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Can Ohio State reach Final Four in Women’s March Madness? Why or why not
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- Can Ohio State reach Final Four in Women’s March Madness? Why or why not
Ohio State 's women's basketball team has the chance of redemption after being eliminated from the NCAA Tournament on its own court in the second round last year.
With six new active players on the roster , the Buckeyes went 24-5 in the regular season and reached the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament. Those performances were enough to earn Ohio State a No. 4 seed in the Birmingham 3 region and hosting rights for the opening two rounds of the tournament for the third consecutive year.
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Last season, Ohio State fell 75-63 to the No. 7 seed Duke as a No. 2 seed, cutting its postseason short.
Ohio State forward Taylor Thierry makes a fast break layup over Maryland Terrapins guard Sarah Te-Biasu in January.
The Buckeyes start their 2025 NCAA Tournament campaign against the No. 13 seed Montana State (30-3) , who got an automatic bid as the Big Sky conference's tournament champions. The Bobcats have never won a NCAA Tournament game in their prior three appearances, the most recent being in 2022.
Here's what to expect from Ohio State in the 2025 NCAA Tournament:
Ohio State has the edge for NCAA Tournament first round vs Montana State
Ohio State is going into its first-round matchup as as more than 13-point favorites over Montana State.
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The teams are similar on paper, both struggling in rebounding with under 36 per game but make up for the lack of boards with over 12 steals per game. Montana State averages more steals per game than Ohio State (14.6-12.3), while Ohio State averages more points (78.9-72.5).
WOMEN'S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY's Women's Bracket Challenge for a chance at $1 million prize.
Beyond the on-court stats, the Buckeyes' track record against non power-four schools give them the edge in the first round.
The Buckeyes have never lost in six tournament first-round games under Kevin McGuff , and were 10-0 against non power-four schools this season. The Bobcats defeated only one power-four program in their 30 wins, UCF .
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How does Ohio State's possible second-round opponent Tennessee look?
If Ohio State advances to the second round, its opponent will be either No. 5 seed Tennessee or No. 12 seed USF.
Ohio State's Cotie McMahon (32) gets the rebound over Tennessee's Jillian Hollingshead (53) during an NCAA college basketball game on Sunday, December 3, 2023 in Knoxville, Tenn.
Both have had success against tough opponents this season, with Tennessee recording a win over Connecticut , a No. 2 seed in the tournament. Ohio State failed to have a top-10 win this year.
Tennessee is a high-scoring team, averaging more than 87 points per game, and grabs 40.7 rebounds per game, more than five more than Ohio State's 35.5. In close games with less than a five-point margin, Tennessee is 3-6 compared to Ohio State, which is 3-2.
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The Lady Vols have struggled toward the end of the season, falling in their last two games of the season and were upset in the SEC Tournament second round by Vanderbilt.
Will Jaloni Cambridge , Cotie McMahon be available for NCAA Tournament?
For the Final Four to even be a thought for Ohio State, the Buckeyes will need team-leading scorer Cotie McMahon and Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jaloni Cambridge available.
Both left the Big Ten Tournament's semifinal matchup on March 8 with injuries in the third quarter. Cambridge hurt her ankle on a non-contact play and McMahon had discomfort in her right, shooting elbow.
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McGuff confirmed on Sunday both are expected to play in the first round against Montana State.
"They should be fine," McGuff said. "They both got kind of a little banged up, but I think the week, this past week, not having any games was really helpful. So, I feel like by the time we play on Friday, they should be good to go."
More: Ohio State women talk being ready for the unexpected in March Madness
Prediction: Can the Buckeyes reach Final Four if they make the Sweet Sixteen?
The Buckeyes have failed to prove that they are a team that can overcome the top teams in the country, making the Final Four unrealistic for Ohio State.
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In three games against either UCLA or USC, both No. 1 seeds in the tournament, the Buckeyes were outscored by an average of 21 points and outrebounded by a combined 154-88.
Ohio State Buckeyes guard Jaloni Cambridge (22) shoots the ball in the second half at Value City Arena on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio.
Ohio State had its worst loss at the Big Ten Tournament in program history against UCLA in the semifinals, 75-46.
To reach the Final Four, Ohio State would have beat top-10 teams Texas , TCU and Notre Dame.
When is Ohio State vs. Montana State in Women's March Madness?
Tipoff: 5:30 p.m. at Value City Arena
Date: Friday, March 21
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State women's basketball March Madness predictions for 2025
