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Ohio State ends Maryland’s 31-game streak vs. Big Ten women’s basketball Ohio State ends Maryland’s 31-game streak vs. Big Ten women’s basketball
(about 1 hour later)
The sixth-ranked Maryland women’s basketball team knew full well entering Saturday’s game that Ohio State probably was going to prove its most difficult opponent in its quest for a second straight Big Ten championship and the biggest threat to ending a winning streak against opponents from the league that dated from 2007. The sixth-ranked Maryland women’s basketball team knew full well entering Saturday afternoon’s game that Ohio State probably was going to prove its most daunting obstacle in its quest for a second straight confernece championship and the biggest threat to halting its long winning streak over Big Ten opponents.
Maryland had that 31-game run collapse amid turnovers, missed layups and balky possessions down the stretch in losing for the second time in three games, 80-71, and ceding early-season Big Ten bragging rights to the No. 9 Buckeyes at Xfinity Center. Maryland had run, which stretched 31 games since 2007, end amid turnovers, missed layups and balky possessions down the stretch in front in losing for the second time in three games. The Terrapins ceded early-season Big Ten bragging rights to the No. 9 Buckeyes in an 80-71 defeat in front of an announced 10,119 at Xfinity Center.
[Game stats: Ohio State 80, Maryland 71][Game stats: Ohio State 80, Maryland 71]
Ohio State, which lost to Maryland in last season’s Big Ten tournament title game, went ahead to stay, 56-55, on reserve forward Shayla Cooper’s basket with 4 minutes 16 seconds left in the third quarter. The lead expanded to 70-63 with 7:10 to go in the game on senior guard Ameryst Alston’s three-pointer, and Maryland got within one possession just once more the rest of the way, 72-69, with 3:17 left.. “For us it was a great accomplishment,” Terrapins Coach Brenda Frese said of the streak against the Big Ten, which included 21 consecutive wins last season in sweeping to the league regular season and tournament titles as a first-year member. “I don’t think we ever set out to do it. We’re always into a one-game mind-set, so I think if anyone thought we were going to go undefeated for the next four years, I mean, the game will keep you humble. I thought Ohio State came in here with a great chip on their shoulder, and we can’t stay in the past.”
Reserve guard Brene Moseley led Maryland (12-2, 1-1 Big Ten) with 20 points and 10 assists. The former first-team Washington Post All-Met from Paint Branch shot 8 for 16 but missed all five of her three-point attempts and went 4 of 7 from the free throw line. Shatori Walker-Kimbrough added 16 points for Maryland, which committed 20 turnovers. Ohio State went ahead to stay, 56-55, on junior forward Shayla Cooper’s basket with 4 minutes 16 seconds to go in the third quarter. The lead expanded to 70-63 with 7:11 left in the game on senior guard Ameryst Alston’s three-pointer, but Maryland whittled it to 72-69 with 3:11 to play on junior guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough’s three-pointer.
Sophomore guard Kelsey Mitchell had a game-high 25 points for Ohio State (10-3, 2-0). Mitchell, the second-leading scorer in the country, shot 9 for 16, a vast improvement from her performance last season in College Park when she had 19 points but missed 19 of 26 shots during an 87-78 loss. Buckeyes Coach Kevin McGuff called timeout, and Ohio State got a pair of layups from Alexa Hart around Kelsey Mitchell’s putback for a 78-69 lead with 1:26 to play to all but secure the outcome. It was the teams’ first meeting since Maryland beat the Buckeyes in last season’s Big Ten tournament final, 77-74.
