Without star junior forward Cotie McMahon, Ohio State’s backcourt stepped up in the scoring department to lead the team to another dominant 96-53 win over an in-state foe on Sunday.
Back in Columbus after a two-game road trip, the Buckeyes started fast with intense full-court press defense and efficiency from two-point range.
Freshman guard Jaloni Cambridge and senior guard Taylor Theirry led the way early combining for eight of the first 10 Ohio State points, to help Ohio State take a 10-7 lead.
The Buckeyes’ defense forced seven turnovers in the first 7:13 of the game, and after an 0-for-2 start from 3-point range as a team, Theirry and freshman guard Ava Watson combined for back-to-back 3-pointers.
Watson and Thierry’s makes were a part of an 8-0 run that extended the Buckeye lead to 20-9 with 1:37 to go in the first quarter.
Bowling Green broke a 3:40 scoring drought when senior guard Amy Velasco converted an old-school 3-point play after making a layup and a free throw with 39 seconds left in the first.
The Buckeyes responded with a free throw from Thierry and a mid-range jumper from junior guard Chance Gray, as the team took a 23-12 lead into the second quarter.
Gray used her first-quarter closing make to get into a rhythm in the second and she scored back-to-back mid-range jumpers to give Ohio State a 29-16 lead.
After assisting on her sister Kennedy Cambridge’s layup a few possessions prior, Jaloni Cambridge extended her range with a 3-point jumper to give the Buckeyes a 35-18 lead.
The Buckeyes created their largest lead of the game at that point at 45-18 after Watson and fifth-year forward Eboni Walker combined for 10 straight points.
The scoring spurts by Walker and Watson contributed to a 14-0 scoring run that started with a Kennedy Cambridge free throw at 6:51 and lasted until the Falcons finally scored again with 2:43 to go in the first half with a free throw.
Velasco made a couple of layups to help cut into Ohio State’s lead before halftime, but Theirry added a layup on the Buckeyes’ last possession before the halftime break, as the Buckeyes took a 47-23 lead at the midway point.
With a significant advantage to open the second half, the Buckeyes didn’t let their foot off the gas, instead, they opened on a 21-2 scoring run led by 12 points from Gray. The former Oregon transfer knocked down three 3-point jumpers early in the third quarter, as Ohio State took a 68-25 lead with 4:34 to go in the third quarter.
The Falcons had a bit of a response to end the third quarter and cut Ohio State’s lead to 76-36 heading into the fourth, but the Buckeyes had enough of a cushion to start the final frame so that head coach Kevin McGuff could play most of his backups.
By far the biggest bright spot for the Buckeyes in a positive final period was Watson. She finished the quarter with 11 points on 4-of-7 field goal attempts as Ohio State wrapped up its 96-53 win.
Ohio State was led in scoring by Watson who finished the game with 20 points, which included six makes from 3-point range. Chance Gray, who finished the game with 18 points made 7-of-14 field goal attempts. Gray was closely followed by Cambridge who scored 17 points and Theirry who made all six of her field goal attempts to also score 17 points.
The Buckeyes had an efficient shooting day as a team, as the team made 37-of-74 field goals for a percentage of 50.0.
The Buckeyes’ defense did a good job of forcing the Falcons into tough looks, and for the game, Bowling Green made just 20-of-57 field goal attempts for a percentage of 35.1.
Velasco was the biggest bright spot for the Falcons in the loss. She led the team with 24 points and made 8-of-16 field goals.
