Kennedy Cambridge continues to have a career-best season, and she helped propel Ohio State women’s basketball (13-2) to a 71-49 victory over Rutgers on Jan. 4 at the Schottenstein Center.
The redshirt junior guard finished with 9 points, eight rebounds and a career-high seven assists. On the defensive end, Cambridge added three steals and a block, stopping the shot of 6-foot-3 forward Imani Lester from behind in the third quarter.
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“I’m just having fun,” Cambridge said. “I’m going out there, a coach is trying to tell me to pass more. … So, I’m dribbling, and I see Elsa (Lemmila), so I throw it and boom, that’s how I got those (assists).”
Cambridge has taken advantage of moving into a starting role this season, seeing an improvement in every offensive category and leading the Buckeyes in a majority of defensive areas. Cambridge’s 4.3 steals per game is the highest in the Big Ten, while her 8.5 points are nearly a four-point jump from last year.
“Everyone thinks of her as a defensive player,” Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff said. “And she still takes a lot of pride in that. She’s doing a great job on that side of the court, but I think she’s also showing her offensive repertoire.”
Ohio State Buckeyes guard Kennedy Cambridge (3) smiles in the second half of the NCAA basketball game against the Norfolk State Spartans at Value City Arena on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio.
Cambridge put together 4 points and an assist during an 8-3 run across the final four minutes of the second quarter to secure a 31-26 halftime advantage.
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The Buckeyes’ struggles during the first half stemmed from turnovers, with 10 of their 16 coming in the first 20 minutes.
“I think we were overcomplicating things,” McGuff said. “Sometimes we were making extra passes when we had shots, and we were passing on those. … No one really stopped us to get the great shot, and we tried to give the ball away.”
Entering the game, Ohio State averaged just 14 turnovers per game and a +10.5 turnover margin. Rutgers had 21 turnovers.
Ohio State Buckeyes guard Kennedy Cambridge (3) drives the ball against the Western Michigan Broncos in the second half of the NCAA women’s basketball game at Value City Arena on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio.
Ohio State plays at Illinois at 7 p.m. Jan. 7.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Kennedy Cambridge makes impact for Ohio State basketball vs Rutgers
