Engulfed by a sea of red just a shade from their own maroon, the Gophers women’s basketball team fell 87-84 in a hard-fought overtime battle against No. 9 Ohio State on Thursday.
With NCAA tournament hopes and a potential Big Ten tournament bye on the line, the Gophers faced a daunting challenge against Ohio State, who moved to 10-3 in conference play after the win.
Statistically, the two teams were closely matched. Over the last ten games, the Buckeyes averaged 71.1 points while shooting 41.3% from the field, closely mirroring Minnesota’s 70.7 points per game and 41.5% shooting.
The Buckeyes entered Thursday’s matchup after back-to-back losses to No. 1 UCLA and No. 6 University of Southern California, their second and third losses of the season.
Despite their losing streak, the Buckeyes returned home reenergized, forcing a season-high 21 turnovers from the Gophers. The Gophers were previously ranked second in the country for having the fewest turnovers per game.
On trend with their last few games, the Gophers started slow and staged a late 10-0 run. With nine seconds remaining in the game, the score stood at 71-74.
Gophers head coach Dawn Plitzuweit highlighted her team’s versatility at the post in a Feb. 11 presser, noting how any of the five players on the court could step up, especially in the latter half of the game.
“In that game, you saw a number of different players post up for us, certainly in the third and fourth quarter,” Plitzuweit said at the presser.
Sophomore Grace Grocholski’s 3-pointer in the final moments brought the Gophers within range, silencing the crowd and sending the game into overtime.
Unlike their typical playing style, the Gophers struggled with ball control, committing seven turnovers that led to 11 points for the Buckeyes, who shot 71% in the first quarter.
Buckeyes junior Cotie McMahon, whom Plitzuweit highlighted pregame, dominated inside. She went 3-3 in the paint in the game’s opening minutes.
McMahon finished the game as the leading scorer with 25 points, shooting 62.5% from the field. She added six assists and four rebounds.
Freshman Ava Watson scored the second most points for the Buckeyes on the night. She went 4-4 in 3-pointers, accumulating all but four of her points from outside the arc.
“We’ve got to find a way to match that or exceed that intensity to the best of our level,” Plitzuweit said at a Feb. 11 presser about Ohio State’s team. “We’re not gonna exceed their athleticism because that’s their forte.”
While McMahon and Watson led the way for Ohio State, Minnesota’s senior Sophie Hart had a notable performance of her own. She aided as a key presence in the paint, scoring a season-high 21 points.
The Gophers had four others score double-digits, including junior Amaya Battle, who added 17 points and two steals, and fifth-year Annika Stewart who contributed 12 points.
After another conference loss, the Gophers look to secure some Big Ten wins ahead of the upcoming Big Ten tournament. The top 15 conference teams qualify for the tournament, the Gophers currently sit at No. 11.
The Gophers will have the opportunity to do so in the coming weeks, facing four more Big Ten teams, University of Oregon (8-6), Purdue University (2-11), University of Washington (5-8) and Michigan State University (9-4).
With their eyes also on the upcoming NCAA tournament, the Gophers seek a marquee victory from their March 1 matchup versus No. 22 Michigan State to strengthen their chances at qualifying.
