Jaloni Cambridge (22) moves down the court while Kennadi Williams (15) defends. Credit: Cassandra D’Angelo | Freelance Photographer.
The Buckeyes knew they would have to control the game early to beat one of the best-shooting teams in the country.
They did exactly that.
Jaloni Cambridge and Chance Gray combined for 51 points to power No. 11 Ohio State past Nebraska 90-71, earning its ninth conference win and improving to 20-3 on the season.
Ohio State controlled the game from the opening tip, leading for all but 12 seconds.
Nebraska briefly seized momentum with a 10-0 run midway through the first half, taking its only lead of the night with 8:34 remaining. Ohio State responded quickly with a 10-2 run and reestablished control.
The Buckeyes forced Nebraska into rushed possessions and went into halftime with an eight-point lead, fueled by 13 points from Gray and 12 points off seven Cornhusker turnovers.
“I thought our focus and our energy were good to start the game, especially defensively,” head coach Kevin McGuff said.
Gray provided stability offensively in the first half, while Jaloni Cambridge took over after the break.
The sophomore scored 20 of her 30 points in the second half as Ohio State never relinquished its lead, despite the Cornhuskers keeping within 10 points until five minutes left in the fourth quarter, when an 11-0 Buckeye run put the game away.
Nebraska entered the game ranked sixth nationally in field goal percentage at 49.6 percent, 10th in free throw percentage at 78.6 percent, and 18th in 3-point shooting at 36.7 percent, but Ohio State held the Cornhuskers below those averages.
Ohio State matched its defensive effort with efficient shooting. The Buckeyes made 11 3-pointers and shot 44 percent from beyond the arc, marking their fourth-best performance from deep this season.
Gray reached the 1,500-point milestone with a 21-point performance, shooting 8-for-15 from the field and knocking down five 3-pointers.
“She’s been stepping up really big for us lately, and we knew what she could do a long time ago,” Jaloni Cambridge said.
Despite playing just three minutes in the first quarter due to foul trouble, Jaloni Cambridge recorded her fourth 30-point game of the season and led the Buckeyes in scoring.
“I liked tonight the pace that she was creating for us,” McGuff said. “Within that pace, she generated a lot of offense for herself.”
Cambridge also added six assists and went 10-for-11 from the free-throw line. As a team, Ohio State shot 17-for-18 at the line, finishing at 94 percent, its highest free-throw percentage since March 25, 2022.
“When we don’t convert there, we’re leaving a lot of points on the board that are going to be really important given the schedule that we’re going to be facing coming up,” McGuff said.
