Buckeyes Stun Spartans, Win Third in a Row
2/21/2019 9:07:41 PM | Women's Basketball
RELATED INFO
Final Stats (PDF)
2018-19 Schedule
2018-19 Stats
Follow the Buckeyes on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat
EAST LANSING, Mich. – All five Buckeye starters scored in double figures and Ohio State handed Michigan State its first loss at home this year with a 77-70 victory Thursday night.
Carmen Grande scored 10 of her 17 points in the fourth quarter and played all 40 minutes for the third game in a row. Her three-pointer from the top of the key with 2:26 left in the fourth quarter not only gave the Buckeyes the lead for good but it was her 1,000th career point.
Three from Grande!!! That's the 1,000th point of her career pic.twitter.com/vCZVPEVjX6
— OSU W Basketball (@OhioStateWBB) February 22, 2019
Freshman Janai Crooms led the Buckeyes with 20 points. She also added seven rebounds and three assists. Carly Santoro had just three points in the first half but finished the game with a total of 15 points.
Freshman post Aaliyah Patty finished with 13 points, six rebounds and a couple of steals. Fellow post Dorka Juhasz was the fifth Buckeye in double-figures with 10 points, seven rebounds and two blocks
The Buckeyes, who improve to 13-12 on the season and 9-7 in Big Ten play, shot 50 percent for the game. That is their highest percentage in a Big Ten game this season.
The Spartans (17-9, 7-8) came into the game 13-0 on the season at home and averaging 84.0 ppg in those games. They shot just 35.4 percent and were 4-of-22 from long range.
The game was a great back-and-forth battle as there were nine ties and 18 lead changes.
The first half saw eight ties and two lead changes as neither team led by more than five points. Crooms and Patty each had 13 points in the opening half while no other Buckeye had more than three. The Buckeyes shot 48 percent and led 35-32 after 20 minutes.
Ohio State led by as many as six points on two occasions in the third quarter but the Spartans would lead 52-50 heading to the fourth. Grande’s three in the fourth quarter was followed by a three from the corner by Juhasz on the next possession to give the Buckeyes a two-possession lead with just over two minutes to go. The Spartans never got within one possession the rest of the way.
Up next
The Buckeyes have finally reached their bye week in Big Ten play as they will be off this weekend. Ohio State will return to action next Thursday when it travels to Madison, Wisc., for a rematch with Wisconsin. The Buckeyes took down the Badgers 70-68 last Sunday in Columbus. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET and will be televised on BTN.
