No. 13 Ohio State (2-1) cruised to a 88-66 win over visiting Boston College (2-2) on Thursday behind impressive performances from sophomore forward Cotie McMahon (24 points) and junior guard Taylor Thierry (18 points, eight rebounds).
They helped lead the Buckeyes in shooting over 60 percent from the field for the game while forcing 20 turnovers by Boston College that resulted in 30 points for Ohio State.
Fifth-year guard Jacy Sheldon got off to a hot start, scoring off an impressive assist by forward Rebeka Mikulasikova, stealing the ball on the ensuing inbound for another score and then forcing a jump ball on defense. It was part of a 12-4 run to begin the game, and after the run was broken up by a layup from forward Teya Sidberry, Ohio State took off yet again, utilizing a 10-0 stretch to go up 22-6 with 3:49 left in the first quarter.
Behind 11 points from sophomore forward Cotie McMahon, 9 points from junior guard Taylor Thierry and 6 points from Sheldon, the Buckeyes finished the first frame with a 32-11 lead, shooting 76.5 percent in the first quarter while forcing the Eagles into nine turnovers.
Ohio State opened the second quarter on a 7-2 run, capped off by a three-pointer from Sheldon, which gave her 1,500 career points with the Buckeyes. Sidberry connected on back-to-back baskets and was answered with back-to-back scores by Thierry, kickstarting a 14-3 run that gave Ohio State a 53-22 lead with 2:15 left in the half before leading 55-26 heading into the locker room.
The Buckeyes shot an impressive 71.0 percent (22 of 31) from the floor in the first half while taking just three attempts from deep, connecting on two. McMahon led with 18 points as the Buckeyes forced Boston College into 15 turnovers that resulted in 25 points.
Ohio State continued to dominate in the second half, outscoring Boston College 20-12 in the third frame to lead 75-38 heading into the final quarter. It went up by as much as 77-38 in the fourth before cleared out the benches in the big win, though the Buckeyes were outscored 17-6 in the fourth.
McMahon led the Buckeyes with 24 points on 8-of-10 shooting, and was 8 of 12 from the free-throw line, while Thierry added 18 points (7 of 9 shooting) and a game-high eight rebounds. Sheldon also reached double digits with 16 points, while fifth-year guard Celeste Taylor had 4 points and five assists. The Eagles were led by Sidberry and guard Andrea Daley, who each finished with 14 points.
Ohio State will return to the court next week in the Pink Flamingo Championship in The Bahamas. The Buckeyes will play East Carolina on Monday at 1:30 p.m. and Oklahoma State on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., with both games set to be broadcast on FloHoops.
