Women’s Basketball: Buckeyes complete 13-point comeback, defeat Penn State 94-84 in first Big Ten home game

David Skovira
Mon, 11 Dec 2023 22:40:41 +0000
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Sophomore forward Cotie McMahon (32) shoots a three-pointer against Ohio Dec. 5. No. 12 Ohio State won 85-45 at the Schottenstein Center. Credit: Aiden Ridgeway | Lantern Photographer

The No. 12 Ohio State women’s basketball team (8-1, 1-0 Big Ten) defeated No. 25 Penn State (7-3, 0-1 Big Ten) 94-84 in overtime of its first Big Ten matchup of the season after falling behind by double digits in the third quarter at Value City Arena Sunday.

Sophomore forward Cotie McMahon led the Buckeyes’ comeback, scoring 8 of her 27 points in overtime.

The game started out slow but physical, as both teams had five fouls midway through the first quarter. After the teams settled in, the Buckeyes’ 7-point lead in the first quarter disappeared thanks to hot 3-point shooting from the Nittany Lions.

Knowing this game was the first conference matchup of the season, head coach Kevin McGuff said this game was tough to win.

“They really can score the ball,” McGuff said. “You got to be on point defensively, individually and as a team, and when we weren’t they made us pay.”

Senior guard Makenna Marisa led the Nittany Lions with 28 points and eight rebounds before suffering a lower leg injury with 1:51 left in overtime. Sophomore guard Shay Ciezki added 19 points and six rebounds of her own in the loss.

Graduate guard Jacy Sheldon led the way for the Buckeyes, scoring 31 points on 8-for-13 from the field. Graduate guard Celeste Taylor had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

In the first quarter, Penn State took advantage of the Buckeyes’ aggressiveness and drew multiple charges, to the crowd’s dismay. At the end of the quarter, the game was deadlocked at 26 apiece.

With 3:39 left in the period, redshirt-senior guard Madison Greene checked into the game for the Buckeyes to heavily applaud, returning from a season-ending knee injury that sidelined her for the second half of last year.

McMahon said the team prayed for Greene before her season debut, knowing how tough the mental side of injuries can be.

“It was very emotional,” McMahon said. “If I wasn’t on the court, I would’ve shed a tear. It’s really good to see.”

The second quarter belonged to the Nittany Lions, as they could not miss from deep and took a 10-point lead into the break. Penn State shot a blazing 78 percent from 3-point range, going 7-for-9 in the first half.

In the third quarter, both teams went back and forth before Ohio State went on an 8-0 run to cut into the deficit. With 1:55 left to go in the quarter, Sheldon made a layup to make it a 2-point game, but Penn State ended the quarter on a 7-0 run to extend its lead back to nine.

The Buckeyes outscored the Nittany Lions 21-12 in the fourth quarter and had a 2-point lead with under a minute to go.

However, a late turnover by Ohio State allowed Penn State to tie the game with 11 seconds left, and the Buckeyes could not convert on the final play of regulation.

The Buckeyes increased their defensive intensity in overtime, allowing only 4 points, and dominated offensively to get the 10-point victory.

Sheldon said it was encouraging to see the team fight to the end, knowing there is still more learning that will happen before the end of the season.

“This win says a lot about our team,” Sheldon said. “We don’t have too much of a new group, but we do have a lot of newcomers, and the fact that we were able to come together in that time instead of separate says a lot about us.”

Ohio State looks to extend its winning streak to nine Friday evening when it takes on Grand Valley State at Value City Arena. Tipoff is set for 6:00 p.m. on Big Ten+.