No. 6 Ohio State started the new season on the right foot Friday afternoon with an opening-day, 89-69, trouncing of Duquesne in historic St. John Arena.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 25 | 21 | 19 | 24 | 89 |
| Duquesne | 13 | 13 | 19 | 24 | 69 |
The Buckeyes displayed a balanced offensive attack in the first half putting up 45 points as a team with no player scoring in double digits – a welcome change from an offense that revolved almost exclusively on the contributions of Kelsey Mitchell and Ameryst Alston a year ago.
In the second half, Ohio State coasted, maintaining its lead throughout. Four Buckeyes finished in double figures, led by Kelsey Mitchell with 18, followed by Stephanie Mavunga (15), Sierra Calhoun (13) and Shayla Cooper (12).
Stephanie Mavunga shined in her Buckeye debut. The North Carolina transfer led the team in rebounding with 14 boards and scored 15 points recording a double-double in her first game at Ohio State.
All three of the team's vaunted five-star freshmen played in the opener and all three scored points for the Buckeyes. Forward Tori McCoy finished with six points and four rebounds, guard Kiara Lewis scored four points and pulled down two rebounds and had three assists and wing Jensen Caretti has three points and pulled down two rebounds and had two assists.
Next up for the Buckeyes is a much more formidable opponent as Ohio State plays host to No. 4 South Carolina Monday evening at 6 p.m. in Value City Arena in a rematch of last season's heavyweight duel.
