While the football team was learning of its inclusion into the 2016 College Football Playoff, the No. 9 women's hoops team took care of business on the hardwood, thrashing in-state-foe Cincinnati 80-38 thanks to a 63-10 run.
| TEam | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 12 | 15 | 24 | 29 | 80 |
| Cincinnati | 18 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 38 |
You wouldn't believe it by looking at the final score, but the Buckeyes struggled early, trailing Cincinnati most of the first half. The Bearcats even owned an 11-point lead with 3:11 to play in the second quarter, but from that point on it was all Buckeyes.
And I do mean ALL Buckeyes.
Ohio State closed the first half on a 10 point run, and it just got uglier from there. The Buckeyes just dominated Cincinnati in the second half, closing the game with a ridiculous 63-10 run.
The achilles heal for this team has been its defense, but in the second half Ohio State stifled the Bearcats, allowing just 10 points in the half and an 8 percent field goal percentage. Cincinnati did not even hit a field goal 12 minutes of the game.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | Cincinnati |
|---|---|---|
| 80 | POINTS | 38 |
| 30-66 (45%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 14-72 (19%) |
| 8-23 (35%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 4-32 (13%) |
| 12-14 (86%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 6-8 (75%) |
| 15 | TURNOVERS | 13 |
| 54 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 41 |
| 12 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 16 |
| 42 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 25 |
| 24 | BENCH POINTS | 13 |
| 4 | BLOCKS | 3 |
| 8 | STEALS | 2 |
| 18 | ASSISTS | 6 |
Of course, the star for the Buckeyes was Kelsey Mitchell. Playing against her hometown Bearcats, the junior from Cincinnati finished with a game-high 23 points and four assists.
Stephanie Mavunga, Ohio State's top post presence, sat out her second-straight game with soreness. The scratch was again precautionary, with the goal to ensure she's healthy at the end of the season.
In Mavunga's place, Alexa Hart started and shined. The junior scored 10 points and pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds for her first double-double of the season.
All three of Ohio State's freshman saw significant playing time in the blowout. The trio combined for 18 points and 11 rebounds.
The Buckeyes are in action again Wednesday night as they play host to Southern at 7 p.m. in Value City Arena.
