Ohio State Buckeyes Pick Up First Win of Season Over IUPUI Jaguars, 108-58
Ohio State’s women’s basketball team took care of business Sunday.
The No. 7 Buckeyes (1-1, 0-0 Big Ten) dominated the IUPUI Jaguars (1-1, 0-0 Horizon League) from start to finish in a 108-58 blowout.
Ohio State came off firing, with three back-to-back-to-back threes from graduate forward Rebeka Mikulasikova and junior forward Taylor Thierry.
However, the Buckeyes prospered on the other side of the ball, forcing 20 first-half turnovers. Their success came in switching between full-court press matchups from a 2-1-2 to a man press.
IUPUI graduate forward Jazmyn Turner, who put up 19 points and 17 boards in their first win against Eastern Illinois Monday, went down early with what appeared to be an ankle injury in the first quarter. She headed to the locker room with 1:31 left in the quarter and would not return.
The Jaguars defense, on the other hand, could not stop forward Cotie McMahon down low. McMahon excelled in the X offense, where a player sets her a screen down low and she goes backdoor. The sophomore finished with 22 points on 63.6 percent shooting in 21 minutes.
The Buckeyes led 59-31 at halftime.
Ohio State did not let up in the second half, as Mikulasikova contained the paint on both ends of the floor, finishing with 10 points, three rebounds and two blocks in just 13 minutes.
The whole team saw the floor Sunday, highlighted by senior forward Karla Vres and sophomore guard Emma Shumate, who both put up late-game buckets.
Coming off a loss against No. 21 USC, the Buckeyes needed a big win to boost confidence. Ohio State stays home Thursday to play Boston College at 7 p.m.