COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 16/13 Ohio State Buckeyes (23-6, 12-6 B1G) fell to No. 7/8 Maryland (24-5, 15-3 B1G) on Friday evening by a 76-74 margin in the final game of the regular season.
Maryland led most of the first quarter before Ohio State took a 16-15 lead on the last possession. The teams traded the lead to start the second quarter, but the Terrapins took the lead back and made a last-second basket to take a 38-33 lead into halftime. The Buckeyes tied their largest third-quarter production of the season with 30 points in the third to take a 63-58 lead after 30 minutes. Both teams finished the fourth quarter in a scoring drought as a last-second Ohio State shot was deemed too late, sealing the victory for Maryland.
Cotie McMahon was the first Buckeye to reach double figures, scoring 11 in the first half on her way to 20 points. Rebeka Mikulášiková (13) Taylor Mikesell (18) and Taylor Thierry (16) all reached double figures in the third quarter. Rikki Harris tied her career-high eight assists.
How it Happened
The teams alternated baskets to open the game before a 6-0 Maryland run forced an Ohio State timeout midway through the quarter, trailing 12-6. McMahon had the next three baskets on the floor to tie the game at 12 before a triple from the Terrapins. The Buckeyes took a 16-15 lead after 10 minutes on a last-possession jumper from Mikesell.
Maryland used a 7-0 run to take a 24-19 lead with just under seven minutes remaining in the quarter. Ohio State got within two points on two separate occasions with three-pointers from Emma Shumate and Mikesell. The Terrapins carried a 38-33 lead into the locker room after a last-second jumper.
Ohio State tied the game at 46 and 51 before taking a 53-51 lead on a jumper from Thierry, the Buckeyes’ first lead since the beginning of the second quarter. The Terrapins tied the game at 53 before a three-pointer from Mikesell gave OSU the lead again. McMahon capped scoring in the quarter with a layup as Ohio State led by a 63-58 margin after 30 minutes.
Maryland tied the game at 63 with a quick five points to open the fourth quarter. Ohio State regained the lead back with a pair of free throws and a Thierry layup. The Terrapins took back the lead (70-69) on a 5-0 run with 5:43 to play. The Buckeyes called timeout with 4:18 to play trailing 73-69 as Maryland extended its run to eight. Ohio State tied the game at 73 with three minutes to play before both teams entered a scoring drought. Maryland held the 76-74 advantage with 11 seconds to play. A last-second shot was deemed too late as the 76-74 score stood.
Game Notes
- This is the 12th time this season that Ohio State has totaled 20 or more assists and the 11th time the Buckeyes have had at least 40 rebounds.
- Cotie McMahon scored in double figures for the 19th time this season, totaling 20 points. This is her 11th game with 20 or more points this season.
- Rebeka Mikulášiková reached double figures for the 14th time this season and finished with 13 points.
- Taylor Mikesell reached double figures for the 27th time this season, scoring 18 points on her senior night.
- Taylor Thierry scored 10+ points for the 22nd time this season and finished the game with 16 points.
- Rikki Harris’ eight assists tied her career-high.
- Q1: Ohio State shot 8-of-15 (.533) from the field and won the rebounding battle 10-6 in the quarter.
- Q3: The Buckeyes shot 12-of-21 (.571) from the floor and 5-of-8 (.625) from long range as 30 points in the quarter tied OSU’s highest third-quarter total of the season.
- Q4: Ohio State won the battle on the boards, 13-9.
What They Said
- Head Coach Kevin McGuff: “I thought it was a great basketball game. I thought both teams played really hard to be at a high level. I’m disappointed for our team when you put that much into it. Our competitive spirit was terrific – our togetherness. All the intangibles were great and [Maryland] just made one more play than we did. I thought both teams had plenty of opportunities down the stretch – we had chances, we had some decent shots and [Maryland] made one more shot. I’m disappointed we didn’t get the win but proud of our effort.”
- Senior guard Taylor Mikesell: “I’d like Buckeye Nation to remember me as somebody that left everything they had here, came in here and worked as hard as they could and hopefully left an impact on the younger generation.”
Up Next
Ohio State travels to Minneapolis for the 2023 Big Ten Tournament. The Buckeyes have secured the No. 4 seed and will play on Friday, 25 minutes after the conclusion of the 12:30 p.m. ET game. View information about the Big Ten Tournament and ticketing HERE.
Ohio State women’s basketball season tickets for the 2023-24 season are now on sale and can be purchased HERE. Fans with ticketing questions should call the Ohio State Ticket Office at 1-800-GO-BUCKS or email athletic.tix@osu.edu.
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