MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The No. 14/14 and fourth-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes (24-6, 12-6 B1G) defeated No. 17/18 and fifth-seeded Michigan (22-9, 11-7 B1G) by an 81-79 margin in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Friday to advance to the semifinals for the second-straight season.
The first quarter was back and forth with five lead changes as Ohio State led by a 24-22 mark after 10 minutes. The Wolverines got as close as one point in the second quarter but a 23-17 Buckeye advantage gave Ohio State the 47-39 lead at halftime. Michigan tied the game at 56 in the third quarter, but Ohio State took a 65-61 lead into the fourth quarter. The Buckeyes sealed the 81-79 win with a defensive stop on the final possession of the game to move onto the Big Ten semifinals.
Cotie McMahon was the first in the game to reach double figures, doing so in the first quarter and finishing with 28 points and adding a career-high 12 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. Taylor Thierry also scored in double figures in the first half on her way to 20 points total. Mikesell also reached double figures, totaling 16 points.
How it Happened
Michigan began the game with a four-point play before a long triple from Mikesell got Ohio State on the board. There were four lead changes prior to the media timeout as each team led by as many as four points and the Wolverines had the 15-14 edge with 4:14 to play in the first quarter. The Buckeyes scored the next six points to take a 20-15 lead and led 24-22 after 10 minutes.
The teams traded three-pointers to open the second quarter. Michigan cut Ohio State’s lead to one at 32-31 before a triple from Rikki Harris gave the Buckeyes the 35-31 advantage midway through the quarter. The Wolverines took a timeout with OSU leading 41-35 with 3:17 to play before halftime. Thierry capitalized on a last-second layup to send Ohio State into the locker room with the 47-39 advantage.
Michigan used an 8-1 run to get within one at 52-51 with six minutes to play in the third quarter, forcing an Ohio State timeout. The Wolverines tied the game at 56 on free throws with four minutes remaining. Ohio State scored the next seven points and held a 65-61 lead after three quarters despite Michigan scoring the final basket of the quarter.
The Wolverines scored first in the fourth quarter and tied the game at 65 with under eight minutes to play and took their first lead since the first quarter, 70-68, with 6:26 to play. McMahon tied the game at 70 before the teams traded the lead. The game was tied again at 74 and 76 before five-straight Ohio State points gave the Buckeyes an 81-76 lead with one minute to play. Michigan made a three-pointer, but Ohio State came up with a defensive stop on the final possession of the game to seal the 81-79 win.
Game Notes
- Cotie McMahon was the first in the game to reach double figures, doing so in the first quarter and for the 20th time this season. She totaled 28 points, surpassing 20 points for the 12th time this season, and had a career-high 12 rebounds to record the second double-double of her career.
- Taylor Thierry had her 23rd game of the season in double figure, scoring 14 first-half points on her way to 20 points total. This is her sixth 20-point game of the season.
- Taylor Mikesell reached double figures for the 28th time this season, finishing with 16 points.
- Q1: Ohio State shot 9-of-16 (.563) during the quarter.
- Q2: The Buckeyes shot 8-of-13 (.615) from the field and were a perfect 4-of-4 from beyond the arc in the quarter.
What They Said
- Post-game video and transcripts can be found HERE.
Up Next
Ohio State will face top-seeded Indiana in the Big Ten semifinals on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET.
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 [email protected].
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