The Ohio State women’s basketball team couldn’t quite reel-in No. 2 UCLA during a rally in the fourth quarter, losing 77-71 inside of Value City Arena on Monday night.
Things started off well for the Buckeyes as they raced out to an early lead, but the Bruins slowly took control of the contest later in the second quarter and headed into the locker room up 37-31. The Bruins would further exert their will in the pivotal third quarter, stretching the lead out to a commanding 63-45 advantage heading into the fourth.
From there, Jacy Sheldon and Ohio State used a 14-2 run beginning at around the eight minute mark to pull to within 69-59 make things interesting, but UCLA had an answer before the Lady Bucks went on another run to close the deficit to just six points with under a minute left.
It was too little too late as the Bruins closed things out at the free throw line.
Sheldon had one whale of a game, scoring 30 points on 12-of-23 field goals, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. She also chipped in three rebounds, three assists, and one steal, while turning the ball over just once. Taylor Thierry also scored in double figures with 20 points.
Final vs. No. 2 UCLA#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/8mFMqx1XTq
— Ohio State WBB (@OhioStateWBB) December 19, 2023
Ohio State’s inability to match the Bruins on the glass (40 rebounds to 30) and its poor shooting (just 38.5%) ultimately ended up being the Buckeyes demise.
With the loss, OSU drops to 9-2 on the year and will next host Belmont on Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. ET.
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