The Buckeyes lacked everything that was needed to compete with the Bruins on Saturday
After beating the Iowa Hawkeyes in a close quarterfinal matchup at the Big Ten Tournament, No. 3 Ohio State women’s basketball stayed in Indianapolis to face the No. 2 UCLA Bruins Saturday afternoon in the semifinal. From the jump, the Buckeyes struggled and head back to Columbus after a 75-46 defeat to UCLA. The worst defeat for the Buckeyes in 10 years.
The last time the Buckeyes and Bruins played, the Buckeyes kept the game close, even having a nearly lead in the game, and eventually fell apart in the fourth quarter. On Saturday, Ohio State started the game the same way their last game against UCLA ended.
Ohio State and UCLA traded baskets in the first four minutes and then the Bruins pulled away. The higher seeded Bruins went on a 10-point run over three minutes while Ohio State missed four consecutive baskets.
Guard/forward Taylor Thierry hit a layup in the final three minutes, and that was the lone made shot in the run of play in the final 6:16 of the first quarter. By the end of the first quarter, the Bruins already built a 14-point lead and that was without center Lauren Betts adding any baskets or taking any shots. Defensively, the Buckeyes were successful in stopping passes from getting inside, but everyone else was scoring in Betts’ place.
The Bruins had seven different scorers in the first quarter, compared to three for Ohio State. In the second, it did not get any better for the Buckeyes with Betts hitting her stride. The Bruins began finding Betts with their lob passes inside and the center scored eight points on 4-of-5 shooting in the paint.
Head coach Kevin McGuff tried different lineups and played all nine of his available players, but nobody stepped up to the moment. Freshman point guard Jasoni Cambridge led the Buckeyes with eight points in the first half but Ohio State was 9-of-30 as a team, compared to 66.7 percent for the Bruins, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc.
In the second quarter, Ohio State kept the deficit somewhat manageable, trimming a 19-point Bruins lead down to 14 points with three minutes left in the half but UCLA responded with a nine-point run.
What made it worse for the Scarlet and Gray is that 14 of the 22 points in the paint for UCLA weren’t from Betts. Take the center’s scoring out of the equation and the Buckeyes were outscored 14-4 inside the paint. For most of those opportunities inside for the Bruins, there was a Buckeye in the area but lacked the awareness to try and contest the basket. Defensively, Ohio State looked lethargic.
By halftime, UCLA increased their lead to 23 points, leading 44-21.
Out of the locker room, McMahon and Cambridge scored early baskets but the Bruins had three shots from beyond the arc and the lead continued to climb for UCLA. To make matters worse for the Buckeyes, Cambridge also suffered an injury. With just over five minutes left to play in the third quarter, Cambridge’s foot landed on guard Elin Aarnisalo’s foot, while Cambridge was defending the Bruin.
Cambridge got off the court on her own power, but could not put weight on her left leg completely. The freshman came back to the bench as the Bruins increased their lead to 37 points, the largest deficit for an Ohio State team after three quarters in program history.
After three quarters, with the Buckeyes more than out of the game, forward Cotie McMahon left the game after holding onto her wrist towards the end of the third period. McMahon put a brace on her right arm and went to the back to receive treatment. McMahon tried shooting with the wrist and it was clear that something was wrong. The junior had one free throw not reach the basket and a second clang off the front.
Ohio State scored eight points in the third quarter, tied for the lowest in a quarter this season after scoring eight against the same UCLA Bruins back in February, in Los Angeles.
The fourth quarter was much of the same. Forward Ajae Petty hit two layups for the Buckeyes but UCLA had two three-point shots courtesy of guard Londynn Jones, who had six shot from deep in the Bruins victory.
Kennedy Cambridge kept playing in the fourth and added four points for the Buckeyes, plus two steals. The Buckeyes started playing for pride in the last few minutes and went on a 10-point run to end the game.
Jaloni Cambridge led in the game with 10 points while UCLA had four players with double-digit points. Jones led all scorers with 22 points.
What’s Next
With the defeat to the Bruins, the Buckeyes now await Selection Sunday on March 16. That’s when Ohio State hears their NCAA seeding fate. Earn a top-16 seed and the NCAA Tournament will go through Columbus in the first two rounds.
Should Ohio State host, it will be the third season in a row. The last time the Buckeyes didn’t play their first two rounds in Columbus was the 21-22 season where the Buckeyes traveled to Baton Rouge and upset the LSU Tigers on their home court.