The No. 12 Ohio State women's hoops team cruised in its fourth-straight home game, trouncing Canisius 89-56.
| TEam | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 31 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 89 |
| Canisius | 18 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 56 |
Once again, Stephanie Mavunga did not play or dress. The team's top post player has been sidelined for a fourth-straight game as a precaution while dealing with knee soreness.
In her absence, freshman Tori McCoy has shined, particularly on the offensive end. The forward made 15 shot attempts, missing her first shot in nearly two games with just over two minutes to play in the fourth quarter. Of course, she got her own rebound and finished the putback. She finished the game with 17 points and 11 assists – a double double.
"She's been really aggressive lately," said teammate Makayla Waterman after the game. "She's running the floor, playing good defense, she's getting rebounds and getting shots on offense. That's exciting for us for the future."
Ohio State played much more aggressively defensively in the game and they got the numbers to show it. The Buckeyes had 15 steals to Canisius' three, and scored 23 points off the Golden Griffin turnovers.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | Canisius |
|---|---|---|
| 89 | POINTS | 56 |
| 35-68 (51%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 23-66 (35%) |
| 3-18 (17%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 10-32 (31%) |
| 16-21 (76%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 0-0 (0%) |
| 13 | TURNOVERS | 21 |
| 45 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 34 |
| 11 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 9 |
| 34 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 25 |
| 40 | BENCH POINTS | 6 |
| 4 | BLOCKS | 0 |
| 15 | STEALS | 3 |
| 13 | ASSISTS | 18 |
"We've really emphasized that and put more time into it," said Ohio State head coach Kevin McGuff after the game. "I thought our press today was as good as its been in a couple weeks. It really gave Canisius problems, especially there in the second quarter."
The Buckeyes played aggressive, but they did it without fouling. In fact, Canisius did not attempt a single free throw in the entire game, which is almost unheard of in basketball today.
"A major focus in practice has been attention to detail," said Makayla Waterman after the game. "Our main thing was to stay focused and I think that kind of had a big part in that, probably. I didn't even know that stat – I didn't even realize that."
Waterman had a stellar game all around and was on the verge of a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds. She also led the team in assists with five, which is uncharacteristic of a post player.
"When other team run zone, I just really like that because I like to pass, get people open and make my teammates look good," Waterman said. "I think the coaches believe in me to do that, too. So they'll put me at the high post for that reason."
Canisius kept it surprisingly close for most of the first, even holding a lead with midway through the quarter. From that point the Buckeyes pulled away thanks to five steals and a decisive advantage in the post. Ohio State closed the quarter on a a 21-7 run to take a 31-18 lead.
The next quarter was much of the same. The Golden Griffins kept it close at times with an occasional three-pointer after breaking the Buckeye press, but Ohio State rolled behind Mitchell's 13 and McCoy's 11 first-half points, holding a 50-33 halftime lead.
The second half followed the same script as the previous two games – with the game well at hand, plenty of younger players got plenty of minutes and Ohio State cruised to an easy victory.
"We have a lot of young players gaining valuable experience," McGuff said. "That's going to be huge as we move through the rest of nonconference and into the Big Ten."
The Buckeyes add another key piece this week in Linnae Harper. The Kentucky transfer sat the first semester in accordance with NCAA transfer regulations, but will be eligible for the first time Friday night as Ohio State's academic semester ends Thursday.
"She's a great player," McGuff said. "She's been working really hard and she's got a great presence on our team. It's going to be awesome to put her in a game now."
Harper will provide an immediate boost to the Buckeye backcourt, particularly with her defense. She made the SEC All-Defensive team in 2015 and led her team in rebounds despite only standing at 5-8.
"The pressing, I feel like, will be a lot more hectic," Doss said of the addition of Harper to the rotation. "I think she'll bring a lot of defense and rebounds – and points as well."
Next up for the Buckeyes is one final tune-up game before they take on No. 1 Connecticut as Ohio State plays host to Alabama State Friday at 7 p.m. in Value City Arena.
