Ohio State cruised to a 83-40 win over visiting Cornell on Sunday afternoon, utilizing strong shooting and even stronger defense to down the Big Red to move to 5-1 on the season.
The Buckeyes shot 47.1 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from deep in the win while forcing Cornell into 26 turnovers that resulted in 33 points for Ohio State.
Ohio State opened up a 13-4 lead with 6:03 left in the first quarter behind a pair of early baskets from fifth-year forward Rebeka Mikulasikova. The Big Red responded with a 7-3 run over the next 3:58 to cut the deficit to 16-11, but the Buckeyes still exited the first quarter with a 22-11 advantage.
Mikulasikova continued her strong performance in the second quarter, leading the Buckeyes with six points in the frame on 3-of-4 shooting as Ohio State opened up a 45-13 lead at the half, allowing just two points by Cornell in the second quarter as the Big Red shot just 1 of 12 from the field and turned the ball over nine times. Mikulasikova reached 10 points entering the half, while junior guard Taylor Thierry and fifth-year guard Jacy Sheldon each added eight first-half points, and the Buckeyes as a whole shot 50.0 percent from the floor.
The Big Red had a more spirited performance in the third quarter, shooting 50.0 percent (8 of 16) from the field, but they were still outscored 26-17 by Ohio State in the frame as the Buckeyes shot 69.2 percent (9 of 13) in the quarter. McMahon was the biggest reason, as she added 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting – including a make from beyond the arc – as the Buckeyes led 71-30 going into the fourth.
Ohio State’s lead increased to 75-32 early in the fourth behind early baskets from fifth-year forward Taiyier Parks and freshman Diana Collins. The Big Red made it 80-40 with 4:31 remaining in the contest, but those were the last points of the game from Cornell, which missed its last six shots of the game, while Ohio State was just one of its last nine attempts, the lone make a triple from sophomore guard Emma Shumate with 1:57 remaining that resulted in the final points of the game.
McMahon and Mikulasikova led the Buckeyes with 14 points each, combining to do so on 11-of-15 shooting, while Thierry (13 points) and Sheldon (10 points) also reached double digits. Parks also finished with six points and a game-high eight rebounds, while fifth-year guard Celeste Taylor dished out a game-high seven assists. The Big Red were led by forward Summer Parker-Hall’s 13 points.
Ohio State will return to the floor next Sunday when it travels to face Tennessee, set for a 5 p.m. tip off on ESPN.
