Buckeyes Win Overtime Thriller at San Diego Invitational
12/20/2022 9:53:02 PM | Women's Basketball
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SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The No. 3/4 Ohio State Buckeyes (12-0, 2-0 B1G) beat -/RV South Florida (10-4) by an 88-86 margin in overtime on Tuesday in the first game of the San Diego Invitational.
After trailing 63-50 with eight minutes remaining in regulation, Ohio State used a 12-0 run to get within one and forced overtime as the game was knotted at 75 after 40 minutes. In the overtime period, USF strung together eight unanswered points to take an 86-80 advantage with 1:12 to play. A layup by Eboni Walker and a triple from Taylor Mikesell tied the game at 86 before a block from Walker and a fastbreak layup from Taylor Thierry capped the win for the Buckeyes.
How it Happened
South Florida scored the first four points of the game before Cotie McMahon got Ohio State onto the scoreboard. USF built a 13-7 lead at the media timeout with just under four minutes remaining in the first quarter following a 4-0 run. The Buckeyes trailed 21-11 after 10 minutes.
Both teams started slowly in the second quarter, but a pair of free throws gave USF the 31-15 advantage midway through the quarter. Each team reached the bonus with minutes remaining in the quarter. The Buckeyes trimmed their deficit to 35-26 on a Taylor Thierry layup with two minutes to play. Ohio State trailed 39-30 going into the locker room.
USF used a 6-0 run to stretch the lead to 45-32 with seven minutes remaining in the third quarter. OSU used trips to the free throw line to stay close and a three-pointer from Madison Greene closed the gap to 49-44 with 2:07 to play. South Florida scored the final basket to take a 55-46 lead into the fourth quarter.
USF got off to an 8-4 start to the fourth quarter, forcing an Ohio State timeout down 63-50 with 8:07 remaining. The Buckeyes put together a 10-0 run, including eight points from Thierry and a couple of three-point plays, to get within three at 63-60 with 5:40 to play. Taylor Mikesell’s pair of free throws cut the deficit to one and a layup from Thierry tied the game at 64 just past the midway point of the quarter. A three-pointer from Madison Greene gave Ohio State its first lead of the game at 67-65 with 4:09 to play. After being tied at 69, USF scored back-to-back baskets to force an OSU timeout. The Buckeyes tied the game at 73 and again at 75.
In overtime, Ohio State took a 78-76 lead on a layup by Taylor Mikesell before South Florida strung together eight unanswered points (six at the free throw line) to take an 84-78 lead. OSU called timeout with 1:10 to play trailing 86-80. Eboni Walker’s driving layup began the Buckeyes’ scoring and a triple from Taylor Mikesell tied the game at 86 with 15 seconds remaining. Walker blocked USF’s shot with 12 seconds to play and Thierry converted on the fastbreak layup to seal the 88-86 win.
Game Notes
- The Buckeye defense has forced at least 20 turnovers in every game this season and reached 10 steals for the 10th
- This is Ohio State’s first overtime game of the season.
- Ohio State overcoming a 13-point second-half deficit ties the biggest deficit of its kind overcome in a win, happening earlier this season at Louisville.
- Cotie McMahon scored in double figures for the sixth time this season with 13 first-half points and finished with a career-high 30 points. This is her fourth 20-point game of the season.
- Taylor Thierry had her eighth double-figure performance of the season and finished with a career-high 23. She had 12 points in the fourth quarter on 5-of-5 shooting.
- Madison Greene reached double figures for the seventh time this season, totaling 14 points today.
- Q1: McMahon scored seven points in the opening quarter.
- Q2: Ohio State won the rebounding battle 11-9 in the quarter.
- Q3: Greene had seven points in the quarter on 2-of-2 shooting, a three-pointer and a pair of free throws.
- Q4: Ohio State shot 11-of-17 (.647) from the floor in the quarter and was a perfect 6-of-6 from the line.
- OT: The Buckeyes shot 5-of-8 from the field during overtime, while South Florida was 9-of-10 from the line.
What They Said
- Head Coach Kevin McGuff: “We were playing like we were a little overwhelmed in the first half and part of that was that [USF] was playing well and we weren’t. We playing hard in the second half and just did what we had to do to win.”
- Freshman forward Cotie McMahon: “We finished the game strong and it was a great way to end the game, but I think that throughout the game we could’ve done a lot better. We could have started the first half a lot stronger. We are capable of playing at a level higher than what we played out there, but a win is a win and we took care of business when it came down to it.”
- Sophomore guard/forward Taylor Thierry: “[USF] is a very versatile team and I think what happened this game will motivate us to play harder in the future.”
Up Next
Ohio State will play No. 16/15 Oregon on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. ET to wrap up the San Diego Invitational.
To support Ohio State women’s basketball throughout the season here on campus, fans may now purchase mini plans HERE or single game tickets for all remaining home games, including the Michigan game at the Covelli Center, HERE. Applicable service fees will apply to all tickets. Season tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-GO-BUCKS and selecting option two. For group tickets and any questions, contact an account representative at 1-800-GO-BUCKS or via email at athletic.tix@osu.edu. All group tickets must be purchased in advance.
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