The Buckeyes are Big Ten champions.
Ohio State won the conference title on Wednesday, and it did so with a win over Michigan. Behind a 22-point performance from Jacy Sheldon, the Buckeyes defeated the Wolverines, 67-51, in their final home game of the regular season.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MICHIGAN | 9 | 13 | 16 | 13 | 51 |
| #2 OHIO STATE | 13 | 9 | 27 | 18 | 67 |
The 16-point win improved Ohio State's record to 15-0 since the calendar turned to 2024. The Buckeyes' last loss came to the Wolverines, 69-60, in Ann Arbor on Dec. 30, 2023, and dropped their record to 10-3.
With one regular-season game remaining — a top-five showdown with Caitlin Clark and Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday — Ohio State is now 25-3 overall (16-1 Big Ten) and ranks second in the AP Poll.
As Big Ten champions, Ohio State will be the No. 1 seed at the Big Ten Tournament and receive a double-bye straight through to the quarterfinals. If the current standings hold, Ohio State would face Maryland or Penn State at 12:30 p.m. on March 8. The Buckeyes went a combined 4-0 against the Terrapins and Nittany Lions in the regular season.
OUTRIGHT Big Ten Champions #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/O9uZjQi8uO
— Ohio State WBB (@OhioStateWBB) February 29, 2024
Against Michigan, Ohio State couldn't settle in on offense for most of the first half. That was due, in large part, to the Wolverines' running multiple defensive formations. Michigan rotated from man-to-man to 2-3 zone and 1-3-1 zone in an attempt to slow down Sheldon and company. The Buckeyes were held to 10-of-26 shooting from the field and 2-of-11 from behind the 3-point line in the opening 20 minutes.
Michigan was unable to capitalize on the other end of the floor, however. That's because the Buckeyes suffocated the Wolverines with a mix of full-court and half-court pressure, forcing 13 first-half turnovers and holding their rivals to 9-of-26 from the field and 2-of-10 from deep.
The teams were tied 22-22 at intermission.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | MICHIGAN |
|---|---|---|
| 67 | POINTS | 51 |
| 25-55 (45%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 19-46 (41%) |
| 6-19 (32%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 4-15 (27%) |
| 11-17 (65%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 9-10 (90%) |
| 15 | TURNOVERS | 29 |
| 25 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 35 |
| 7 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 9 |
| 18 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 26 |
| 4 | BENCH POINTS | 8 |
| 4 | BLOCKS | 1 |
| 19 | STEALS | 6 |
| 18 | ASSISTS | 10 |
A Taylor Thierry field goal, Celeste Taylor three-point play and a Cotie McMahon free throw helped Ohio State start the second half on a 6-0 run. The Wolverines responded when Cameron Williams scored from inside the paint, but Sheldon buried a 3-pointer on the next possession to make it 31-24. From there, Ohio State went on another run — this time, a streak of 10 unanswered points — as Sheldon, McMahon, Taylor and Taiyier Parks all scored to extend the Buckeyes' lead.
Overall, Ohio State outscored Michigan 27-16 in the third quarter. The Buckeyes outrebounded the Wolverines 10-7 and had five steals to their opponent's one. They converted some of those extra rebounds into seven second-chance points and had six points off turnovers.
Ohio State's momentum continued in the final frame. Thierry and Sheldon combined to score six points and help their team take a 55-40 lead, which prompted Michigan head coach Kim Barnes Arico to take a timeout. After the break, the Buckeyes outscored the Wolverines 12-11 the rest of the way and secured their dominant home win in front of thousands of fans at Value City Arena.
Big Ten Champs has a nice ring to it. @OhioStateWBB pic.twitter.com/L09hOd1aER
— Big Ten Women's Basketball (@B1Gwbball) February 29, 2024
Game Notes
- The Buckeyes now lead their all-time series with the Wolverines 60-17. Ohio State is 32-6 when it faces Michigan at home.
- Ohio State's Big Ten championship is its 16th regular-season conference crown, a number that leads the league. The Buckeyes most recently shared a Big Ten regular-season title with Iowa in the 2021-22 season.
- Celeste Taylor entered Wednesday's contest as the ESPN National Player of the Week. She was also named to the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll on Monday.
