Eric Boggs
Ohio State women’s basketball concluded its regular season with a hard-fought battle on the road, falling just short in an overtime thriller against No. 19 Maryland. Despite a valiant effort, the Buckeyes suffered a 93-90 loss but still secured the No. 3 seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament.
The Buckeyes entered College Park having already bested the Terrapins once this season with a 74-66 victory. This time, Ohio State fought back from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime but ultimately fell victim to a last-second three-pointer by Maryland’s Sarah Te-Biasu.
Maryland took control early, leading for the entirety of the first quarter. The Terrapins capitalized on an opening-possession basket by Allie Kubek, while Ohio State’s Taylor Thierry kept the Buckeyes in striking distance with eight first-quarter points. The second quarter saw the Buckeyes rally, erasing a seven-point deficit behind the play of Elsa Lemmilä, who gave Ohio State its first lead at 33-32. Maryland’s Shyanne Sellers—daughter of former Ohio State men’s basketball standout Brad Sellers—proved a thorn in the Buckeyes’ side, hitting four three-pointers in the first half, including one that cut Ohio State’s lead to just one at the break.
Sellers, who missed the first matchup due to injury, provided a gutsy performance after briefly leaving the game in the third quarter following a hard fall. Meanwhile, Ohio State faced adversity of its own, as standout freshman Jaloni Cambridge was forced to sit much of the third quarter due to foul trouble. Despite Maryland maintaining the lead for most of the period, the Buckeyes kept the deficit manageable, setting the stage for a dramatic final quarter.
Ohio State opened the fourth quarter with a layup by Cambridge to briefly regain the lead. However, Maryland responded swiftly, and the Buckeyes soon found themselves down by nine. Undeterred, Ohio State embarked on a critical 6-0 run, fueled by key baskets from Thierry, Ajae Petty, and Kennedy Cambridge. Madison Greene’s clutch three-pointer and another Thierry layup knotted the game at 72, ensuring a nail-biting finish. The drama intensified as Kennedy Cambridge, after suffering an apparent knee injury, returned just in time to make a pivotal defensive play, stealing the ball from Sellers in the closing seconds and forcing overtime.
The extra period saw Ohio State battle fiercely, with Greene and Thierry providing early baskets to keep the Buckeyes in contention. Cotie McMahon stepped up with crucial scores, but Maryland’s Kaylene Smikle delivered a dagger three-pointer to tie the game at 87. After a tense back-and-forth, Ohio State found itself trailing by one with mere seconds remaining. A controversial held-ball call erased a potential go-ahead bucket for Kennedy Cambridge, allowing Maryland to maintain possession. Though Greene managed to tie the game once more with a layup, Te-Biasu’s last-second three-pointer sealed the heartbreaking defeat for the Buckeyes.
Thierry led Ohio State’s effort with 21 points, while McMahon contributed 18. Maryland’s Smikle finished with a game-high 26 points, supported by 21 from Sellers.
Despite the tough loss, the Buckeyes concluded the regular season with an impressive 24-5 overall record and a 13-5 mark in Big Ten play, tying Maryland in the standings. Thanks to Ohio State’s head-to-head victory and Maryland’s additional loss to Illinois, the Buckeyes claimed the higher seed for the conference tournament.
As the No. 3 seed, Ohio State earns a double-bye and will begin its Big Ten Tournament journey in the quarterfinals at approximately 9 p.m. on Friday, with the game set to air on Big Ten Network. The Buckeyes await the winner of Thursday’s matchup between No. 6 seed Michigan State and the victor of the first-round game between No. 11 seed Wisconsin and No. 14 seed Iowa. With their resilience on full display, Ohio State now sets its sights on making a deep tournament run.
