In its first NCAA tournament game in three years, the Buckeyes needed volume scoring from Ameryst Alston and Kelsey Mitchell, along with some timely blocks from Alexa Hart, to secure a 90-80 win over 12-seed James Madison.
Ohio State held only a four-point lead over James Madison at halftime. It threatened to pull away early into the second half. However, Kelsey Mitchell, the freshman sensation and NCAA's leading scorer, picked up a fourth foul before the under-16 media timeout. She sat through most of the second half before returning after the under-8 media timeout. She hit two timely jumpers to pad Ohio State's lead back to a three-score margin. She finished with 23 points on 7/15 shooting.
With Mitchell missing key moments of the second half, the Buckeyes needed Ameryst Alston to take over. She finished with 28 points on 7/19 shooting. She was 12/16 shooting free throws.
Alexa Hart had a monster performance. The true freshman center finished with 20 points (9/12 from the field). She also brought down 11 rebounds and had seven blocks. She broke Jessica Davenport's single-season record for blocks by a freshman in this game.
The seventh block was a critical one in the final stretch of the game. Ashley Perez was 6/7 from three-point range and had 20 points. She was single-handedly repsonsible for keeping JMU within striking distance. In the final moments, Alexa Hart blocked a Perez three-point attempt and beat everyone down the floor for a fast-break layup the other way. That sequence effectively finished JMU.
Ohio State next plays 4-seed UNC, in Chapel Hill, no less. The game will be Monday at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
