IUPUI Jaguars travel east to Columbus in a 1:00 p.m. ET start. It’s the first of two games in the second week of the season.
After the Horizon League opponents on Sunday, the scarlet and gray welcome its first Power Five conference opponent to Central Ohio on Thursday. That’s when the Boston College Eagles play the Buckeyes on a Thursday night tip at the Schottenstein Center.
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 Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Buckeyes had questions surrounding its offense this preseason, and after Monday’s game there aren’t many answered
The Ohio State women’s basketball team didn’t want to wait until next season to start playing some of its new Pac-12 defectors. Monday, a potential Big Ten rivalry in the making tipped off the 23-24 Buckeyes season, at the Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas.
With all the expectations of the 23-24 campaign on the shoulders of the Buckeyes, it was a freshman that made life difficult. Guard Juju Watkins led the Trojans to an 83-74 victory to put an early speed bump in Ohio State’s season.
After Ohio State won the tip, it took each side a couple possessions before shots fell, but the rust fell off quickly. In the first 5:09 of the game, there were five lead changes, including some deep shooting by the Buckeyes.
Guard Jacy Sheldon was one of four Buckeyes to take deep shots to start the game. Sheldon hit two, plus one from forward Cotie McMahon, to put Ohio State up 11-9 at the first timeout of the game.
Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, forwards Taylor Thierry and Cotie McMahon each picked up fouls. Thierry, who matched up against the 6-foot-2 freshman guard Juju Watkins, had two herself, sending her to the bench early.
The early substitutions gave Ohio State fans the first view of forward Taiyier Parks. Graduate senior and former Michigan State Spartan went up against USC forward Rayah Marshall, but there was little stopping the Trojans big to start the game.
Marshall had six rebounds in the first quarter and six points. with USC out rebounding Ohio State 15-8 in the first 10 minutes of the game. Even so, diverse shooting and a late quarter running layup by Sheldon put Ohio State up 18-15 at the end of the first quarter.
Buckeyes didn’t hold the lead long into the second quarter. After two quick Buckeye turnovers, USC went up two. The lead came off a picked off pass by Thierry at the top of the key. Marshall intercepted the pass and a five-point run forced head coach Kevin McGuff to call a timeout with over eight minutes left in the half.
It didn’t get much better out of the timeout though. The Ohio State offense lacked cohesion. After five minutes, the Buckeyes only had two points, off free throws. Overall, the scarlet and gray mustered only three shots halfway through the second quarter. Compare that to 7-for-13 shooting in the second quarter for the Trojans.
McGuff called a second timeout because of the 13-point run of the Trojans. Guard Rikki Harris came in off the bench to knock down a shot from deep, but the Trojans answered back with one of their own.
Ohio State’s second quarter dug a big hole. USC outscored the Buckeyes 31-10, with five of those 10 points coming from the free throw line.
With seven turnovers, three off intercepted passes, the movement and distribution for the Buckeyes all but halted, forcing bad shots by the scarlet and gray. Instead of running plays or finding the open teammate, a credit to the Trojans defensive adjustments for clogging passing lanes, the Buckeyes received passes, dribbled for a second and then threw up low percentage shots.
For the Trojans, Watkins was as advertised. Entering the halftime locker room, the No. 1 overall freshman in the country led everyone with 12 points, hitting 5-for-8 in shot attempts and four free throws. Marshall added a first half double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
The Buckeyes were out rebounded, outshot and less careful with the ball than USC, requiring a lot of work from McGuff’s side entering the second half.
In that second half, Ohio State started looking better offensively. With 5:35 remaining in the third quarter, the Buckeyes already matched its second quarter point total of 10 points. McGuff’s side did it putting bodies in the paint and forcing turnovers. In the first half of the quarter, Ohio State forced four from the Trojans, scoring six points off those turnovers.
At the line, the Buckeyes went 6-for-6 from the free throw line, leading to a six-point run that cut the USC lead down to 13 points. Cut down from a high of 19 points earlier in the quarter. Ohio State kept pushing and cut the lead down further to six points, thanks to a 14-to-2 run and eight points in the paint.
It was also half court defense helping put Ohio State back in the game. With under three minutes left in the quarter, the Buckeyes cut USC’s shooting percentage from a 66.7% in the second quarter to only 30% in the third.
While fouls were holding the scarlet and gray back in the first half, Watkins had to take a seat on the bench with four fouls in the third quarter. That meant the then 25-point scorer couldn’t help the Trojans offensively.
Thierry, who had a quieter first half with foul concerns of her own, came alive in the third quarter. The guard/forward scored 10 points (four from the free throw line) after forcing her will in the paint. Sheldon led the Buckeyes with 12 points and three steals at the same time. At the end of the third quarter, Ohio State outscored USC 30-10 to go up 58-56 with 10 minutes remaining.
To start the fourth, the two sides exchanged shots. Making it easier for the Trojans was the reemergence of Marshall. After only grabbing two rebounds in the third quarter, Marshall had three within minutes of the start of the fourth.
The Trojans also found scoring from non-Watkins players. Guard McKenzie Forbes, who had three points in the first three quarters, starting hitting shots. Forbes had six points in 36 seconds after making a layup, free throw and three-point shot. On the Trojan’s next possession, off a Buckeyes intercepted pass, Watkins hit a running shot and a free throw thanks to a light foul call against Sheldon. That run put USC up seven again with 6:35 remaining.
Watkins continued her tear, ending the day with 32 points. After a third quarter with the Buckeyes at the driver’s seat, Watkins bumped OSU out for good. The freshman added five more points and two assists, putting the Buckeyes down eight with two minutes remaining. Sheldon cut it down to six, but the Trojans slowed the game down, using as much clock as possible and then letting playmakers make plays.
Offensive Issues
Former Buckeyes guard Taylor Mikesell was a storyline entering Monday’s game. The now-professional led Ohio State in scoring and three-point shooting, so the obvious question was how would the team make up for it?
In the first quarter, it was extra passes, movement and finding the open player. The Buckeyes went ahead because players found open teammates and confused the USC defense into giving OSU open shots from deep. That stopped in the second.
If a pass wasn’t intercepted, there wasn’t enough going on for players to find a scoring option or run a play.
Part of that offensive problem too was a quiet game from McMahon. The forward had seven points on 3-for-11 shooting, not a normal day by any means for the sophomore.
Although its early in the season, and teams aren't playing their best basketball from the jump, there’s a lot to watch for improvement in this Buckeyes team.
Experience Pays Off
Last season, the Buckeyes came back from 17 and 24-point deficits. In the third quarter alone, Ohio State turned a 19-point deficit into a two-point lead. The scarlet and gray got there with their leadership and remembering why there are so many expectations around this team.
Upperclassmen Sheldon and Thierry showed their poise in the run. It showed that even with some offensive things to work on, the foundation is there for the Buckeyes to turn a tough opening night of the season into a longterm positive.
What’s Next
Ohio State travels back home for its first home game of the season. On Sunday, Nov. 12, the IUPUI Jaguars travel east to Columbus in a 1:00 p.m. ET start. It’s the first of two games in the second week of the season.
After the Horizon League opponents on Sunday, the scarlet and gray welcome its first Power Five conference opponent to Central Ohio on Thursday. That’s when the Boston College Eagles play the Buckeyes on a Thursday night tip at the Schottenstein Center.
Continue reading...