IU trailed Ohio State by 14 after one quarter of play Saturday afternoon. By halftime, as the Hoosiers shot just 25 percent from the field, the deficit rose to 19. They got the better of the Buckeyes in the second half, but first half struggles ensured there would be no miracle comeback on New Year's Eve.
No. 14 Ohio State snapped IU's 20-game home winning streak by a final of 92-82. The 10-point loss also ended IU's seven-game win streak, and dropped the Hoosiers (11-4) to a 1-1 conference record.
“We came out and we didn’t defend great early," IU assistant coach Rhet Wierzba said in the IU postgame radio show on WHCC 105.1. "They hit shots, and when they make shots, they can be really really good. It was a combination of our defense not being as sound as it needed to be, but they also hit some tough shots too."
In the battle of star junior guards, Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell outplayed IU’s Tyra Buss most of the contest. Buss shot 0-for-7 from the field in the first half, and didn’t score her first point of the game until making two free throws with 7:45 left in the third quarter. She would finish with just 13 points on 3-of-15 shooting, but added nine assists for good measure.
Mitchell, on the other hand, played a huge role in the Buckeyes fast start and led Ohio State in scoring. The preseason All-American scored a game-high 31 points while grabbing six rebounds and dishing out five assists in the process. Mitchell scored 11 points in the first five minutes of the second half to help build a 26-point lead early in the third.
The Hoosiers chipped away the rest of the game, but couldn't get the requisite stops to build up a long enough scoring run.
Post players also shone for both teams as Ohio State junior forward Stephanie Mavunga registered a double-double with 14 points and 17 rebounds and IU junior forward Amanda Cahill had a career day.
The Ohio native posted a career-high 28 points, including 15 of IU's 29 in the first half. She sunk four three-pointers and added nine rebounds.
“She’s stepped up her game and she’s playing better for us right now," Wierzba said. "When she’s shooting the ball well, she’s a really tough matchup, and she showed that today."
Saturday was the only regular season game on the schedule between IU and Ohio State, but the two could meet down the line in the Big Ten tournament. Wierzba said the shift in focus to IU's next opponent, Minnesota, will start tonight when he and the rest of the coaching staff watch film from the loss to the Buckeyes.
“It’s still early," Wierzba said. "Every game is a new season. You can’t get focused on a bad loss or a good win, you’ve got to stay focused on what’s next. We’ve got a good Minnesota ball club coming in, very potent offensively as well. Hopefully we’ll be better defensively on Wednesday, and then hopefully we’ll get a few more shots to go down."
