The storybook season for the Ohio State women’s basketball team continues.
There’s no doubt it’s been an up-and-down season after the Lady Bucks raced out to win the first 19 before hitting a rough patch, then gathering steam at the end again to reach the Big Ten Tournament title game. But now, Ohio State just pulled off another upset by beating No. 2 seed UConn, 73-61, to reach its first Elite 8 since 1993 when Katie Smith nearly took OSU to a national title.
UConn raced out of the gate and looked like the better team early, quickly gaining a 10-2 advantage just under five minutes in to put OSU on the defensive. Then OSU indeed got defensive, ratcheting up the pressure on that end to get things back in its favor. The Buckeyes dictated the pace and were able to cut the lead to 17-15 at the end of the first quarter.
The momentum Ohio State created with its defense continued in the second quarter as the Buckeyes continued to force turnovers that led to buckets on the other end. They owned the second quarter and went into the halftime break up 36-26 and seemingly in control.
UConn would come out in the second half with effort, energy, and emotion, but Ohio State was able to match and negate it with effort of their own. The Huskies were never really to put Ohio State in danger and the Buckeyes continued to answer the bell and never let their foot off the gas, effectively salting the game away.
💃💃 Advancing to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1993!#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/G0vTajBblu
— Ohio State WBB (@OhioStateWBB) March 25, 2023
Freshman Cotie McMahon led all scorers in the game with 23 points. She also had nine rebounds and two assists. Jacy Sheldon (17 points) and Taylor Thiery (11 points) also scored in double figures.
With the win, Ohio State will now be just one win away from the Final Four. The Buckeyes will face the winner of Tennessee and Virginia Tech on
Monday.
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