Coming off a 35-point win over Cleveland State, the Buckeyes get ready to welcome Charlotte tonight in the 49ers first road game of the year.
Fresh off a big win against Cleveland State in their home opener last week, No. 12 Ohio State women’s basketball (1-0) is back at the Schottenstein Center tonight, where they’re poised to host Charlotte in the Our Honor Defend game.
The matchup marks Charlotte’s first road game of the season. The 49ers (1-1) head to Columbus looking to bounce back from their 60-41 loss to Wake Forest last Thursday.
Ohio State will honor military and first responders at the game.
Preview
If the Buckeyes’ season-opening 104-69 victory over Cleveland State is any indication, it’s going to take more than a roster overhaul to put Ohio State in rebuilding mode.
Freshman point guard Jaloni Cambridge announced her arrival in spectacular fashion, putting up 31 points—the most of any player in the Big Ten to open the 2024-2025 season—along with six assists, six rebounds, five steals and two blocks in her debut.
Cambridge wasn’t putting on a one-woman show, either. Veteran starters Cotie McMahon and Taylor Thierry each put up double digits themselves. McMahon was good for 17 points, four rebounds, a block and a steal, while Thierry added a rebound, a block, two steals and an assist to her 11 points. Transfer Ajae Petty tacked on eight points, six rebounds and a block of her own in her first game in Scarlet and Gray.
Collectively, the Buckeyes forced 24 turnovers and logged 16 steals.
Particularly impressive in the Buckeyes’ routing of the Vikings was OSU’s ability to make adjustments in their game strategy. When Cleveland State made it tough for Ohio State to shoot in the paint, the Buckeyes moved outside. When the Vikings tried to ramp up the intensity, OSU matched their energy, managing to keep pressure on with the attack.
Look to them to keep up this nimble style of play tonight against Charlotte, a team that underwent a transformation of its own in the off-season. After long-time head coach Cara Consuegra resigned in April to become the head coach at Marquette, the 49ers are looking to turn over a new leaf.
New head coach Tomekia Reed, a four-time SWAC Coach of the Year, brings with her a record of success, including three NCAA Tournament berths in her six years as the head coach at Jackson State, in addition to an array of fresh faces, including 10 transfer students (three of whom followed her from Jackson State).
After winning their season opener against Presbyterian, 77-63, Charlotte is seeking redemption for their loss to Wake Forest, a game in which they went scoreless for the entire fourth quarter.
Despite their 1-1 record, the 49ers have been plagued by turnovers, committing 45 across the first two games, 24 of which came in their loss against Wake Forest.
On a more positive note, they are led in scoring by junior guard Alexis Andrews, who transferred to Charlotte after two seasons at the College of Charleston. Defensively, Hayleigh Breland, a junior guard who followed Reed from Jackson State, leads with 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images
While the 49ers went 16-15 overall last season, the amount of roster and coaching changes makes it almost apples and oranges to compare last year’s results to the season ahead. With that in mind, this game marks a good opportunity for the 49ers to continue to find their sea legs as coach and teamwork to fine-tune their chemistry and trust under pressure.
Ohio State
G- Jaloni Cambridge
G- Chance Gray
G- Taylor Thierry
F- Cotie McMahon
F- Ajae Petty
Lineup Notes
- All ten players who took the court against Cleveland State scored at least one basket.
- Cambridge, McMahon, and Thierry each put up double digits against the Vikings.
Charlotte
G- Alexis Andrews
G- Kay Kay Green
G- Hayleigh Breland
F- Keanna Rembert
C- Jayla Kelly
Lineup Notes
- Though their starting five remained the same in each of Charlotte’s first two games, there are 12 players on their roster who played in both games.
- Of the starting five, only Rembert was on last season’s roster. Her average of 8.4 points per game was the third-highest on the team.
Prediction
Both teams come into this match with a whole new look from last season, and while we’re still learning what that means for each program this season, the Buckeyes should win this one handily.
Even with their fresh roster, Ohio State showed no discernible first-game nerves against Cleveland State last week—expect to see more of that composure against the 49ers.
Against the Vikings, the Buckeyes managed to use the press effectively, forcing turnovers and capitalizing on possession changes. This could present a real challenge for Charlotte, as turnovers have been a bit of an Achilles heel for them so far. Still, if the 49ers can course-correct a bit to maintain possession, they have enough talent to make the Buckeyes work for it a little bit.
Against Presbyterian, the 49ers struggled to hold onto the ball, but they also did a great job forcing and capitalizing on turnovers going the other way, converting 28 of 35 turnovers into points. They’ve also got enough bench depth to keep the energy up throughout the game. This will force the Buckeyes to match that intensity and to pace itself to avoid fatigue early.
Even so, without a major strategic adjustment and stronger execution from the 49ers, they could find themselves outmatched against a high-scoring Ohio State team.
Ohio State will have to be wary of letting Charlotte’s mind games get to them, but if they can stay as grounded as they did against Cleveland State, the Buckeyes should be able to outpace the 49ers without too much trouble.
How to Watch
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2024
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Where: Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio
Stream: B1G+