For the fourth season in a row, No.3 Ohio State women’s basketball hosted the first two rounds of NCAA Tournament basketball at the Schottenstein Center. The Buckeyes goal was to get to an off-campus game for the first time since 2023. That required two wins and a potential matchup against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Second Round. Before all of that, the Scarlet and Gray had to avoid an upset against the No. 14 Howard Bison. After the first eight minutes, there was little worry for the Buckeyes in the upset department
as Ohio State limited Howard passing lanes to win 75-54.
First quarter
There is something to be said for having two weeks off and expecting some slower play for a team. That was not the case in the first quarter. Instead, the MEAC championship-winning Bison played the Buckeyes well. The two sides traded the lead five times in the first eight minutes of the game, and part of that came from missed Ohio State shots.
Guard Kennedy Cambridge hit her first three attempt of the game but missed the next two, both not coming close to converting. The Buckeyes missed four shots in a row and went 2-for-6 to start the game. Forward Kylee Kitts broke the run with a layup after the big came into the game relatively early for center Elsa Lemmilä. The Finnish big played four minutes and then was substituted, despite grabbing early rebounds and not picking up any fouls.
Ohio State went ahead thanks to a pair of three-point shots from guard Chance Gray, ultimately the lead that Ohio State took through the final buzzer.
Second quarter
With three minutes remaining though in the first quarter, Ohio State started a run aided by a 13-shot drought by the visiting Bison. Howard did not hit another field goal until 36 seconds left in the first half. Even so, Howard head coach Ty Grace did not call a timeout, despite a quick 10-point run in the second quarter. The Buckeyes scored the next 17 points and went on a 30-2 run with only free throws going in for Howard.
The five-point lead that Ohio State took into the second quarter ballooned into a 24-point lead at halftime with a 43-19 advantage. Then things got heated.
Third quarter
Out of the second half locker room, whistles came with more frequency, and most of them came at the Buckeyes’ expense.
In 3:57 of game clock, Howard already hit the bonus with five fouls going against Ohio State. Kitts picked up the fifth after point guard Jaloni Cambridge and Lemmilä each picked up a pair. Then, 34 seconds later, Kitts picked up a second near the basket. That foul sent head coach Kevin McGuff, and the crowd of thousands, into a tailspin.
Almost instantaneously after McGuff screamed the referee’s direction, referee Kaz Beverly gave McGuff a technical. Since the Bison were in the bonus, the combination of a foul and technical gave Howard four free throws and possession. Part of the third quarter story was that Howard continued to struggle to hit shots and the free throws were no exception. With the crowd doing their best to disrupt the head of the players, Howard missed three out of four shots.
The Bison outshot Ohio State 17-12 in the quarter but only hit four shots. Howard scored more from the free throw line going 9-for-15 from the charity stripe. Ohio State went 4-for-5 in the third on free throws.
Even so, Ohio State outscored the visitors by two points to go into the final 10 minutes up 26 points.
Fourth quarter
All Ohio State had to do was limit mistakes in the fourth quarter and that is what the Buckeyes did. Guard Ava Watson got Ohio State going with a three-point shot to start the scoring for the Buckeyes, but shooting was sporadic for the home side. McGuff’s side missed the next five shot attempts while Howard went on a six-point run. The Bison never cut the lead under 20 points, despite the run.
Jaloni Cambridge did have tough contact in the final quarter, both to the head. The first came just under three minutes into the fourth when guard Ariella Henigan went up for a block and in the followthrough hit the guard so hard in the face that a lens popped out of the guard’s goggles. Then, with 4:31 left, forward Jenesis Perrin and Cambridge collided when Cambridge lowered her shoulder. Their heads collided and Cambridge left the game, but went to the bench and laughed with her teammates.
With 2:18 left, the rest of the Ohio State starters in the game at the time went to the bench as Ohio State easily moved on to the NCAA Tournament’s Second Round.
Number of the Game: 2
With the pressure on defense from Ohio State, and Howard trying to force points to erase the deficit, the Bison had two assists in the game. Before Saturday, Howard’s low was six assists in a game, which also matched the Buckeyes’ lowest allowed on the season.
Key performers
Ohio State
- Jaloni Cambridge: 21 points, 2 blocks, 2 steals
- Kennedy Cambridge: 11 points, 7 rebounds
- Chance Gray: 11 points, 4 assists
Howard
- Zennia Thomas: 15 points, 6 rebounds
- Ariell Henigan: 14 points, 10 rebounds
Up Next
Ohio State’s victory puts them into the NCAA Tournament’s Second Round. The Buckeyes play the winner of the second game of the day when the No. 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish take on the No. 11 Fairfield Stags.
The Buckeyes never played the Stags but have a 1-4 record against the Fighting Irish, and four losses in a row. However, the two sides have not played for nine years. The last time the two sides met was in the 2017 Sweet Sixteen when Notre Dame defeated Ohio State 99-76.
