With both Ohio State and Michigan entering the night averaging over 80 points per game, we were promised a high-scoring affair. The teams did not disappoint, combining for 190 points.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 31 | 18 | 25 | 23 | 97 |
| Michigan | 17 | 25 | 20 | 31 | 93 |
Despite only leading twice midway through the fourth quarter, Michigan kept the game close until the final whistle. Thanks to a stellar team scoring performance, however, the Buckeyes left Ann Arbor with a 97-93 victory.
Kelsey Mitchell carried much of the load the first half. The sophomore scoring phenom led all players with 20 first half points. Her scoring slowed a little in the second half as she managed just five points, still giving her a game-high 27 points on a 9/13 shooting performance.
Where Mitchell slowed, her team did not. Four other Buckeyes scored in double figures – Shayla Cooper had 25, Asia Doss 15, Ameryst Alston 15 and Alexa Hart 10. Cooper also pulled down 13 boards giving her yet another double-double on the season.
Those points came as a result of heavy minutes. All five double-digit scorers played over 30 minutes in the win – something Kevin McGuff was eager to avoid this season after struggling with a depleted roster last season.
In an ideal world, Ohio State should have had much more depth this season, but circumstances simply aren't allowing it. Kianna Holland and Kalpana Beach remain sidelined with knee soreness, freshman guard Kaylan Pugh left the team in December and freshman center Theresa Ekhelar won't be competing this semester as she focuses on academics.
So, the Buckeyes are seemingly right where they started.
"We're back to that again," said Ameryst Alston with a laugh when asked about the heavy minutes. There's no doubt it will be a challenge heading into the later parts of the season, but after dealing with nearly an identical scenario last season, it's not something the team is unprepared for.
Ohio State currently sits atop the Big Ten standings and at No. 7 in the national polls. There's no doubt this team possesses the talent to make a deep postseason run, even with a depleted roster. But for the Buckeyes, it's about taking it one game at a time, which means all the focus is on Sunday's game at Rutgers.
