The Buckeyes played basketball in historic St. John Arena for the first time since 2012, and they won big. The Scarlet and Gray dominated nearly every aspect of the game, topping Wagner 106-47.
Ohio State was out-rebounded in all three previous games, but that was not the case tonight. The Buckeyes were all over the boards, finishing with 60 to Wagners 30.
"We were really good on the glass," said Ohio State head coach Kevin McGuff. "Even though it was an inferior opponent, our intensity and effort was way better than it was in the last game."
McGuff pointed specifically to the rebounding performances of freshman Kaylan Pugh (10) and Shayla Cooper (12), who each finished with double-doubles.
Pugh played a career-high 25 minutes, and she made the most of them. The freshman recorded the team's first double-double of the season scoring 18 points with 10 rebounds. "I think people got a chance to see what she can bring to our team," said head coach Kevin McGuff.
Another first came in the fourth-quarter as redshirt-freshman Chelsea Mitchell scored a three-pointer – the first points of her Buckeye career. Mitchell was sidelined the entire 2014 season with an injury.
As a team, Ohio State played their most complete game of the season and Wagner was outmatched from the start, but that didn't concern head coach Lisa Cermignano. She knew exactly how good this team was, and had other motives in mind when she put the Buckeyes on this year's slate. "This game was specifically scheduled so that one of my seniors could come home and play in front of her family," said the Wagner head coach.
Wagner Senior Jordyn Peck, from Shaker Heights Ohio, brought quite the cheering section. Her friends and family filled nearly an entire section of St. John Arena wearing custom No. 12 jerseys. The senior did not disappoint. She opened the game's scoring with a long three-pointer and finished with a team-high 22 points.
The Buckeyes now head to Las Vegas for the South Point Shootout where they'll take on Liberty, Friday and Texas A&M, Saturday.
