When third-seeded Ohio State begins play in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament on Saturday against No. 14 James Madison, the Buckeyes won’t have to go far as the tournament starts ramping up.
Finishing as one of the top 16 seeds, Ohio State will host several first- and second-round games in the tournament at The Schottenstein Center, including against the Dukes and a potential matchup against either No. 6 North Carolina or No. 11 Purdue/No. 11 St. John’s in the second round.
“Really excited to have an opportunity to play at home,” Ohio State head coach Kevin McGuff said. “Our fans have been outstanding this year, and so I’m really hopeful we can have a great crowd here on Saturday. I think that would be a really big deal.”
Ohio State is 6-0 against James Madison all time, with the Buckeyes’ most recent win coming on March 21, 2015, in the first round of the NCAA tournament. This is the Dukes’ 13th appearance in the NCAA tournament, with their most recent coming in 2016.
“I know they do a really good job and they’ll be prepared,” McGuff said. “They’ve got some good players, so it will be a challenge for us. But we’re excited to have the opportunity.”
Guard Kiki Jefferson leads James Madison, averaging a team-high 18.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, while guard Peyton McDaniel (11.6 points) and center Ksenilla Kozlova (10.7 points) also average double digits. In addition to her scoring output, Kozlova — who stands at 6-4 — is also the Dukes’ best shooter, nailing 57.2 percent of her shots this season.
Ohio State will tip off against James Madison on Saturday, with a tip off time to be announced in the coming days, though tickets are already on sale.