Ohio State fifth-year guard Jacy Sheldon led the 13th-ranked Buckeyes to a 84-55 win on Friday over Belmont, registering a 31-point outing with five makes from deep.
Beyond Sheldon’s big day, the Buckeyes (10-2, 1-0 Big Ten) shot 52.5 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from beyond the arc, and held a 37-29 advantage on the boards over the Bruins (7-4), whose roster includes junior guard Kilyn McGuff, the daughter of Ohio State head coach Kevin McGuff.
The Buckeyes got off to a hot start, connecting on five of their first eight shots as they jumped out to a 10-7 lead, with six of those points coming from Sheldon. The Bruins bounced back, however, with an 8-4 run to take a 15-14 lead with 2:24 left in the first. Ohio State scored the final three baskets of the half, though, including a triple by Sheldon at the buzzer to take a 21-15 lead into the second frame.
Belmont made a push to start the second quarter, hitting on a pair of free throws and later hitting a three-pointer courtesy of junior forward Kendal Cheesman to retake the lead, 22-21, with 8:34 left in the half. Ohio State began to break through after a pair of free throws from fifth-year guard Rikki Harris and a jumper from Sheldon to retake the lead, sparking a 16-4 run to enter the break with a 38-28 lead.
During the run, the Buckeyes saw three pointers from Sheldon, Harris and fifth-year guard Celeste Taylor, part of an 18-point first half for Sheldon on 7-of-10 shooting.
Ohio State’s lead continued to grow during the third quarter in which it shot 78.6 percent (11 of 14) from the field and connected on all six of its three-point attempts, including two each from Sheldon and Taylor. The Buckeyes were eventually able to increase their lead to 67-47 entering the fourth after a late triple from Harris.
Sheldon scored the first five points of the fourth quarter as the Buckeyes held the Bruins scoreless until Kilyn McGuff made a layup with 6:58 remaining in the game, at which point Ohio State held a 72-49 lead. The Buckeyes were able to close on a 12-6 run for the final margin.
Ohio State was led by Sheldon’s 31 points, while Thierry (15 points) and Harris (10 points) also reached double digits. Junior guard Taylor Thierry led the Buckeyes with a game-high nine rebounds, while junior forward Tessa Miller led Belmont with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Kilyn McGuff finished with four points and six rebounds.
Ohio State will be off for the next week before returning to the floor on Dec. 30, set to travel to Michigan for a noon tip on FOX.
