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21-2, 10-1 Big Ten ROSTER SCHEDULE |
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9 PM – Monday, FEB. 8 SCHOTTENSTEIN CENTER COLUMBUS, OHIO |
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ESPN 2 WATCHESPN |
Monday, No. 5 Maryland comes to Columbus for a high-stakes, nationally televised matchup with No. 9 Ohio State.
For the Buckeyes, the game is a chance to take control of the Big Ten. Ohio State sits just a half game behind Maryland in the conference. With a win, the Bucks would supplant the Terrapins in the standings and put themselves in prime position to secure their first conference championship since 2010.
The same can be said for No. 5 Maryland, but there will be an extra motivator – revenge. When the teams met in early January, Ohio State handed the Terrapins their first-ever Big Ten conference loss and their first home loss in nearly two years.
"That was a big win when we beat Maryland in College Park," said Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff. "They won the league last year, they had not lost in the Big Ten yet, so I was really proud of our effort the first time we played them.
Despite the win, McGuff remains cautious. He notes that the team they face Monday night will be very different than the team they faced in January.
“The thing I told our players was that if we were going to be the same team in February that we are today, we were going to lose, because I knew they would get better – and they have,” said McGuff.
Since dropping the game to the Bucks, Maryland is on fire. They enter Monday night's game with a 21-2 season record, leading the conference in points per game, rebounding, field goal percentage and field goal defense.
The Terrapins' stars are heating up at right time, too. Junior guard and All-American candidate Shatori Walker-Kimbrough scored a combined 71 points in her last two games and junior center Brionna Jones is currently second in the nation in field goal percentage, shooting 66.1 percent.
Monday night will be far from a cakewalk for the Scarlet and Gray, but that's exactly how Buckeye star Kelsey Mitchell wants it.
"They're a great team," says Mitchell. "Playing a team like that will only make you better as a player and a person."
Regardless of the outcome, this is one more opportunity for this young Ohio State team to learn and get better, and they recognize that. Kevin McGuff has not wavered in his belief that the regular season exists to prepare you for tournament time, and he intends to get the most out of the preparation.
"It's a great challenge, but a great opportunity to play (Maryland) on our home court," said McGuff. "We're not exactly where we want to be yet, but we hope to be there in March."
Keys to Victory
Crash the Boards
Maryland is the top rebounding team in the Big Ten while the undersized Buckeyes are just 12th. The Terps typically dominate the rebound differential, but that was not the case last time as they managed just three more rebounds than Ohio State. The Buckeyes will need a repeat performance on the glass.
Contain Walker-Kimbrough
Ohio State has Kelsey Mitchell, but Maryland has its own star power. Shatori Walker-Kimbrough leads the Terps in scoring (19.5 ppg), steals (48) and blocks (26). The All-American is coming off a 41-point game against Purdue and a 30-point game against No. 17 Michigan State. Shutting her down completely will be nearly impossible, but the Buckeyes will need to limit her impact, Monday.
Ohio State sophomore forward Alexa Hart.
Play With Hart
Ohio State's high-powered scoring duo of Kelsey Mitchell and Ameryst Alston steal the headlines, but sophomore forward Alexa Hart quietly provides the Buckeyes with something they don't get from guard play – consistency. The sophomore is shooting 66.5 percent from the field on the season, which would be good for second in the nation, but she is still one field goal make away from meeting the NCAA minimum of 5.0 field goals per game. If shots aren't falling from the outside, Hart will hit them from the inside.
Complete Game
Ohio State's aggressive, fast-paced style of play often leads to streaky performances. Maryland is too talented to rely on a second half surge or to sit on an early lead – the Buckeyes will need to play a complete game from the opening tip to the final whistle Monday night to ensure victory.
The stage is set, but Ohio State head coach Kevin McGuff has just one remaining request – a crowd for the biggest home game of the year.
“I think this community is starting to understand what we’re trying to do here,” said McGuff. “We’ve got great players in the program, we’ve got a great style of play, we’re winning games – it would be really important to us if we had great crowd, Monday night.”
The game tips off at 9 pm in Value City Arena in Columbus. It will also be nationally televised on ESPN 2.
