The No. 12 Ohio State women's hoops team entered Friday evening a game away from its biggest matchup of the year against top-ranked and four-time defending national champion UConn. The only thing standing in the way was Alabama State.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 32 | 38 | 26 | 22 | 118 |
| Alabama State | 12 | 15 | 13 | 21 | 61 |
If they were looking ahead, the Buckeyes sure didn't show it.
Ohio State handed Alabama State a 118-61 beatdown, coming just one point shy of the program record for points in a game.
The Ohio State offense was on fire. The Buckeyes shot over 50 percent from the field on the game and seven different players reached double figures. Ohio State finished with 118 points – one point shy of a new school record.
As good as the offense was, Ohio State's defensive performance may have been more impressive. Typically an achilles heel for the Buckeyes, the defense played more aggressively than it has all season, forcing 31 Hornet turnovers which led to 46 Ohio State points the other way.
Though she didn't start, the Buckeyes got their top post presence back. Stephanie Mavunga had not played since early in the second half against Baylor, missing over four games as a precaution while she dealt with knee soreness. The North Carolina transfer returned to action Friday and had a game-high 23 points and 13 rebounds.
With everything else going right, Ohio State got even richer, adding yet another weapon. Linnae Harper played her first game as a Buckeye, Friday night after sitting the spring semester last season as well as the autumn semester this season in according with NCAA transfer regulations. The Kentucky transfer was eligible to play after the autumn semester concluded Thursday and made an instant impact, scoring 13 points in 12 minutes of play.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | Alabama State |
|---|---|---|
| 118 | POINTS | 61 |
| 40-76 (53%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 22-72 (31%) |
| 10-22 (45%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 5-20 (25%) |
| 28-37 (76%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 12-15 (80%) |
| 24 | TURNOVERS | 31 |
| 56 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 38 |
| 20 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 16 |
| 36 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 22 |
| 68 | BENCH POINTS | 27 |
| 8 | BLOCKS | 2 |
| 22 | STEALS | 8 |
| 23 | ASSISTS | 12 |
Harper's addition and Mavunga's return comes just in time to bolster the Buckeye roster as they try to knock off No. 1 Connecticut, Monday night.
The game was never close; it was all Buckeyes from the start. Ohio State started off hot, shooting over 50 percent from the field in the quarter, and also played stifling defense, forcing 12 Alabama State turnovers leading to 18 Buckeye points the other way. The Scarlet and Gray led the Hornets 32-12 after one.
Things only got uglier from there. Ohio State continued its performance on both sides of the ball and dominated Alabama State in every facet of the game. The Buckeyes held a staggering 70-27 lead at the half.
In the second half, Ohio State coasted to an easy victory while getting bench players valuable experience. Junior Chelsea Mitchell played her first minutes of the year after sitting the autumn semester to focus on her academics.
Ohio State's next matchup is a big one. The Buckeyes take on top-ranked and four-time national champion Connecticut on Monday night.
