Ohio State
Clemson
Buckeyes Comeback For 86-77 Victory Over Clemson – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/27/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 27, 2014
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ST. THOMAS, US Virgin Islands – Freshman Kelsey Mitchell scored 26 of her season-high 35 points in the second half to help lead the Buckeyes to an 86-77 comeback victory Thursday in the first game of the 2014 Paradise Jam.
The Buckeyes improve to 3-2 on the season and will face Wichita State on Friday at 1:15 p.m. ET. Clemson falls to 3-2 with the loss.
Mitchell struggled in the first half, shooting just 2-of-13 from the floor and had just nine points. But she was 7-of-9 in the second half and 10-of-10 from the free throw line. For the game, Mitchell was a perfect 14-of-14 from the free throw line which tied Tayler Hill’s school-record for free throw percentage in a single game.
Junior Ameryst Alston battled foul trouble for the first time this season but still finished with 27 points on 13-of-15 from the free throw line. She is now just one point away from becoming the 31st Buckeye to record 1,000 points in her career.
Clemson was led in scoring by Nikki Dixon who finished with 24 points and seven assists. Nylia Myers-Jamison had a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds.
The Buckeyes shot just 41 percent from the floor but made a season-high 32-of-41 free throws. Ohio State also forced Clemson into a season-high 23 turnovers and converted them into 30 points.
The Buckeyes’ defensive pressure at the onset allowed them to take an early 16-6 lead. Clemson had seven turnovers in the first six minutes. The Tigers then chipped away at the lead the rest of the half and scored at the buzzer to take a 36-35 advantage at halftime.
Ohio State was scoreless the last 3:25 of the half and had three turnovers. Alston led the team with 10 points but picked up her third foul with six minutes to play in the half.
The second half started-out back-and-forth until Alston picked up her fourth foul. Clemson went on a run to take its largest lead of the game at 65-57 with 7:36 left in the game.
Mitchell then took over. She scored 12 points in the Buckeyes 15-2 run over a three-minute span to put Ohio State in front 72-67 with just under five minutes to play. She was 7-of-7 from the line during the spurt.
The Buckeyes would eventually push the lead to as many as nine and would not trail the rest of the way.
Key Run
With the Buckeyes facing its largest deficit at 65-57 with 7:30to play, Mitchell took control of the game and led a 15-2 OhioState run that gave the Buckeyes the lead for good.
Mitchell was 2-of-2 from the floor and 7-of-7 from the free throwline in the run.
Mitchell scored 12 of the 15 points during the spurt.
Clemson was 0-of-4 shooting and made just two free throws duringthat time.
1-2 Punch
AmerystAlston and Kelsey Mitchell make up the top scoring backcourt in thecountry and they continued their scoring on Thursday.
The duo combined to score 62 of the Buckeyes’ 86 points
They were a combined 27-of-29 from the free throw line.
Foul Trouble
The Buckeyes were hampered by foul trouble in the first halfand was unable to build on it lead and would eventually lose thelead.
Ohio State’s top three scorers – Mitchell, Alston and Hart — allhad two fouls with 9:18 left in the half.
Alston then picked up her third foul at the 5:59 mark.
OSU led by as many as 10 points in the first half beforesurrendering the lead at the buzzer.
Up Next…
The Buckeyes will take on Wichita State on Friday on day two ofthe tournament.
Game time is set for 1:15 p.m. ET.
