Eric Boggs
Ohio State overcame a turbulent finish to return to the win column with a hard-fought 87-84 overtime victory over Minnesota on Thursday night at the Schottenstein Center. The Buckeyes snapped a two-game losing streak in dramatic fashion, battling through adversity to secure a much-needed conference win.
Despite holding a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter, Ohio State found itself in a precarious situation after committing five turnovers in the final three minutes of regulation. The Golden Gophers capitalized on those miscues, forcing overtime with a clutch three-pointer in the closing seconds. However, the Buckeyes displayed resilience and composure down the stretch to emerge victorious.
Sophomore standout Cotie McMahon led the charge with 25 points, while freshman guard Ava Watson provided a crucial spark off the bench, contributing 16 points, including four three-pointers. Ohio State’s offense was markedly improved, shooting an impressive 59.3% from the field—nearly 30 percentage points higher than in their previous two outings against UCLA and USC.
The Buckeyes set the tone early, forcing seven turnovers in the first nine minutes to take a 21-14 lead. McMahon spearheaded the effort with eight first-quarter points. Watson then ignited the offense in the second quarter, scoring eight consecutive points, including back-to-back three-pointers, to extend Ohio State’s advantage to 11. Minnesota responded with a 12-2 run to cut the deficit to one, but McMahon closed the half strong, scoring the final four points to give the Buckeyes a 35-30 lead at the break.
Ohio State regained a double-digit cushion late in the third quarter, but Minnesota refused to go away. The Gophers chipped away at the lead and ultimately mounted a furious comeback in the final minutes of regulation. Leading 73-61 with just over three minutes remaining, the Buckeyes appeared poised to close out the victory. However, a series of turnovers allowed Minnesota to reel off 10 unanswered points, narrowing the gap to two. After Madison Greene split a pair of free throws, Minnesota’s Grace Grocholski drained a game-tying three with 8.3 seconds left, forcing overtime.
The extra period was a back-and-forth battle, but the Buckeyes made the necessary plays in crunch time. A pivotal steal by Chance Gray led to a fast-break layup by Taylor Thierry, giving Ohio State a four-point lead. Minnesota’s Mallory Heyer quickly answered with a three-pointer, but a clutch layup by Elsa Lemmilä extended the Buckeyes’ advantage to three with 18 seconds remaining. Down the stretch, Amaya Battle and Gray each went 1-for-2 from the free-throw line, leaving Minnesota with a final chance to force a second overtime. However, Lemmilä sealed the win with a game-saving block on Annika Stewart’s last-second three-point attempt.
With the victory, Ohio State improved to 21-3 overall and 10-3 in Big Ten play, maintaining its position in third place behind UCLA and USC. The Buckeyes now turn their attention to a highly anticipated showdown against Iowa on Monday in a Presidents’ Day matinee at the Schottenstein Center. Tip-off is set for noon, with national television coverage on FOX. Buckeye Nation will undoubtedly be ready to pack the arena as Ohio State looks to build momentum heading into the final stretch of the season.
