No. 8 Ohio State started its three-game week with a 66-56 victory over Washington at Value City Arena on Sunday.
With a road trip to California to face No. 1 UCLA on Wednesday and No. 4 USC on Saturday, Ohio State got some much-needed momentum.
All three teams are new to the conference, joining from the Pac 12 last season.
The victory slots the Buckeyes into second place in the Big Ten following USC’s 76-69 loss against Iowa on Sunday, its first conference loss of the season. Ohio State also has one conference loss but has a better overall record (20-1) than USC (19-2).
Ohio State’s top scorer, forward Cotie McMahon, who averaged 16.4 going into the Washington matchup, led the Buckeyes with 19 points and added 5 rebounds.
Freshman Elsa Lemmila played a big defensive role in the Buckeyes’ victory with starting center Ajae Petty struggling on the glass.
Lemmila recorded a team-high 7 rebounds and 3 steals in 15 minutes of play. The freshman made key stops in the second quarter to help the Buckeyes come back from a 7-point deficit.
Standing at 6-foot-6, Lemmila will be expected to contribute against UCLA’s 6-foot-7 center Lauren Betts.
Over the last month, the Buckeyes have developed a habit of falling behind at the start of games. In their last seven matchups, including Washington, the Buckeyes’ opponents have built, at minimum, a 6-point lead in the first quarter.
It took Washington just over two minutes to take a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, with the Huskies being helped by two Ohio State turnovers and a foul against Petty.
After pulling within one point at the end of the first quarter, 15-14, the Buckeyes took control in the second.
Ohio State capitalized on Washington’s dip in shooting from the first to second quarter in its comeback. The Huskies went from 43.8% from the field to 28.6%. There was more consistency from Ohio State, shooting around 38% in each of the opening quarters.
Point guard Jaloni Cambridge put Ohio State ahead 36-26 going into halftime with a buzzer-beating jumper. Cambridge finished with 13 points and 5 rebounds.
The Ohio State-UCLA game is set to tipoff at 9:30 p.m. in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State vs. Washington women’s basketball: Buckeyes pick up win
