Four in Double Figures as Buckeyes down Illini 78-70
1/31/2019 10:20:30 PM | Women's Basketball
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Four Buckeyes scored in double figures led by a career-high 18 points from Makayla Waterman as Ohio State downed Illinois 78-70 on Thursday evening.
The Buckeyes (9-10, 5-5) used another fourth quarter run to turn a three-point deficit into an 11-point lead and held on down the stretch for its second win a row. The 78 points were a season-high and the Buckeyes closed in style with a season-high 30 points in the fourth quarter.
Waterman was 6-of-9 from the floor and 5-of-5 from the free throw line to post her 18 points. She also grabbed a game-high seven rebounds to go along with three assists, three steals and a block.
Graduates Carly Santoro and Carmen Grande also enjoyed solid all-around games. Santoro scored 16 points and dished-out a season-high tying four assists. Grande posted totals of 15 points, six rebounds, five assists and a block.
Fellow graduate Adreana Miller made four three-pointers and finished with a season-high 14 points. This was just her third double-figure scoring game of the season and her first since scoring 11 points vs. Cincinnati on Dec. 2.
Ohio State canned a season-high 12 three-pointers as a team and also took care of the basketball which is something that has plagued them this season. The Buckeyes had just 12 turnovers which came one game after posting a season-low 11 turnovers at Minnesota on Monday.
The Buckeyes led 8-2 early but the rest of the first half was played within a 5-point margin until a 7-0 Buckeye run in the final minute of the second quarter. The run was capped by a three from Miller and the Ohio State led 34-26 at the break.
After getting outscored 23-14 in the third quarter, the Buckeyes turned the tables and won the fourth quarter 30-21 behind 54.5 percent from the floor and making 15-of-19 free throws over the final minutes. Ohio State trailed 51-48 early in the fourth quarter but then reeled-off the next 10 points over a three minute span to take a 58-51 lead. That run featured three-pointers from Santoro and Miller and a nice runner in the paint by Grande.
Up next
The Buckeyes hit the road once again this weekend to take on Northwestern on Sunday. Tipoff is set for 4:30 p.m. ET from the newly renovated Welsh Ryan Arena. This will be the only meeting this season between the two teams.
