Ohio State Stages Thrilling Second-Half Rally to Keep Perfect Record Intact

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The No. 9/9 Ohio State women’s basketball squad (15-0, 4-0 B1G) executed a comeback in the second half to overcome No. 25/RV Michigan (10-5, 1-3 B1G) with a score of 84-77 in their only regular-season encounter on Wednesday evening.
 
Michigan started the game strongly from beyond the arc, establishing a 26-18 edge after the first quarter. The Wolverines widened their advantage to 44-31 at halftime with an 18-13 second quarter. Ohio State fought back to equalize in the third quarter; however, Michigan netted the last two baskets of the quarter to secure a 57-53 edge heading into the final ten minutes. After falling behind by five with just under six minutes remaining, Ohio State outperformed Michigan 25-13 in the closing stretch to clinch the victory.
 
Jaloni Cambridge was the first Buckeye to achieve double figures, doing so early in the third quarter and concluding with 29 points – marking her second consecutive game with 20 or more points. McMahon (13), Chance Gray (16), and Ajae Petty (10) also joined J. Cambridge in scoring double figures.
 
How it Went Down 
Michigan started the scoring, and the teams exchanged baskets until an 8-2 run by the Wolverines established a 14-8 lead at the media timeout. Ohio State responded with an 8-3 burst of its own, narrowing the gap to 18-16 with just under three minutes remaining in the first quarter. UM finished the quarter with consecutive three-pointers to lead 26-18 after 10 minutes.
 
The Wolverines opened the second quarter with a score before back-to-back Buckeye baskets brought OSU within six at 28-22. Michigan then scored the next seven points to extend their lead to 35-22 during the media timeout. Madison Greene capped the first half with a three-pointer, leaving the Buckeyes trailing 44-31.
 
McMahon initiated the second half with a jumper, reaching double figures with a basket at 6:25 remaining in the quarter. Successive OSU baskets reduced the deficit to 47-40 midway through the quarter. Ohio State continued their momentum with a 7-0 run, highlighted by a three-pointer from Gray, to come within 47-45. The teams traded baskets, and Gray sank two more triples to tie the game at 53 with 1:50 left in the quarter. The Wolverines tallied the last two baskets of the third quarter to lead 57-53 heading into the fourth.
 
The Wolverines went to the line to start the fourth quarter. The Buckeyes called a timeout with 7:24 remaining, trailing by 60-55. Gray brought the game back to a tie at 64 with 5:16 left, scoring five unanswered points. Taylor Thierry gave Ohio State its first lead of the game at 68-66 with 4:26 left after making a steal and converting it into a layup. Petty increased the lead before the Wolverines hit a three-pointer to narrow the score to 70-69. The Buckeyes finished strong with an 8-0 run to stretch the lead to 83-73 with 20 seconds remaining, sealing the win at 84-77.
 
Key Moments

Match Notes 

• This marks the second ranked victory for the Buckeyes this season.
• This is the Wolverines’ first home loss of the year.
• Each of the 10 Buckeyes who were available to participate saw game time, and seven different Buckeyes scored.
• Jaloni Cambridge reached double figures for the eighth time this season, concluding with 29 points. This is Cambridge’s third game of 20 points or more this season, as she’s scored 20 or more in consecutive games after netting 20 against Northwestern on Sunday.
• Cotie McMahon’s 10^th game in double figures this season resulted in 13 points.
• Chance Gray scored 16 points, marking her 13^th game of the year with at least 10 points.
• Ajae Petty achieved double figures for the ninth time this season, scoring 10 points tonight.
• Taylor Thierry’s seven rebounds brought her career total to 599, ranking 20^th in program history. She also moved into 12^th place in program history with 193 career steals.
• Q1: The Buckeye defense forced seven turnovers and made five steals in the period.
• Q3: OSU’s defense permitted only one basket in the initial six minutes of the quarter.
• Q4: Ohio State outscored Michigan 31-20 in the period, shooting 10-of-15 (.667) from the field.
• H2: The Buckeyes enjoyed a 53-33 advantage in the second half.

Next up
Ohio State is set to return home and host Oregon on Sunday for a 1 p.m. ET start and sneakerhead day. The game will be available on B1G+ and AM1460. 
 
Ohio State women’s basketball tickets for the 2024-25 season are on sale online as Buckeye Nation continues to turn Value City Arena in the Schottenstein Center into one of the most thrilling venues nationwide.
 
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