No. 17 Ohio State (10-3, 1-1 Big Ten) suffered a 69-60 loss on Saturday at Michigan (11-3, 2-0), falling victim in a close game to close out the calendar year.
The Buckeyes shot 44.2 percent from the field but were just 5 of 24 (20.8 percent) from deep, while the Wolverines shot 43.4 percent but hit on 35.0 percent (7 of 20) of their shots from beyond the arc.
Ohio State shot poorly to start the game, connecting on just one of its first eight attempts from the field – including five misses from deep – as the Wolverines jumped out to a 9-2 lead with 4:40 left in the first. But junior guard Taylor Thierry then took over for Ohio State, scoring the team’s final nine points of the frame as the Buckeyes trailed just 12-11 following the first quarter.
Thierry’s run gave way to an ever bigger stretch for Ohio State to begin the second quarter, as it opened on an 8-2 run – with two baskets coming from fifth-year guard Jacy Sheldon – to take a 19-14 lead with 6:35 left in the half.
But Michigan responded with an 8-1 run to retake the lead, 22-20, and the lead then changed hands four more times over the next three minutes, with the Wolverines going into the half with a 27-26 lead after a late triple from guard Jordan Hobbs.
Ohio State trailed at the break despite shooting 40.0 percent from the field compared to 38.5 percent shooting for Michigan, though the Wolverines were 4 of 12 from deep while the Buckeyes were just 2 of 11.
The Buckeyes’ shooting struggles continued into the third quarter, as they missed their first three shots and did not get on the board until a layup from forward Rebeka Mikulášiková with 6:30 left in the frame, at which point Ohio State trailed 34-28.
Michigan then extended the lead to 37-28, but the Buckeyes went on another big run, utilizing a triple from Sheldon and five points from fifth-year guard Rikki Harris to spark a 13-0 run that put Ohio State up 41-37 with 1:55 left in the quarter, and eventually went into the fourth holding a 45-42 advantage.
The Wolverines tied the game to begin the fourth, and the lead then changed hands four times over the next two minutes, culminating in a 49-48 lead for Michigan that it then increased to 51-48, leading to a timeout from Ohio State head coach Kevin McGuff. Out of the break, Mikulášiková connected from deep to tie the game back up, but the Wolverines pulled away with a 7-0 run to take a 58-51, leading to another timeout by the Buckeyes.
Ohio State missed its first four shots out of the break as the clock continued to wind down and Michigan’s lead increased to 60-51. Sophomore forward Cotie McMahon broke through with a layup, and an ensuing and-one opportunity by Thierry cut the deficit to just 62-57 with 1:14 remaining. But the Wolverines were then able to close things out at the free-throw line over the final minute.
The Buckeyes were led by fifth-year guard Celeste Taylor, who had 16 points on 7-of-15 shooting, while Thierry also reached double digits with 15 points and had a game-high nine rebounds. The Wolverines were led by guard Laila Phelia, who had 26 points.
