Ahead of Ohio State’s Feb. 1 game against Nebraska, OSU coach Kevin McGuff stressed the importance of half-court defense for the No. 11 Buckeyes (20-3).
The Corn Huskers (16-6) entered with the seventh-best shooting average in the nation, hitting 49.6% of their field goals. In their 90-71 win at the Schottenstein Center, the Buckeyes held Nebraska to 28-for-69 (40.6%) from the field. Ohio State was 31-for-60 (51.7%).
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“I thought the things we talked about and worked on in the practice, we carried over to the game,” McGuff said. “I think that’s where it starts. You work on it in practice.”
Ohio State muted Nebraska’s typical game plan with its half-court defense, forcing 21 turnovers and recording six blocks, four coming from center Elsa Lemmila. The 6-foot-6 sophomore leads the Big Ten in blocks with 2.3 per game.
More: OSU’s Elsa Lemmila continues finding confidence following 2 surgeries
While Ohio State held Nebraska’s team-leading scorer Britt Prince to 12 points, forward Amiah Hargrove picked up the offense as the Corn Huskers attempted to come back from down 20 in the second half.
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The Buckeyes were ahead 62-42 with 3:49 remaining in the third quarter, but Hargrove scored nine points in an 18-4 run across five minutes. Hargrove finished with 24 points.
Ohio State point guard Jaloni Cambridge had 30 points in the Buckeyes’ 90-71 win over Nebraska.
As the Corn Huskers pulled to within 4, they capitalized on Ohio State’s four turnovers and three fouls, creating opportunities in transition rather than off half-court plays.
After a timeout, OSU’s leading scorer, Jaloni Cambridge, took full control, putting together a nine-point run by herself.
“I was just like, if they want to stop the play, let’s give it to them,” Cambridge said. “We could have been three minutes into the fourth quarter. So, [I said] just to come out there and be aggressive. It wasn’t necessarily just me, but we just kept pushing, and I just happened to be open.”
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Cambridge recorded 30 points, scoring 30-plus for the fourth time this season.
Ohio State’s Chance Gray scored 21 points against Nebraska on Feb. 1.
Guard Chance Gray got Ohio State on the board 9:30 into the game, scoring her first of five 3-point baskets. Gray finished with 21 points.
“She hit some big shots and well-timed 3s,” McGuff said. “Hopefully, she can continue to play well, because we’re going to need her at her best as we go through February.”
The Buckeyes went 11-for-25 (40%) from beyond the arc, contributing to their improved 3-point shooting over the last seven games. Since Ohio State’s meeting with Maryland on Jan. 11, the team’s 3-point average has jumped from 28.4% to 33%.
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Ohio State now heads on a road trip to face two of the Big Ten’s West Coast teams over the next week. The trip opens with the Buckeyes against Washington on Feb. 5 at 9 p.m. and continues against Oregon on Feb. 8.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State women’s basketball defeats Nebraska in Big Ten action
