While the men lost a close one in Madison, the women's team handled business back in Columbus. It took a few minutes, but once the Buckeyes ignited, Wisconsin proved to be little match for the conference leaders as Ohio State trounced the Badgers 87-61.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 19 | 27 | 19 | 22 | 87 |
| Wisconsin | 12 | 21 | 7 | 21 | 61 |
The Scarlet and Gray were ice cold to start the game, missing their first eight shots from three-point territory.
“We got good shots, we were open. We were moving the ball pretty well resulting in quality shots from three – we just weren’t making them,” said Ohio State head coach Kevin McGuff.
Eventually, shots started falling. Asia Doss hit the team's first from behind the arc and Shayla Cooper followed with back-to-back threes of her own.
There was one player who took a bit longer to heat up – Kelsey Mitchell. The sophomore entered the game as the nation's third leading scorer, averaging 25.1 points per game, but was held to just three points until under a minute to play in the third quarter.
Even though she wasn't scoring, her impact was certainly felt.
"They obviously put a tremendous amount of attention on Kelsey, so she did what great players do," said McGuff. "She made sure she facilitated and distributed the ball and got other people involved – and other people stepped up."
Thanks in part to the unselfish play from Mitchell, the win was a team effort. Ameryst Alston led all scorers with 21 points, and five Buckeyes finished the game in double figures.
After sitting out against Illinois Monday night, Shayla Cooper came up big for the Buckeyes. The sophomore finished with 16 points and 10 assists, adding another double-double to her season tally. Cooper hit back to back three pointers in the first quarter that seemed to be the spark the Buckeye offense needed.
Alexa Hart continued her hot shooting streak. Entering the game, the junior was shooting an astounding 71.7 percent from the floor over the last 14 games. Against the Badgers, Hart was a perfect 6-6 from the field.
"I still think there are many more levels for her to get to – which is great," said McGuff after the game. "It's going to be fun to see her continue to get better."
Even Mitchell got her share of points despite Wisconsin's obvious gameplan to limit her scoring. In just seven minutes of game time in the third and fourth quarters, she put up 13 points – including the 200th three-pointer of her career. She finished the game with 16 points and three rebounds.
The Buckeyes have now won six straight games and sit atop the Big Ten standings, but a huge matchup looms as No. 5 Maryland comes to town for a nationally televised match-up, Monday. With a Terrapin win over No. 17 Michigan State, Friday night, Monday's game will be for first-place in the conference.
