The No. 12 Ohio State women’s basketball team celebrates on the bench during a 108-58 win over IUPUI at The Schottenstein Center Nov. 12. Credit: Aiden Ridgeway | Lantern Photographer
Finals week in Columbus didn’t slow down the Buckeyes Friday night.
Better yet, they passed the defensive test with an A-plus.
In its second all-time meeting, No. 12 Ohio State (9-1, 1-0 Big Ten) defeated Grand Valley State (7-1, 1-0 GLIAC) 73-49 after a stout defensive performance led to a season-high 32 turnovers at Value Center Arena.
Graduate guard Jacy Sheldon led the Buckeyes with 15 points, while junior forward Taylor Thierry notched 11 points, going a perfect 5-of-5 from the field.
Both Sheldon and Thierry were the only Buckeyes to reach double figures.
However, every player on the roster was able to touch the hardwood Friday night due to a stout defensive outing that widened the point differential early on, handing the Lakers their first loss of the season.
Ohio State came out the gate applying pressure as it enforced its full-court press on Grand Valley State’s second possession of the game.
Per usual, this led to a 10-second violation with the Buckeyes cashing in on the opposite end of the floor with a pair of free throws from graduate forward Rebeka Mikulasikova.
However, the Lakers quickly turned the tables.
A blocked 3-pointer on sophomore forward Cotie McMahon led to a fast-break layup from junior guard Hadley Miller, cutting the lead 8-7 with 4:40 left.
This was the closest the Lakers would get as the Buckeyes forced six more turnovers in the first quarter, including a steal from Madison Greene, which led to a pair of free throws and applause from the crowd.
The points became Greene’s first since Dec. 20, 2022, after the redshirt senior suffered her second ACL injury in back-to-back years.
Greene remained on the floor for the remainder of the first quarter as the Buckeyes continued their onslaught, forcing 11 total turnovers and ending with a 24-11 lead they never relinquished.
Despite the double-digit lead, Ohio State didn’t take its foot off the gas.
A 3-pointer from the 6-foot-4 Mikulasikova midway through the second became Ohio State’s first and only of the game as the score increased 31-14.
Lakers star Ellie Droste, who finished with a game-high 17 points, returned the favor and knocked down a deep three of her own. The redshirt junior scored 8 points in the second quarter, but it wasn’t enough to help Grand Valley State break out of the Buckeyes’ defensive prowess.
The Buckeyes capped off an 8-0 run, all while holding the Lakers scoreless for nearly four minutes until a tough left-hand layup in traffic from Droste with 3:20 remaining.
The bucket became Grand Valley State’s last of the second quarter as Ohio State entered halftime up 43-19.
The Buckeyes continued pouring on with McMahon splitting a pair of free throws to open the second half. The points became the sophomore’s first on the night as she scored a quarter-high 6 points.
The majority of McMahon and the Buckeye points came from inside the arc as they shot 1-of-10 from three. Despite their struggles from a distance, it didn’t stop them from attacking the Lakers’ inside as the free throw disparity was 18-2 just minutes into the third.
The Lakers were able to close the gap to single digits toward the end of the game, but it was too late as Ohio State forced 12 turnovers to go along with a season-best 22 steals.
Neither team shot well from the floor, shooting under 50 percent. But the Buckeye defense once again led them to an indisputable victory.
Ohio State will face off against No. 2 UCLA on Monday at Value Center Arena. The game will be broadcast on FS1 at 6:30 p.m.
