Fifth-year guard Jacy Sheldon (4) celebrating after a big play against Michigan State Sunday. The Buckeyes won 70-65. Credit: Aiden Ridgway | Lantern Photographer
No. 18 Ohio State (14-3, 5-1 Big Ten) is set to take on No. 2 Iowa (18-1, 7-0 Big Ten) Sunday at noon at Value City Arena at the Schottenstein Center — its biggest challenge to date.
Last season, Iowa handed Ohio State — which was off to a program best with 18 straight wins — its first loss of the season in Columbus, winning 83-72 behind a 28-point effort from senior guard Caitlin Clark. The two faced off in the 2023 Big Ten Championship Game in Minneapolis, with Iowa winning 105-72 behind 30 points from Clark.
The Buckeyes are coming off an 84-76 victory at Maryland on Wednesday behind double-figure scoring from all five starters.
On the other hand, the Hawkeyes routed Wisconsin in their last outing 96-50 on Tuesday at home thanks to 32 points, seven rebounds and five assists from Clark.
The Buckeyes are fourth in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 81.5 points per game, while the Hawkeyes are first in the Big Ten and third in the nation in scoring, averaging 90.8 points per game.
Ohio State head coach Kevin McGuff said the Buckeyes have to make Iowa earn every basket, particulary Clark, who leads in the NCAA in points per game with 31 and total assists — 147.
“She [Clark]’s gonna get points and she’s just too hard to stop, I think we gotta make her earn everything that she gets,” McGuff said. “We gotta be ready to guard everybody else around her and I think that’s where they’re so dangerous.”
Graduate guard Jacy Sheldon leads Ohio State in scoring at 17.2 points per game while also shooting 87.5 percent from the foul line, both fourth in the Big Ten, respectively. Sheldon has scored in double figures in each of the last four games.
Junior guard/forward Taylor Thierry flirted with a double-double in their last outing at Maryland on Wednesday, scoring 17 points and adding nine rebounds, showing versatility that will be key in Ohio State’s quest to upset the second-ranked Hawkeyes.
On the defensive side, the Buckeyes are led by Thierry, Sheldon and the reigning 2023 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, graduate guard and Duke transfer Celeste Taylor. Sheldon and Taylor are tied for second in the Big Ten in steals per game with 2.2, and Thierry is right behind them at 1.8 steals per game, tied for seventh in the league.
The Buckeyes also shine in the turnover department, as they force 21.3 turnovers per game, which is first in the Big Ten.
Thierry said the Buckeyes need to play their best on both ends of the floor by making it hard for Iowa to score while also being able to score themselves.
“We just have to come out really aggressive and really focused and locked in,” Thierry said.
For Iowa, Clark leads the Hawkeyes in nearly every statistical category and has scored at least 21 points in every game this season with four triple-doubles as well.
Taylor, who played against Clark two seasons ago with Duke, said facing Iowa is like facing any other team in the Big Ten, despite the threat Clark brings in nearly every facet of the game.
“There’s a lot of other teams that have multiple threats,” Taylor said. “When we go against each other in practice, we’re playing against great players all the time, so that helps us prepare for games like this against really good players who have multiple threats on the floor.”
Sophomore forward Hannah Stuelke and senior guard Kate Martin also average double-figure scoring for Iowa. Stuelke averages 13.2 points per game on 64.4% shooting, while Martin averages 12.3 points per game on 54.4% shooting, giving the Hawkeyes a solid supporting cast for Clark.
McGuff said he thinks Clark not only can score at will, but she plays unselfishly.
“She’s making everybody around her better,” McGuff said. “She’s gonna score, but it’s really about how well she makes everybody better.”
Sunday’s matchup is the first of two regular-season matchups between the Buckeyes and Hawkeyes, with the two facing off in the regular-season finale at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 3 at 1 p.m.
The game will be televised on NBC.
