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What's gone wrong for No. 9 Ohio State during 'ugly' stretch of Big Ten games
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- What's gone wrong for No. 9 Ohio State during 'ugly' stretch of Big Ten games
The past three games for the Ohio State women's basketball team could be described by one word: ugly.
On Thursday, the Buckeyes (21-3) went to overtime against an unranked Minnesota team (19-7). No. 9 Ohio State pulled out a 87-84 victory , in large part due to the 25-point performance from forward Cotie McMahon.
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"This was an ugly win," McMahon said. "I would take an overtime win than a loss. So, we just had to do what we had to do, clean it up a little bit and win in overtime."
Teammate Elsa Lemmila shared a similar blunt opinion, stating Ohio State , "shouldn't have gone to overtime."
Ohio State forward Cotie McMahon makes a shot and draws contact from Minnesota's Tori McKinney on Thursday.
With tournament play rapidly approaching, the Buckeyes were looking for a convincing victory to reignite their momentum following a 0-2 performance on the West Coast last week.
Ohio State started its road trip falling to No. 1 UCLA 65-52 on Feb. 5. The week went further downhill three days later when the Buckeyes recorded a larger loss against No. 5 USC, 84-63 , despite the Trojans' star JuJu Watkins having a relatively quiet outing going 5 for 21 from the field.
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The two matchups marked the Buckeyes' worst shooting performances of the season, as they went 29.4% from the field in both games.
Related Ohio State women's basketball: No. 9 Ohio State women hold off Minnesota in overtime in Big Ten basketball
One of the bright spots in the Minnesota victory was Ohio State's improved 59.3% shooting. Freshman Ava Watson's 16 points, with 12 coming from beyond the arc, impacted the boost in Ohio State's offensive.
"We haven't been shooting it very well," Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff said, "and she really gave us some great minutes and points."
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Ohio State's defense took a step back
When evaluating the past three games, McMahon emphasized the inconsistency of Ohio State's defense, specifically against Minnesota.
"As a team we need to take pride in our defense," McMahon said. "I feel like that's just really where we lack. We have certain people who really lock in on defense, and then certain people who, I wouldn't say don't lock in, but don't take the next step that's needed with our defense."
The 84 points Ohio State allowed against USC and Minnesota are the highest opponent point totals of the season. The Minnesota game is the only matchup for Ohio State this season that's gone to overtime.
Ohio State guard Chance Gray defends Minnesota's Tori McKinney on Thursday.
Ohio State's 61.2 average for opponent points in still the sixth lowest in the Big Ten, despite the recent outings.
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Ohio State's rebounding remained the biggest roadblock
Rebounding has been the biggest struggle for Ohio State in recent seasons. Last season, Ohio State averaged 33.5 boards per game. The Buckeyes have seen an improvement this year with 36.4, but their shortcomings on the boards has still cost them games.
On the West Coast, the Buckeyes were outrebounded by more than 48, with the 62-30 margin against USC being the worse of the season.
More Ohio State sports news: No. 8 Ohio State women lose to No. 7 USC despite quiet start from JuJu Watkins
Minnesota beat the Buckeyes on the boards 35-27.
" We've got to show more toughness and fight on the glass," McGuff said. "And more discipline, too. We had times where we just didn't hit them. You've got to hit them. You've got to pursue the ball, and you've got to have the whole team committed to it."
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The past three games, the Buckeyes' top rebounder, Ajae Petty (5.6 per game), has been matched or outrebounded by 5-foot-7 point guard Jaloni Cambridge.
Ohio State forward Ajae Petty and USC forward Kiki Iriafen battle for rebounding position on Feb. 8.
Ohio State's transfers hit a slump
McGuff recruited Petty and Chance Gray from the transfer portal this offseason, and both got off to quick starts within the Buckeyes' lineup.
As the season has gone on, their production has become smaller and they've put up lackluster performances in Ohio State's biggest games.
Gray and Petty combined for 6 points against UCLA . Gray has failed to shoot over 30% from the field since a 72-66 victory over Nebraska on Jan. 26.
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"I think for Chance, sometimes the more you try to make the shot, the harder you make it on yourself," McGuff said. "So (she needs to) get balanced, get to the rim, get to the free throw line, just make sure she takes good shots, and that's the biggest thing."
Ohio State's next game is against Iowa (18-7) at noon Monday.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State women struggle in Big Ten matchups vs UCLA, USC, Minnesota
