Jaloni Cambridge shoots a free throw in Ohio State’s 75-54 win over Howard in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Saturday at the Schottenstein Center. Photo credit: Cassandra D’Angelo | Lantern photographer.
Ten minutes into Ohio State’s NCAA first-round matchup against Howard, the game felt like a fight.
With the score 20-15 in favor of the Buckeyes, the Bison looked like they might hang tough.
For a moment, the thought of a March Madness upset crept in.
The second quarter put those thoughts to rest.
The Buckeyes outscored Howard 23-4 in the second quarter on their way to a 75-54 rout Saturday at the Schottenstein Center to advance to their fifth straight round of 32.
“We’re really good when we’re good. I think today’s a great example,” head coach Kevin McGuff said.
Jaloni Cambridge led the way, scoring 21 points on 9 of 14 shooting, marking her 20th 20-point game this season, the most by an Ohio State player since Kelsey Mitchell in 2017-18.
Cambridge got support from her teammates, as Kennedy Cambridge, Chance Gray and Ava Watson all reached double figures.
Ohio State shot 45% from the field compared to 33.9% for Howard and controlled the game on both ends. The Buckeyes overwhelmed the Bison 19-2 in fast-break points and outscored them 30-20 in the paint. They forced 17 turnovers, resulting in 20 points, and held Howard scoreless on nine 3-point attempts.
Despite the win, Ohio State recognized that improvements are still needed to advance deeper into the NCAA Tournament.
“Our defensive intensity and focus and execution in the second quarter were really at an elite level,” McGuff said. “What I didn’t like is that we just didn’t sustain it for long stretches, and it got really sloppy.”
A raucous crowd and a tenacious Bison team made the first quarter competitive for Ohio State, which carried a five-point lead into the second quarter thanks to 53.8% shooting from the field, including three 3-pointers.
Ohio State capitalized on Cambridge’s 10 points on 5 of 6 shooting and six steals to take control in the second quarter. The Buckeyes built a 30-point lead midway through the third quarter and dominated the rest of the game.
“We emphasize our press the whole game … ball pressure is emphasized all the time,” Cambridge said.
The closest the Bison got was 73-52 with 35 seconds remaining, led by Zennia Thomas with 15 and Ariella Henigan with 14.
For the second straight year, McGuff received a technical foul for arguing with officials five minutes into the third quarter.
“But I love a coach that’s going to fight for me and the way he did,” Cambridge said. “That made me want to go harder for him.”
The Buckeyes will face the winner of the Notre Dame-Fairfield matchup Monday at the Schottenstein Center.
