ThomasCostello
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Ohio State women’s basketball doesn’t like to share; aim for outright Big Ten title against Michigan on Wednesday
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
Confetti fell at the Buckeyes’ game Sunday, but not for the obvious reason.
Sunday, confetti fell from the rafters of the Schottenstein Center. Not because Ohio State women’s basketball defeated the Maryland Terrapins to lock up at least a piece of the Big Ten regular season title. It was Drake’s fault. Yes, that Drake.
In the week leading up to Sunday’s 79-66 win for the Buckeyes, the Degrassi High alum played two concerts at the Schottenstein Center.
So, following Senior Day pregame festivities, Ohio State began their usual introduction hype video including all the excitement that pyrotechnics bring. From it, a few stray pieces of Canadian hip-hop confetti started falling from the top of Value City Arena, delaying the game as the Ohio State team managers expertly swiped pieces out of the air.
Even though the Scarlet and Gray were well aware that Sunday could end with earning part of the regular season crown, there were no plans to celebrate the fact.
“We still got two more games left that, you know, we want to outright outright win it,” said guard Celeste Taylor.
Look at Sunday’s game and it was clear that Taylor didn’t want to share. The graduate senior led Ohio State with three steals, part of a 15-turnover day for the Terrapins. Not only defensively, but Taylor excelled on the offensive side of the court.
After it took time to find Taylor’s shooting stroke in the non-conference schedule, Sunday was a clear example of hard work paying off. In 11 games outside of the Big Ten, Taylor averaged 7.6 points per game. After starting with a 15-point game to start the conference campaign, against the Penn State Nittany Lions, the guard’s offense jumped almost five points a game, now averaging 12.1 points in Big Ten play.
Against Maryland, Taylor’s 20 points led all Buckeyes, the third time in the last five games that the former Duke Blue Devils star has claimed that feat.
“Celeste [Taylor] is playing at a different level,” said head coach Kevin McGuff.
Across Ohio State’s two games last week, Taylor scored 36 points, 10 steals, 9 assists, and 7 rebounds. A performance strong enough to earn the guard ESPN’s Player of the Week honor, with the Big Ten choosing Iowa’s Caitlin Clark over Taylor for Big Ten Player of the Week.
For the Buckeyes, their focus is on the next game and not allowing anyone to take a piece of its conference title. It comes against a team Ohio State is all too familiar with: The Michigan Wolverines.
There’s no lack of emotion from the Buckeyes facing their rival who also happens to be the only team to beat Ohio State in Big Ten play.
“Super excited. Very, very excited,” said guard Jacy Sheldon. “We have an extra chip on our shoulder when we’re playing this team anyway, so I think that just adds to the excitement around this game.”
Sheldon and Taylor are fulfilling preseason expectations at the close of the regular season. Sunday, the fellow graduate senior Sheldon was right behind Taylor in the scoring column, scoring 17 points. Sheldon also led everyone on the court with six assists. Overall in February, the guard led Ohio State in points (18.9) and assists (5.4).
So how big is it for these two graduate seniors, and the Buckeyes as a whole, to cause scarlet and gray confetti to rain down with a home win against bitter rivals? A single victory changing Ohio State’s 2023-24 season resume from “Co-Big Ten champions” to “Big Ten Champions?”
“It’s huge,” said Sheldon.
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
Confetti fell at the Buckeyes’ game Sunday, but not for the obvious reason.
Sunday, confetti fell from the rafters of the Schottenstein Center. Not because Ohio State women’s basketball defeated the Maryland Terrapins to lock up at least a piece of the Big Ten regular season title. It was Drake’s fault. Yes, that Drake.
In the week leading up to Sunday’s 79-66 win for the Buckeyes, the Degrassi High alum played two concerts at the Schottenstein Center.
So, following Senior Day pregame festivities, Ohio State began their usual introduction hype video including all the excitement that pyrotechnics bring. From it, a few stray pieces of Canadian hip-hop confetti started falling from the top of Value City Arena, delaying the game as the Ohio State team managers expertly swiped pieces out of the air.
Even though the Scarlet and Gray were well aware that Sunday could end with earning part of the regular season crown, there were no plans to celebrate the fact.
“We still got two more games left that, you know, we want to outright outright win it,” said guard Celeste Taylor.
Look at Sunday’s game and it was clear that Taylor didn’t want to share. The graduate senior led Ohio State with three steals, part of a 15-turnover day for the Terrapins. Not only defensively, but Taylor excelled on the offensive side of the court.
After it took time to find Taylor’s shooting stroke in the non-conference schedule, Sunday was a clear example of hard work paying off. In 11 games outside of the Big Ten, Taylor averaged 7.6 points per game. After starting with a 15-point game to start the conference campaign, against the Penn State Nittany Lions, the guard’s offense jumped almost five points a game, now averaging 12.1 points in Big Ten play.
Against Maryland, Taylor’s 20 points led all Buckeyes, the third time in the last five games that the former Duke Blue Devils star has claimed that feat.
“Celeste [Taylor] is playing at a different level,” said head coach Kevin McGuff.
Across Ohio State’s two games last week, Taylor scored 36 points, 10 steals, 9 assists, and 7 rebounds. A performance strong enough to earn the guard ESPN’s Player of the Week honor, with the Big Ten choosing Iowa’s Caitlin Clark over Taylor for Big Ten Player of the Week.
For the Buckeyes, their focus is on the next game and not allowing anyone to take a piece of its conference title. It comes against a team Ohio State is all too familiar with: The Michigan Wolverines.
There’s no lack of emotion from the Buckeyes facing their rival who also happens to be the only team to beat Ohio State in Big Ten play.
“Super excited. Very, very excited,” said guard Jacy Sheldon. “We have an extra chip on our shoulder when we’re playing this team anyway, so I think that just adds to the excitement around this game.”
Sheldon and Taylor are fulfilling preseason expectations at the close of the regular season. Sunday, the fellow graduate senior Sheldon was right behind Taylor in the scoring column, scoring 17 points. Sheldon also led everyone on the court with six assists. Overall in February, the guard led Ohio State in points (18.9) and assists (5.4).
So how big is it for these two graduate seniors, and the Buckeyes as a whole, to cause scarlet and gray confetti to rain down with a home win against bitter rivals? A single victory changing Ohio State’s 2023-24 season resume from “Co-Big Ten champions” to “Big Ten Champions?”
“It’s huge,” said Sheldon.
Continue reading...