A 14-point first-half deficit didn’t stop the Ohio State women’s basketball team from earning another dominant win on Wednesday night.
The Buckeyes got off to a slow start on the road at Louisville, trailing 39-25 midway through the second quarter, but the Buckeyes stormed back in the second half, outscoring Louisville 59-32 after halftime en route to a 96-77 win over the Cardinals.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #4 OHIO STATE | 18 | 19 | 28 | 31 | 96 |
| #18 LOUISVILLE | 25 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 77 |
Rebeka Mikulasikova (26), Jacy Sheldon (22) and Taylor Mikesell (21) all topped 20 points while Madison Greene (14) joined them in double figures by scoring 14 points off the bench. Rikki Harris led the Buckeyes with 10 rebounds off the bench.
Louisville, which made the Final Four a year ago, had won its last 21 home games and 48 straight non-conference home games before Wednesday’s loss to Ohio State.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | LOUISVILLE |
|---|---|---|
| 96 | POINTS | 77 |
| 37-62 (59.7%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 30-69 (43.5%) |
| 8-15 (53.3%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 6-21 (28.6%) |
| 14-22 (63.6%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 11-13 (84.6%) |
| 20 | TURNOVERS | 24 |
| 34 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 37 |
| 7 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 14 |
| 27 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 23 |
| 19 | BENCH POINTS | 11 |
| 3 | BLOCKS | 3 |
| 13 | STEALS | 5 |
| 20 | ASSISTS | 13 |
Ohio State shot 60% from the field (37-of-62), including 53% from behind the 3-point line (8-of-15), while Louisville shot just 43% from the field (30-of-69). The Buckeyes continued their streak of forcing at least 20 turnovers in every game this season.
The fourth-ranked Buckeyes are now 7-0 on the season, having won all of their first seven games by at least 12 points. Wednesday’s win was their second victory of the year against a ranked opponent, as Tennessee was ranked fifth when the Buckeyes beat the Volunteers in their season opener.
Ohio State will play its first Big Ten game of the season at noon Sunday, when the Buckeyes will face Rutgers on the road in a game that will be televised on Big Ten Network.
