The No. 12 Ohio State women's basketball team began Big Ten play off on the right track, downing Nebraska 73-61 in Thursday night's conference opener.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #12 Ohio State | 22 | 12 | 23 | 16 | 73 |
| Nebraska | 15 | 9 | 16 | 21 | 61 |
Kelsey Mitchell led the way for the Buckeyes, leading the team with 25 points. She is now just one point behind Penn State's Kelly Mazzante on the Big Ten's all-time scoring list.
It looked like Ohio State was going to run away with this game early on, as the Buckeyes held a 17-5 lead midway through the first quarter, but Nebraska didn't die.
The Huskers cut the lead to just five points early in the second and kept it close throughout much of the low-scoring quarter. The teams combined for just 21 points in the second, which is less than Ohio State had by itself in the first quarter.
Nebraska did a good job containing the explosive Buckeye offense in the first quarter. The nation's No. 2 scoring offense, Ohio State averages over 45 points per half, but managed just 34 points in the first half on Thursday, its third-lowest scoring half this season.
But that offense came alive again in the second half.
The Buckeyes shot a red-hot 56 percent in the third, stretching their lead to 57-40 by the end of the quarter. The Huskers battled back, cutting the lead to eight points with just under three minutes to play, but the Buckeyes closed strong, finishing with a double digit win.
With the win, Ohio State improves to 12-2 overall and start off conference play 1-0. The Buckeyes are next in action on Sunday when they host Indiana at 2 p.m. on New Year's Eve.
