Ohio State women’s basketball faced its first challenge of the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday against the Indiana Hoosiers. After the first quarter, it became less of a challenge as the Buckeyes cruised to an 83-59 victory. Now, Ohio State heads into the quarterfinals to face the No. 4-seeded Minnesota Golden Gophers.
While the matchup showed flaws in the Scarlet and Gray’s interior game, Ohio State aims to bring a different performance 16 days later. How can it be more competitive, and what does
the basketball itself have to do with it?
The problem in Minneapolis
To win any competitive game, teams look for any kind of advantage. On Feb. 18 at The Barn, Minnesota eliminated every single advantage at the Buckeyes’ disposal.
First were turnovers. Ohio State knew that the Golden Gophers were strong in maintaining possession, but most teams are until they face the Scarlet and Gray. Minnesota averaged 9.9 turnovers per game until that snowy night deep in the Midwest, and Ohio State only forced nine.
Part of that problem, the side that the Buckeyes can control, is making shots. The thing with the full court press that head coach Kevin McGuff employs is that it first requires a shot to be made. That night, shooting was at a premium for the Buckeyes, who shot 39.3% from the field. Ohio State recovered and had 24 in its next game, but the damage was done.
Since then, shooting improved to a 45.6% average in the next four games, too, which is no coincidence. That pressure needs to be present to get the Golden Gophers out of their comfort zone. The Michigan State Spartans and Illinois Fighting Illini fared better with 13 and 14 forced turnovers, respectively, in matchups that the Golden Gophers split.
Second were rebounds. The 47-32 margin in favor of the Gophers, combined with the lackluster turnover performance and the Buckeyes did not stand a chance. Thursday night gave hope, though, when Ohio State won the battle on the boards 45-33. Prior to the Big Ten Tournament, Ohio State also out-rebounded the Michigan State Spartans 34-26. The growing comfort of forward Kylee Kitts since she returned from a shoulder sprain and five games in a row with at least 10 rebounds for center Elsa Lemmilä played a big part in the recent transformation.
When the two teams played up north, it was only Kitts’ third game back. She only played 13 minutes of the 13-point defeat.
“I’m not injured anymore. So I needed to just get my feet under me. It took me quite a while, but I think I’m back to where I don’t know. I just think I’m better than I have been playing,” Kitts told Land-Grant Holy Land.
Lastly is interior defense. Center Sophie Hart exposed the Buckeyes’ ability to stop opponents inside the paint. The 6-foot-5 does not stand as tall as Lemmilä, but gets under the rim with more physicality. Plus, she has a group of ready and willing guards to find her in open spaces. Should Kitts truly have the injury fully behind her, it could mean more time on the court with both Kitts and Lemmilä to limit the big.
Hart co-led the Gophers with 18 points on a double-double night with 10 rebounds. She was one of many reasons why the Buckeyes were outscored 32-16 inside the paint.
Third scorer
Over the closing two months of the Big Ten season, point guard Jaloni Cambridge has slowly earned a partner in carrying the scoring load in senior guard Chance Gray. Since the start of the calendar year, the career 12.6 points per game shooter jumped up to 16.8 points. Even more recently, Gray averaged 19.6 points in the final five games of the regular season.
Between Gray and Jaloni Cambridge, the two averaged 47.6 points per game over the final five games before the tournament, which sounds great. However, the Buckeyes only won two of those five games.
Case in point, Ohio State needs more offensive production from around the two on-court leaders to extend its stay in Indianapolis. The Buckeyes had that on Thursday afternoon with guard Kennedy Cambridge, who added 14 points and 22 points off the bench, with 17 from Kitts and guard Bryn Martin. The other five came when the game was firmly in the Buckeyes’ hands, and guard T’Yana Todd and forward Ella Hobbs entered the game in the latter stages of the fourth quarter.
How many bench points did Ohio State have against Minnesota? You can count all five points on one hand.
A third scorer of double-digit points and near double-digit points off the bench pushes Ohio State’s average close to 70 points per game. Add five apiece for the remaining starters, and 80 points will win most tournament games this late in the season when anxiety is high and leads to mistakes and rushed shots.
Look for Kennedy Cambridge, especially if turnovers go Ohio State’s way more on Friday than they did on that fateful Wednesday night in February. If Lemmilä hits layups early, that usually snowballs for the Finnish sophomore.
For any of this to happen, though, the Buckeyes need the fast break opportunities to offset the need for half-court offense, where Ohio State is not at its best with the ball in its hands. The Friday game may come down to turnovers that morph into high percentage shots.
Nike or Wilson?
It does not seem like much, but something that throws players off in this tournament is the basketball itself. The first two games of the day all started somewhat clunky on offense. In the game between the Hoosiers and Buckeyes, the teams shot 28.6% and 31.6%, respectively. The 12-12 score at the end of the first quarter was not only because of defense, but it was from a different kind of adjustment that people off the court may not first consider.
“Yeah, these balls are weird. I don’t really like them,” Jaloni Cambridge told reporters. “They’re definitely a little off, definitely different than Nike ball.”
All of Ohio State’s opponents but three played with a Nike ball, according to the sophomore point guard. In addition, the Big Ten Tournament uses brand new basketballs, which bounce differently than the ones Ohio State practices with and uses in the Schottenstein Center.
For Jaloni Cambridge and the Buckeyes, it does not mean the game is more difficult, but it is an adjustment. After a loss, that would sound like an odd excuse. After a win, it sounds like the thoughts of somebody who has had a basketball in her hands most of her young life.
So, will that give the Buckeyes an advantage to start the game, since the Nike school, Minnesota, has not had a full game to practice? Is a shoot around enough to get familiarity? See how the shots go in the first quarter and use your own judgment.
How to Watch
Date: Friday, March 7, 2026
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Television: Big Ten Network
Stream: FOX Sports
