The opening half of No. 12 Ohio State women’s basketball team’s 72-66 victory at Nebraska on Sunday was filled with self-inflicted errors that forced the Buckeyes to battle from behind.
For the second game in a row, Ohio State had to come back to secure a victory.
Just three days prior, the Buckeyes rallied from a 15-point deficit to defeat No. 8 Maryland 74-66. Against Nebraska, they were down as many as 7 points.
Ohio State committed three of its nine first-half turnovers before recording a basket, which happened 2:14 into the first quarter with a layup by Ajae Petty.
It was a more organized second half for the Buckeyes, whose ability to regroup turned the game into a tight matchup.
The Buckeyes pulled away during a 9-0 stretch at the end of the third quarter to take a 61-53 lead. Senior Taylor Thierry’s 3-point basket to started the run.
Thierry proved to be the most consistent player for the Buckeyes, recording a team-high 23 points, including 12 in the first half to keep Nebraska’s lead from getting out of hand. Junior Cotie McMahon added 15 points and 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season.
It took more than 25 minutes for the Buckeyes to hold a lead. A McMahon layup at the 4:45 minute mark in the third quarter put Ohio State ahead 52-50.
At end the first half, it seemed Ohio State was ahead going into the locker room. Senior point guard Madison Greene hit an 3-pointer at the buzzer appeared to give the Buckeyes a 39-38 advantage. Greene was off-balance at the edge of the left sideline when she made the basket, and a video replay during halftime overturned the basket.
Greene still had a strong contribution in the game with 11 points.
Nebraska remained in the game after Ohio State entered the fourth quarter with a 61-55 advantage, pulling within 1 point, but was never able to close the gap.
Ohio State shot 50% from the field while Nebraska shot 37.9%. However, Nebraska took 66 shots, compared to the Buckeyes’ 54.
The Buckeyes have a week until they return to Value City Arena for their next game against Washington at 5 p.m. Feb 2.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State vs. Nebraska: Buckeyes women earn road win
