Beating the top-ranked and four-time defending national champs on their home court was no easy task for Ohio State. The Buckeyes gave it all they had, weathering a few Husky runs behind an impressive performance from Kelsey Mitchell, but fell 82-63 to No. 1 Connecticut.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 16 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 63 |
| Connecticut | 19 | 21 | 30 | 12 | 82 |
Ohio State got a huge game out of its star player. Mitchell was on fire, particularly in the first half, keeping the Buckeyes in the game for much of the night nearly single-handedly. Mitchell scored 19 of the team's 34 points in the first half, including eight straight to close the half.
The Buckeyes also got a lot of help from their lone senior Shayla Cooper. She had 15 points on the game and was the team's most reliable weapon outside of Mitchell.
Still, wasn't enough to overcome UConn's performance at the free throw line and from three. The Huskies shot 8-for-19 from behind the arc and 18-for-23 from the charity stripe while Ohio State got just three points from free throws. That was really the difference in a game that was remarkably even in nearly every other statistical category.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | UConn |
|---|---|---|
| 63 | POINTS | 82 |
| 27-63 (43%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 28-62 (45%) |
| 6-22 (27%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 8-19 (78%) |
| 3-9 (33%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 18-23 (78%) |
| 19 | TURNOVERS | 13 |
| 36 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 40 |
| 11 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 12 |
| 25 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 28 |
| 12 | BENCH POINTS | 3 |
| 3 | BLOCKS | 4 |
| 6 | STEALS | 9 |
| 6 | ASSISTS | 17 |
The Buckeyes played scared, sloppy basketball at the start. Ohio State turned the ball over five times in the quarter and gave away quite a few easy buckets at the other end. At one point, the Huskies owned a 12-point lead and things seemed on the verge of getting out of hand, but the Buckeyes battled back. Ohio State closed the quarter on a 9-0 run, with seven points coming from Mitchell, and trailed just 19-16 after a deep buzzer-beater from Mitchell.
In the second quarter, the teams traded points at the beginning until the Huskies began to pull away. UConn stretched its lead to 14 points with 2:22 left to play and it again seemed like the Huskies were going to run away with it – then Kelsey Mitchell happened. The Buckeye star closed the quarter on an 8-0 run all by herself, cutting the Husky lead to just six at the half. Connecticut led 40-34 behind Mitchell's 19 first-half points.
In the second half, the magic ran out. UConn keyed in on Mitchell, doubling her when she had the ball and face-guarding her when she didn't, and the Buckeyes had no other response as the Husky runs. Mitchell scored just four points in the second half and the Huskies ran away with it.
With the loss, Ohio State falls to 9-4 on the season and 1-4 against ranked opponents while Connecticut extends its streak to 85 straight wins.
The Buckeyes don't have long to dwell on the loss; they're back in action Wednesday as they host Winthrop in their final nonconference game of the season.
