Sparked by a lengthy second quarter-run, Ohio State picked up its second blowout win of the Daytona Beach Classic on Friday, 87-51 over Utah State.
The Buckeyes wasted no time in taking a sizable advantage over the Aggies, led by a great start from fifth-year forward Ajae Petty, who scored six points in the game’s first 2:45, they scored the first 11 points of the game. Utah State had a slight answer with a 7-0 scoring run over the next 1:49, to trim Ohio State’s lead to 11-7.
Junior guard Chance Gray knocked down the Buckeyes’ first 3-pointer since the team’s win over Bowling Green on Nov. 24, after an 0-11 outing against Old Dominion at the 4:34 mark to extend Ohio State’s lead to 14-7.
Bench players like Elsa Lemmila, Ava Watson and Madison Greene gave the team good minutes by combining for six points to increase the Ohio State lead to 22-13 at the end of the first quarter.
Ohio State had one of its most dominant quarters of the season in the second period right before halftime. The Buckeyes’ 23-5 second-quarter performance was marked by a 21-0 scoring run which lasted 7:23.
Freshman point guard Jaloni Cambridge and fifth-year guard Taylor Thierry combined for 11 points in the run that lasted the majority of the second quarter, while the defense completely stifled the Aggies, allowing them to make only two field goals for the entirety of the second quarter. The efficient ten minutes allowed the Buckeyes to take a 45-18 lead into the third quarter.
Ohio State continued to balloon the lead in the third quarter to 58-23, with a 13-5 scoring run over the first 3:32. The Buckeyes were led by Gray on the run, who knocked down her third 3-point shot of the game and connected on two free throws.
The Aggies responded with a 9-0 scoring run of their own, cutting Ohio State’s lead back to 26, but backups like Lemmila and Walker helped the Buckeyes score the final eight points of the third quarter.
Ohio State head coach Kevin McGuff still threw the starters on the court up 68-35 in the fourth quarter, but Thierry and Gray were subbed out of the game as soon as the 7:06 mark, and Petty and Jaloni Cambridge were out of the game with over 5:00 to go as the lead was 79-41.
Ohio State was led in scoring for the second game in a row by Petty, who scored 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting and added a team-high nine rebounds, and Gray who also scored 17 points, shooting 5-of-7 from the field, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range, and grabbed five rebounds.
Ohio State had a decent shooting performance as a team and made 34-of-79 field goal attempts for a percentage of 43.0.
Kennedy Cambridge and Jaloni Cambridge tied for the team lead with four assists.
Utah State was held to a relatively inefficient shooting performance, making just 18-of-54 field goal attempts for a 33.3 field goals percentage.
Utah State was led by Mia Tarver, who scored 12 points, making 4-of-13 field goal attempts.
