Ohio State
18-11,11-7Big Ten
Purdue
17-13,8-10Big Ten
Buckeyes Blast Boilermakers 77-56
2/29/2020 7:11:00 PM | Women's Basketball
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – In a huge game for both teams with NCAA Tournament implications, Ohio State took it to Purdue on Saturday, spoiling the Boilermakers' Senior Day with a 77-56 victory.
The Buckeyes finish the regular season 18-11 overall and 11-7 in the Big Ten. Purdue losses a third-consecutive game and falls to 17-13 and 8-10 in the league.
An Ohio State run midway through the second quarter broke open a four-point game and the Boilermakers were never in it after that. The Buckeye lead swelled to as many as 29 points in the fourth quarter.
Dorka Juhasz has been playing her best basketball of the season over the last two weeks. On Saturday, she notched her fourth-consecutive double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. She was 6-of-9 from the floor and also had three blocks.
Sophomore forward Aaliyah Patty also finished with a season-high 16 points to go along with eight rebounds, three assists and three blocks.
Freshman Jacy Sheldon scored 12 points while fellow freshman Kierstan Bell had 11 points, six rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Rebeka Mikulasikova and Braxtin Miller each chipped-in with seven points.
Ohio State had relied on the three-ball over the last two months but on Saturday, the Buckeyes scored 52 of 77 points in the paint and made just three three-pointers. They also shot 50 percent on the day while holding Purdue to just 28.6 percent.
The Buckeyes played one of their better halves of the season in the opening 20 minutes. With all that was on the line and it being senior day in Mackey Arena, the Buckeyes came out and established themselves early and took the crowd out of it. All nine Buckeyes who played in the first half scored, led by Bell and Juhasz with 10 apiece.
Ohio State led 18-9 at the end of the first quarter but a 7-0 Boilermaker run early in the second cut the lead to 23-19. Sheldon then scored on back-to-back drives to the rim and OSU ended the quarter on an 18-7 run to lead 41-26 at the break.
Purdue scored four of the first six points of the third quarter but a Sheldon steal and lay-in sparked a 14-0 Buckeye run which removed any doubt.
The Buckeyes will find out their seed and opponent for next week's Big Ten Tournament following the outcome of Sunday's games.
#GoBucks
