No. 19 Ohio State dropped its Big Ten home opener to No. 4 UCLA 82-75 on Dec. 28, marking the Buckeyes’ second loss of the season. OSU’s other loss was a 100-68 demolition by top-ranked UConn.
Against the Bruins, the Buckeyes showed more grit. They fell behind 7-0 in the opening three minutes, but went on a 9-3 run built primarily by point guard Jaloni Cambridge to remain within arm’s distance of UCLA.
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Cambridge finished with a team-high 28 points and recorded 16 of Ohio State’s 33 first-half points.
Despite the efforts of Cambridge, who also spearheaded a 12-2 run in the fourth quarter to cut the Buckeyes’ 16-point deficit to six, Ohio State never led against UCLA.
Kylee Kitts and Ohio State Bucekyes dropped to 11-2 with their 82-75 loss to UCLA on Dec. 28.
Six-foot-seven center Lauren Betts paced the Bruins in scoring (18 points) and rebounding (16). The entire Ohio State lineup notched only 33 boards, with Kennedy Cambridge grabbing nine.
Both teams struggled from 3-point range, going a combined 14-for-52. Ohio State hit just one of its 13 attempted 3-pointers.
The Buckeyes have gone 89-for-321 from beyond the arc through 13 games. The team’s 27.7% 3-point shooting rate is the lowest in the Big Ten.
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More: Ohio State women’s basketball’s troubles from 3-point range continue
Ohio State hits the road to face Purdue in its next matchup, with tipoff set for 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 31.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State women’s basketball defeated by UCLA in Big Ten play
