No. 11 Ohio State came into East Lansing seeking revenge from back-to-back losses to Michigan State last season. Instead, it heads back to Columbus with a third-consecutive loss to the Spartans after Michigan State topped the Buckeyes 94-75 thanks to a record-breaking night from senior Tori Jankoska.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 22 | 19 | 20 | 14 | 75 |
| Michigan State | 32 | 22 | 18 | 22 | 94 |
Three days after Michigan's Katelynn Flaherty dropped 38 points on the Ohio State defense, Michigan State's Jankoska put up a school-record 42 points against the Buckeyes thanks to eight three-pointers. The Spartan star also broke the school record for points in a career early in the first quarter. It wasn't just scoring – Jankoska also pulled down six rebounds and dished out seven assists.
Meanwhile, Ohio State's star was off her game. Kelsey Mitchell managed just 13 points on a paltry 4-for-18 shooting performance. Mitchell, one of the top three-point shooters in program history, shot just 1-for-7 from behind the arc.
Defensively, Michigan State shut the Buckeyes down for much of the game. Ohio State typically runs an uptempo, fast-break offense, but it was the Spartans who dictated tempo, outscoring the Buckeyes 17-6 in transition.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | Michigan State |
|---|---|---|
| 75 | POINTS | 94 |
| 23-74 (31%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 35-70 (50%) |
| 6-24 (25%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 13-27 (48%) |
| 23-34 (68%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 11-15 (73%) |
| 8 | TURNOVERS | 15 |
| 40 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 52 |
| 18 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 15 |
| 22 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 37 |
| 29 | BENCH POINTS | 18 |
| 8 | BLOCKS | 6 |
| 9 | STEALS | 4 |
| 15 | ASSISTS | 27 |
The first quarter was the Jankoska show. The Michigan State senior nearly outscored Ohio State herself, scoring 19 points in the quarter alone thanks to five three-pointers. Despite her shooting show, the Buckeyes played well enough offensively to stay in the game, shooting 45 percent from the field and the Spartans led 32-22 after one quarter.
Ohio State went ice cold for much of the second quarter, at one point missing eight consecutive shots from the field. The Buckeyes responded by doing something they've struggled to do really in the Kevin McGuff era – they played great defense. Ohio State held the Spartans to just seven points over a five-minute span. Eventually though, Michigan State caught fire again, closing the quarter on a 9-0 run to take a 54-41 lead into the half.
The third quarter was not kind to Ohio State either. The Buckeyes made just two field goals in the first nine minutes of the quarter and Michigan State extended its lead to 20 points with just over nine minutes to play. Just when it seemed the Spartans were going to run away with the game, the Ohio State defense saved the day again. The Buckeyes forced three straight turnovers and closed the quarter on a 9-0 run to cut the lead to 72-61 entering the final quarter.
The Ohio State run continued early in the fourth quarter, with the Buckeyes cutting the lead to single digits, but it didn't last. Michigan State retook control midway through the quarter and pulled out a 94-75 win.
The loss is Ohio State's first in Big Ten play. The Buckeyes have now lost three consecutive games to Michigan State, dating back to last season. Ohio State has an opportunity to bounce back with a road matchup against Purdue on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
