Last season, Ohio State women’s basketball was an unranked side headed into a hostile environment in Connecticut to face the defending national champions from UConn. The side full of underclassmen talent for head coach Kevin McGuff were humbled that day in a 100-68 defeat. Thursday night was the Columbus edition of the home-and-home series and with another year of experience, plus the graduation of key players for head coach Geno Auriemma’s Huskies, meant maybe there was a chance for the No. 17 Buckeyes
to upset the now No. 4 UConn Huskies.
That did not happen. Instead the Huskies showed why they are a 12-time national championship winning program in a 87-55 rout of Ohio State.
First quarter
With the larger audience on hand for the visiting Huskies, the louder atmosphere and stature of the UConn program put Ohio State on edge. The side forced shots early and gave the ball away four times in the first three minutes and 13 seconds.
UConn scored 10 of the first 12 points, and the Buckeyes already had a hole to dig out of against the No. 4 team in the country. The home side forced shots and went 1-for-5, and it looked like a game that point guard Jaloni Cambridge would try to rest solely on her shoulders.
The All-Big Ten selection scored nine points in the first quarter and had two assists but also picked up two fouls. Even so, McGuff kept her in all but one minute of the quarter because the Buckeye defense could not seem to stop the Huskies. UConn went 11-for-17, which included a 2-for-3 deep shooting quarter for Ashlynn Shade.
UConn forward Sarah Strong, who had a career day last season against the Buckeyes in Hartford, Connecticut, started the game with five points and three assists, but she too picked up early fouls like her fellow 2024 freshman standout Cambridge.
Second quarter
UConn head coach Geno Auriemma sat Strong for the entirety of the second quarter. That, plus a 1-for-8 start from the Huskies on the floor, sounded like a recipe for an Ohio State comeback. However, the Buckeyes could not capitalize. The Buckeyes had three turnovers and only mustered one shot in the first three minutes of the quarter. It took nearly five minutes for Ohio State to score a basket in the run of play.
However, the home side’s chippy play kept the Buckeyes in the game. Guard Ava Watson benefited with six fast-break points and 10 overall for the quarter. The most impressive came on a steal at the arc from guard Kennedy Cambridge, who sent a lob of a pass halfway down the court to a sprinting Watson.
Ohio State went into halftime down three points, and it was almost five with freshman center Olivia Vukosa. On a scramble near the basket, it appeared that Vukosa scored a second-chance basket with a fraction of a second on the shot clock. Upon further review, the ball touched the top of her fingers ever so slightly. If Vukosa trimmed her nails before the game, it might have counted.
Third quarter
Rough shooting continued for Ohio State into the second half. Ohio State went 1-for-6 to start the third quarter, which included three missed shots from deep. Through 25 minutes of the game, head coach Kevin McGuff’s side was 3-for-16 from beyond the arc, UConn’s Strong was a different story. Strong went 5-for-5 from deep in the third quarter, and all of them came with a defender in her face. The reigning National Player of the Year Strong’s five shots from deep was more than Ohio State made in the entire game to that point. It was as if Strong could make them from the concession stand if she wanted.
Ohio State’s offensive woes meant any sort of positive momentum their way fizzled. Like early in the second half when guard Kennedy Cambridge wrapped Vukosa up under the basket and got whistled for a foul. After the play, Vukosa threw her arm back towards the older Cambridge sister. After review, the referees assessed a flagrant one against the freshman. Watson hit one of two free throws from it.
The Buckeyes ended the quarter with three-point attempt after three-point attempt in an attempt to shrink the deficit. Except it didn’t because they continued to stay out of the basket. Instead, the Huskies built a larger lead. The three-point halftime deficit swelled to 19 points.
Fourth quarter
The first attempted basket in the quarter came from Jaloni Cambridge who sprinted down the court and went to the basket, with space to hit an easy layup, for Jaloni Cambridge’s standards. The ball hit off two rims and went out. It was a play that represented the Buckeyes’ night well. Nothing could fall for Ohio State. However, Strong and the Huskies had no issues. Strong hit another three to start the fourth quarter, which began a seven-point run the visitors.
With five minutes remaining, Jaloni Cambridge received a knock and went to the floor. Even if the basket went in, nothing short of a miracle would have made the game close for Ohio State. With all of the energy sucked out of the arena, McGuff brought in freshman forward Sydney Mobley for the first time in the game. Then Seini Henry. Then Atlee Vanesko. Only Ella Hobbs missed minutes and that was due to injury.
A majority of fans still stuck around despite the lopsided scoreline and cheered when the Buckeyes hit late baskets, but for moral support more than anything.
Number of the Game: 20.8%
That is the three-point percentage for the Buckeyes against the Huskies. Four different Ohio State players missed at least two shots from deep on the 5-for-24 shooting evening for McGuff’s side.
Key performers
Ohio State
- Jaloni Cambridge: 21 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists
- Ava Watson: 13 points
UConn
- Sarah Strong: 25 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 stealas
- KK Arnold: 10 points, 5 assists, 5 steals
Up Next
The Buckeyes are back to the non-conference mid-major grind on Sunday. That is when Farleigh Dickinson University comes to Columbus.
