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Ohio State Women's Basketball (2023-24 B1G CHAMPS)

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What to make of lopsided Ohio State women’s basketball win over Ohio University​

Coach McGuff’s Buckeyes broke a record against Ohio, but how does a 64-point win benefit Ohio State?

It’s ok to admit that non-conference basketball seasons are mostly boring. Subtract a couple of big-name opponents and the only thing getting fans to the conference schedule in one piece is the general excitement of a new season and counting the days until the next game against a side that brings a challenge.

If a Big Ten schedule release was accompanied by music, it would be a loud, exciting, marching band with games against new conference additions like USC and UCLA, and the tried and true rivalries against the Iowas and Indianas of the Big Ten’s old guard.

Ohio State women’s basketball’s non-conference schedule, however, would be accompanied by a sad trombone.

Outside of a game against a might-be-ranked Stanford on Dec. 20, it’s a slate of mid-majors whose most intriguing game element is likely a connection between the schools off the court. Wednesday, it was an in-state “rivalry” against the Ohio Bobcats of the MAC in which the Buckeyes hold a 24-1 record. The Buckeyes beat OU 106-42.

This is no offense to mid-majors whatsoever. The most exciting parts of the basketball season are often when squads not in a Power Four conference beat one of the big teams. Big meaning has more recruiting power and money.

However, until the game is played you never know how it's going to end up.

The Scarlet and Gray almost fell to one of the most consistent mid-majors in women’s basketball on Sunday. Belmont gave Ohio State their all, only to give up a nine-point lead with five minutes remaining. OSU came back to win that one 67-63. It was a diamond in the rough in the early goings of the season.

In Athens on Wednesday, from the jump the Buckeyes didn’t look like a team that was interested in repeating that performance.

“We had played really hard Sunday versus Belmont, but we didn’t execute very well on either end of the floor,” head coach Kevin McGuff said. “And so we wanted to, it was more of a mental thing with our execution, which I thought we were much better today.”

“Much better” is putting it lightly.

Ohio State outplayed the Bobcats in nearly every statistical category. The Buckeyes outshot Ohio 48.3 percent to 25.5 percent, hit 11 three-point shots compared to five for the home side, and had a total number of shots almost doubling the Bobcats 89-47.

Ohio did do one thing better, hitting more free throws, and with more efficiency, an issue that was key in the Buckeyes’ win Sunday when they shot 52 percent from the line, leaving 12 points on the free throw line.

That obviously didn’t matter on Wednesday, but it will down the road.

Away from missing free throws and everything clicked, but how does it help to beat up on a mid-major riddled with injury in the grand scheme of things?
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