Ohio State had to play most of the fourth quarter without Cooper, who fouled out with 8:12 remaining. The junior finished with 11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds before departing with the Buckeyes holding a 65-61 advantage. [Jenkins: Pat Summitt, Phil Jackson and a renowned author form an extraordinary triangle]
A flurry of turnovers contributed to Maryland having to play from behind in the third quarter for the first time when a three-point halftime lead turned to a 46-42 deficit. The Buckeyes scored nine in a row for their first lead of the game, compelling Coach Brenda Frese to call timeout with 7:42 to play in the third. Maryland responded with a 7-1 flurry to reclaim the lead with 6:54 to go. Reserve guard Brene Moseley led Maryland (12-2, 1-1 Big Ten) with 20 points and 10 assists to match a career high. The former first-team Washington Post All-Met at Paint Branch High School shot 8 for 16 but missed all five of her three-point attempts and went 4 of 7 from the free throw line. Walker-Kimbrough added 16 points but committed seven of Maryland’s 20 turnovers in the Terrapins’ first home loss since Jan. 27, 2014, to Notre Dame, 87-83.
By that point, Maryland had matched its average turnovers per game (15) this season. Circumstances grew worse for the Terrapins moments later when Ohio State scored seven consecutive points for a 61-55 advantage with 2:15 to play in the third quarter. Mitchell capped the run by dribbling the length of the court, scoring on a layup and making the bonus after getting fouled. Frese cited the fatigue of a third game in six days as a culprit in Maryland’s 34-14 discrepancy in points in the paint as well as the Terrapins missing 6 of 10 foul shots in the second half. Maryland finished only slightly ahead in rebounding, 38-35, but came in leading the country with a plus-20.5 rebounding margin. It also averaged 17 points fewer than its scoring average (88.3), which is second nationally.
Ohio State Coach Kevin McGuff called the first timeout of the game after the Terrapins used a 10-3 surge to open the second quarter. Comprising the run were three-pointers by senior forward Tierney Pfirman and sophomore guard Kristen Confroy along with a jumper and driving layup from Moseley for a 28-20 lead with 6:36 to go until the break. Mitchell had a game-high 28 points for Ohio State (10-3, 2-0). The sophomore guard, the second-leading scorer in the country, shot 10 for 20, a vast improvement from her performance last season in College Park when she had 19 points but missed 19 of 26 shots during an 87-78 loss.
The lead was eight three more times in the second quarter, but each time the Terrapins threatened to move in front by double digits, Ohio State countered. Trailing 40-32 with less than a minute to play, the Buckeyes went into the locker room on the strength of five unanswered points, including Mitchell’s three-point play on an offensive rebound putback while being fouled. “This a big win because of who Maryland is and how much success they’ve had,” McGuff said. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for Maryland. It’s a great road win. It’s a great team win, but at the same time, we have to take it for what it is, one Big Ten win.”
Just before the halftime buzzer, sophomore forward Alexa Hart scored on a jumper to draw Ohio State within 40-37. The field goal came despite the Buckeyes having one second remaining on the shot clock on an inbounds play from the baseline underneath the basket. Ohio State had to play most of the fourth quarter without Cooper, who fouled out with 8:12 remaining. The reserve finished with 10 points, a game-high 11 rebounds and a team-high six assists before departing with the Buckeyes holding a 65-61 advantage. Hart chipped in 20 points on 10-for-12 shooting with six rebounds.
The Terrapins played some of their most tenacious defense of the season in the first quarter, paying special attention to Mitchell. She finished just 1-for-3 shooting during that time as Maryland went ahead by two possessions for all but a few minutes. Its 18-14 lead at the end of the quarter could have been even larger had Walker-Kimbrough and Jones not combined to miss three layups. A flurry of turnovers contributed to Maryland having to play from behind in the third quarter for the first time when a three-point halftime lead turned to a 46-42 deficit. The Buckeyes scored nine in a row for their first lead of the game, compelling Frese to call timeout with 7:42 to play. Maryland responded with a 7-1 flurry to reclaim the lead with 6:54 to go.
By that point, Maryland had matched its average turnovers per game (15) this season. Circumstances grew worse for the Terrapins moments later when Ohio State scored seven consecutive points for a 61-55 advantage with 2:14 to play in the third quarter. Mitchell capped the run by dribbling the length of the court, scoring on a layup and making the bonus after getting fouled.
“Today I don’t think I came out ready to play, so I’ll take this loss on the part of my team,” said Walker-Kimbrough, who leads the Terrapins in scoring (18.3 points per game). “I have to come out a lot better and play a lot better.”