In their first game of 2024, the No. 20-ranked Ohio State women's basketball team looked to bounce back from a loss when it faced Northwestern on the road.
Falling to Michigan on Dec. 30 caused the Buckeyes to fall three spots in the AP rankings, but they picked back up their momentum with a 90-60 victory over the Wildcats on Friday. Led by Jacy Sheldon 's 18 points, all five of Ohio State's starters reached double-digit scoring.
"We did have a couple game where we didn't play our best, but we've been working on not beating ourselves up" said Buckeyes forward Eboni Walker . "Just doing the best that we can, and things will go more our way. This is the first game of many."
With regular starter Rebeka Mikulasikova out for the game with an illness, Walker was slotted into the starting five, marking the first change in coach Kevin McGuff's starting lineup this season. Walker made the most of the opportunity, recording 10 points, a team-leading six rebounds and six assists.
"We're a little smaller with her, but we're also a little bit faster overall," McGuff said. "She does a great job running the floor. She's hard to keep up with for the other team's post players."
Walker contributed to Ohio State's 8-0 start to the game, but Northwestern's sharp shooting from beyond the arc cut the lead to 8-6. The Wildcats' first four baskets of the night were off 3-pointers, going 4 for 4.
The game remained close throughout the first quarter, with Northwestern taking a quick 16-15 lead with less than three minutes left.
Finding multiple opportunities to put fast-break points on the board, the Buckeyes ended the quarter ahead 20-19. Celeste Taylor , who was coming off a season-high 16 points against Michigan , recorded 8 points in the opening quarter, including the layup to take back the lead.
With the defense finding its groove, Ohio State had a stronger second quarter. Holding the Wildcats to 8 points, the Buckeyes went into halftime in front 42-28 after forcing 15 turnovers and recording seven steals in the half.
As the Buckeyes continued to put the game out of reach, the team's bench players were able to see more minutes in the second half. Freshman Diana Collins recorded a career-high 10 points, with all her points coming after halftime.
"She's very talented, especially on the offensive end," McGuff said of Collins. "As we continue to go through the season, I'm hopeful that our depth will be a little strength of ours. So, I think she can be a big part of that."
Ohio State's bench put up 26 points, with all but one player getting on the board. The Buckeyes outscored Northwestern in the paint 42-26 and in points off turnovers 37-8. Following a Michigan game in which OSU recorded 19 turnovers, the team was "much better with the ball" according to McGuff, giving up only six against the Wildcats.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: No. 20 record 30-point victory over Northwestern on the road
