No. 2 Ohio State (22-3, 13-1 Big Ten) did not let the pressure of rising to the top of the national rankings get to its head on Wednesday, taking care of business in a 80-47 win over Nebraska (16-9, 8-6) to extend the team’s winning streak to 12 games.
Ohio State shot 48.5 percent from the field in the win and 42.9 percent from deep while holding the Cornhuskers to just 36.0 percent from the field and 34.8 percent from beyond the arc. The Buckeyes also forced 30 turnovers, a season high for Nebraska, that turned into 27 points.
Ohio State missed several opportunities in the opening minutes, failing to connect on several open three-pointers and unable to convert a three-on-two fast break. But Nebraska saw similar early struggles, missing on its first six shots of the game as Buckeye forward Cotie McMahon scored the game’s first points with 7:29 left in the frame.
The Cornhuskers were held without a score until there was 5:59 left in the quarter, but the three-pointer gave Nebraska the lead before Ohio State fifth-year guard Jacy Sheldon responded with a triple of her own to lead 5-3. The Buckeyes then responded with a 9-4 run to take a 14-7 lead into the second quarter.
Nebraska freshman forward Natalie Potts knocked down a pair of free throws to begin the second, but Ohio State responded with an 8-0 run – with all the points coming from either McMahon or Sheldon – to go up 22-9 with 7:17 left in the half. Nebraska got back-to-back scores by junior center Alexis Markowski and Potts, but a three-pointer from fifth-year guard Celeste Taylor sent Ohio State into a media timeout with a 25-13 lead.
A three-point contest broke out through the remainder of the half, with two triples by each team and a layup from fifth-year forward Taiyier Parks as Ohio State took a 33-19 lead into the half. The Buckeyes held the Cornhuskers to just 29.2 percent shooting in the first half, and forced 15 turnovers by Nebraska.
Ohio State started the third quarter off strong with a triple from Sheldon and later baskets from junior guard Taylor Thierry and McMahon to go up 40-19 just 1:45 into the frame, forcing a timeout by the Cornhuskers. Things did not go much better out of the break, as the Buckeyes turned three turnovers by Nebraska – including a 10-second violation – into three baskets, extending their run to 13-0 coming out of the half for a 46-19 lead.
Another three-pointer from Sheldon put the Buckeyes up 52-23 before back-to-back three-pointers by the Cornhuskers. But Ohio State fifth-year guard Rikki Harris answered with a triple of her own, kickstarting a 10-5 run over the final 2:55 of the frame to lead 62-34 going into the fourth quarter.
Sheldon connected from deep early in the fourth before checking out of the contest, and McMahon added some baskets of her own before stepping out of the contest. The Buckeyes eventually went on to outscore the Cornhuskers 16-13 in the final frame.
Sheldon led Ohio State with 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting and had six rebounds and six assists, while McMahon added 20 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double. Markowski led Nebraska with nine points and a game-high 16 rebounds.
Ohio State will return to the floor next Thursday, set to travel to Penn State for a 6 p.m. tip on the Big Ten Network.
