While the Ohio State women's basketball team is used to having coach Kevin McGuff on the sideline, what was unusual at Value City Arena on Friday was the McGuff on the court for the opponent, Belmont.
A first for both Kevin and Kilyn McGuff, a junior starter for Belmont, the father-daughter duo's squads faced off as the No. 13 ranked Buckeyes topped the Bruins 84-55.
"I think before I was so nervous," Letitia McGuff, Kevin's wife and Kilyn's mother, said in reference to the game. "But I guess if I'm going to be in this place where I want the best for everyone ... I also have to be the person, when we get these situations to be like, 'All right, let's go.' Even if it's my daughter, even if it's my husband."
The goal for Kevin going into this game was "for her (Kilyn) to play well and us to win."
Starting off the game strong with an early steal and layup for the Bruins, Kilyn and her team didn't make it easy for her father and the Buckeyes in their final game before the holiday break. Kilyn would finish her homecoming with 4 points and six rebounds.
Throughout the first half, Belmont presented a bit of trouble for the Buckeyes, as the two teams started off trading turns taking the lead. With Kenda Cheesman and Tessa Miller leading the way for the Bruins in the first half with 10 points each, Ohio State fell behind 24-22 with 7:47 left in the second.
That would be the last time the Bruins would pull ahead, as the Buckeyes went on a 13-2 run toward the end of the half and went into the locker room with a 38-28 lead. It was a player Kilyn is very familiar with, Jacy Sheldon, who accounted for 18 of the Buckeyes' first half points.
"She's a great player," Kilyn said while speaking about Sheldon. "Offensively she's very skilled. So I was trying to think 'don't let her score,' but she's really good."
Ohio State pulled away in the second half, capitalizing on the Bruins' 23 turnovers, which the Buckeyes used to score 21 of their points. Along with Sheldon, who ended the game with 31 points and five 3-pointers, Celeste Taylor contributed with 15 points as Rikki Harris had a strong outing off the bench with 10 points and four steals.
"Rikki's just a winner, Rikki's someone you want on your team," Sheldon said. "The energy and the amount of excitement she brings to the game and how much she shares the ball and her ability to guard and score too is really special."
Overall, Kevin started off what is his 21st wedding anniversary with his wife Letitia the way he wanted, watching his daughter play college ball in-person for the first time while picking up the win.
"It was a little nerve-wrecking obviously, being on the other side of the court, but it was fun," Kevin said. "Great win for us and fun to see my daughter play."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State women defeat coach Kevin McGuff's daughter's team, Belmont
