The Ohio State women's hoops team did what the men's team could not, advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
The No. 6 seed Buckeyes pulled off the upset on Monday night, downing No. 3 seed LSU 79-64 on the Tigers' home court to punch their ticket to their first Sweet 16 since 2017 where they will meet No. 2 seed Texas on Friday.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #6 Ohio State | 15 | 19 | 23 | 22 | 79 |
| #3 LSU | 8 | 18 | 11 | 27 | 64 |
As usual, it was the trio of Jacy Sheldon, Taylor Mikesell and Rebeka Mikulášiková who led the way for the Buckeyes. All three were in double figures with Sheldon leading the way with 23 points along with eight assists for a near double-double.
But it wasn't just scoring – the Buckeye defense shut down LSU, as well. Ohio State set the tone early, forcing seven Tiger turnovers in the first quarter alone and holding them to just 36.8 percent shooting on the game.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | LSU |
|---|---|---|
| 79 | POINTS | 64 |
| 28-58 (48%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 25-68 (37%) |
| 10-22 (45%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 2-8 (25%) |
| 13-16 (81%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 12-22 (55%) |
| 20 | TURNOVERS | 11 |
| 43 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 36 |
| 9 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 14 |
| 34 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 22 |
| 13 | BENCH POINTS | 5 |
| 4 | BLOCKS | 5 |
| 5 | STEALS | 13 |
| 16 | ASSISTS | 8 |
It was an ugly game through the first quarter as Ohio State opened the game just 1-for-9 from the field. but LSU was unable to take advantage of the slow start, going just 3-for-15 from the field with seven turnovers in the first quarter. The Buckeye offense eventually came alive and closed the quarter on an 11-0 run to take a 15-8 lead after the first quarter.
Ohio State held a single-digit lead throughout the second quarter. LSU managed to cut the Buckeye lead to just three points midway through the quarter, but Ohio State controlled the game throughout the second, managing to extend the lead to nine points multiple times. At the end of the half, Ohio State led 34-26.
The Buckeyes took command of the game early in the third, opening the quarter on a 13-2 run to take a 19-point lead early. Ohio State shot a red-hot 64.3 percent from the field in the quarter to balloon the lead all the way to 24 points – the largest deficit the Tigers had faced all season.
LSU chipped away at the lead in the fourth quarter and made a late run, but never truly threatened. The Tigers never managed to cut the lead to less than 11 points and the Buckeyes cruised to a 79-64 victory.
With the win, Ohio State advances to its first Sweet 16 since the Kelsey Mitchell-led Buckeyes advanced past the second round in 2017. The Buckeyes haven't made the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight since 1993 when Ohio State finished as the runner-up after falling to Texas Tech 84-82 in the national title game.
The Buckeyes will travel to Spokane, Washington to face No. 2 seed Texas on Friday at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
