Women’s Basketball: Buckeyes recapture recipe of success in victory against Maine

The Ohio State women’s basketball squad is back to its winning ways, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. 

After dropping its last two games of the season, including its regular-season finale against Iowa and suffering a 21-point loss against then-No. 8 seed Maryland in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, many fans were left wondering what went wrong. 

The same questions lingered for head coach Kevin McGuff, who went back to the drawing boards with his staff and players, in search of the recipe for their mid-season success and they found it Friday afternoon. 

The Buckeyes (26-5, 16-2 Big Ten) downed the No. 15-seeded Maine Black Bears (24-10, 14-2 America East) 80-57 in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament at The Schottenstein Center inside Value City Arena. 

The win left the Buckeyes, who tied for their second-highest AP ranking in program history at No. 2 just a few weeks ago, looking like the dominant team they once were. 

But it didn’t come easy against a streaking Maine Black Bear team, who was fresh off of winning an America East Tournament Championship, its 10th in program history. 

So, what exactly went right for the Buckeyes?

For McGuff, it starts with balance, both on the offensive and defensive end. He said the Buckeyes did a little bit of everything this afternoon and looked to be back to their normal form. 

“Yeah, I think overall we had some really good moments,” McGuff said. “We looked more like ourselves in terms of our intensity, focus, and just how hard we were playing. So, I thought we had great moments today.” 

One player who showed glimpses of her stardom is sophomore forward Cotie McMahon. 

McMahon finished with 13 points, just a point shy of her season average, on 5-of-11 shooting from the field. She also went 3-of-5 from the charity stripe, as she proved to be too much inside as she bulldozed over the Black Bears. 

The 2022-23 Big Ten Freshman of the Year has proved to be an instrumental piece in the Buckeye’s success this season. In all five of the Buckeyes’ losses, one common denominator has been the performance of McMahon, who averaged just 8 points over that stretch.

This afternoon the Centerville, Ohio, native showed flashes of her dominance, and she said it feels good knowing she had an efficient game heading into the next matchup.  

“It’s definitely a confidence booster,” McMahon said. “But just going into Duke, preparing what they’re going to throw at me. Obviously, I’m very dominant in the pain, so I wouldn’t be surprised at the double-team or anything like that.” 

The Buckeyes’ defense, which has been a strong pillar all year, also showed its powerful grip against the Black Bears as they forced 22 turnovers, with seven alone in the first quarter. 

The headman of that category was graduate guard Celeste Taylor. 

Taylor finished with 12 points, on an efficient 3-of-shooting, but her biggest impact came on the opposite end of the court. The 2023 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year finished with six steals, one block and grabbed six defensive rebounds.  

“Felt pretty comfortable out there. Obviously, as the season has gone on, I feel more and more comfortable,” Taylor said. “But I think honestly the defense is what gets us going, gets me going, so just trying to be in those passing lanes, trying to do as much as I can in the press.”

Along with causing havoc defensively, Taylor helped lead the offense alongside graduate guard Jacy Sheldon, who finished with a team-high 19 points. The Buckeyes were able to widen the gap in the second half thanks to turnovers, which led to multiple fastbreak opportunities. 

Ohio State converted on 15 fast break points, including a transition three from redshirt senior guard Rikki Harris early in the second quarter. The three pushed the Buckeyes’ lead to 10, and they would go on to lead by double-digits for the remainder of the game. 

Junior guard/forward Taylor Thierry grabbed her 500th rebound of her career, and Sheldon hit her 2000th career point at Ohio State, after a three-point play with 2:53 left in the second quarter. 

The Buckeyes look to be clicking on all cylinders, with their recipe for success equaling three important components. Efficient scoring from McMahon, applying their defensive pressure and pushing the pace offensively. 

Ohio State will likely look to apply a similar strategy as they take on No.7 seed Duke in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday at Value City Arena. The time is TBD.