The Buckeyes beat their second in-state school of the week with strong perimeter play
For the second game in a row, the absence of Cotie McMahon didn’t deter Ohio State women’s basketball, defeating the Bowling Green Falcons with Jaloni Cambridge scoring 17 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds in a 96-53 rout.
Bowling Green gave the Buckeyes everything to start the game. Their presence in the paint made it difficult for Ohio State to grab rebounds and offensively the Falcons’ playmakers hit shots. Especially guard Amy Velasco who scored eight of Bowling Green’s 12 points in the first quarter.
The Falcons stayed within two possessions until the turnover machine that is the Buckeye’s press started causing issues. Ohio State forced nine turnovers in the first quarter and 12 points off turnovers.
Kennedy Cambridge, who started in place of McMahon, was active defensively. The redshirt sophomore pursued every loose ball and had a block that can only be called vicious on guard Paige Kohler.
As the Falcons’ sophomore ran around the Buckeye defense, she had what looked like a clear run to the basket. However, Cambridge tracked closely behind and timed a swat that hit Kohler and out for another Ohio State possession.
Overall, the Buckeyes withstood the Falcons’ strong start to the game and played well on both sides of the court before halftime. Ohio State shot 52.6% from the floor and forced 17 turnovers with 22 points off those turnovers.
A by-product of BG’s paint presence was starting forward Ajae Petty getting into foul trouble. With 9:18 remaining in the third quarter, Petty picked up her fourth foul. That sent the Kentucky transfer to the bench with nine minutes played in the game, with two points and one rebound.
That meant more minutes for freshman Elsa Lemmilä, who wore knee compression on her right leg for the first time this season in a game. The center tore her ACL while in Finland and got back to basketball activity late in the summer after arriving at Ohio State.
Lemmilä had six rebounds, two blocks, and dove on a ball in the third quarter for her lone steal of the game. That steal amplified the crowd who rewarded her hard work in a game already out of hand.
Ohio State came out of the halftime locker room continuing their work from the first half. The Buckeyes went on a 21-2 run to start the second half, increasing their lead to 43 points. Defensively, the Falcons were held to 1-of-10 shooting to start the third, hitting just one basket in the first six minutes of the quarter.
By the time the fourth quarter started, the game was more than out of reach for the MAC side. Head coach Kevin McGuff sat Jaloni Cambridge, Gray, and Thierry, giving the second half of his current nine-player rotation the opportunity to gain experience in a game.
Freshman Ava Watson had the best offensive performance of her young NCAA career, scoring 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting from deep.
Chance Gray led Ohio State starters in scoring in the win with 18 points and backup point guard Madison Greene had a quietly impactful game. The Pickerington, Ohio native led the Buckeyes with four steals and added five assists.
Velasco ended the day as the Falcons’ top scorer, scoring 24 points. Increasing her already team-leading 19.8 points per game.
What’s Next
The Buckeyes are off until Thursday, that’s when they tip off at the Daytona Beach Classic against Old Dominion. Ohio State tips off at 11:30 a.m. ET on Thanksgiving day on BallerTV. It’s the first of two games in two days with the Buckeyes facing former assistant coach Wes Brooks who now leads Utah State in his first NCAA head coaching job.
Ohio State is 1-3 all-time against Old Dominion, but the two sides have played only once in the past 39 years. That was a Buckeyes win in Columbus on Nov. 23, 2013. Friday’s game against the Aggies is the first time in program histories that the two teams faced off.