Mikulášiková’s Career High Leads Ohio State Past Norfolk State 

Mikulášiková’s Career High Leads Ohio State Past Norfolk State

The Buckeyes were ahead by a 47-15 mark at halftime on Sunday.  

 Credit Source: Ohio State University Athletics

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 17/25 Ohio State women’s basketball team (2-0) ran past Norfolk State (2-1) by earning an 86-48 victory on Sunday afternoon inside Value City Arena.

How it Happened 

Ohio State scored on the first possession off an offensive rebound and went on to score the first nine points of the game. The Buckeyes defense held Norfolk State off the board until there was 6:12 remaining in the opening quarter. OSU held an 11-3 lead at the media timeout and increased the lead to 19-3 on a pair of three-pointers with three minutes to play in the quarter. The Buckeyes held the 25-7 advantage after 10 minutes.

The Buckeye defense allowed only one basket before the media timeout with 4:11 to play in the half as OSU held the 40-11 advantage at that time. Ohio State outscored Norfolk State by a 7-2 mark during the remainder of the second quarter to take a 47-15 lead into the locker room.

Ohio State scored the first four points of the third quarter to extend the lead to 51-15. Norfolk State put together a 7-0 run but OSU responded with the next eight points to lead 59-22 midway through the quarter. The Buckeyes finished the quarter on an 11-2 run to lead 70-29 after three quarters of play.

The teams went back and forth to begin the fourth quarter as the Buckeyes held the 77-41 advantage midway through the quarter. Ohio State outscored Norfolk State 9-7 during the remainder of the game and capped scoring with a fast-break layup from Kaitlyn Costner.

Game Notes 

• Rebeka Mikulášiková reached double figures for the first time this season and 13^th time in her career, matching her career high of 19 points.
• Jacy Sheldon reached double figures before Norfolk State did and finished with 10 points.
• Ohio State’s defense forced Norfolk State to shoot just 18.2 percent from the floor during the first half and 1-of-10 from behind the arc.
• The Buckeyes out-rebounded the Spartans by a 47-30 margin
• Taylor Mikesell had four triples for the second-consecutive game.
• The Ohio State offense shot 47.5 percent from the floor during the game, shooting better than 40 percent in every quarter and topping out at 50.0 percent in the fourth.
• Q1: The Buckeye defense allowed only one basket in the first 8:21 of the game.
• Q1: OSU shot 46.7 percent from the floor and 44.4 percent from three-point range.
• Q2: Nine Buckeyes had points by the end of the second quarter.

 

What They Said 

Head Coach Kevin McGuff on Ohio State’s play:  

“I felt like we started out pretty well. I think we’ve made some progress over the last couple weeks but the themes are the same – guarding the ball, getting rebounds, making sure you move the ball on offense. I think we’ve gotten better but there’s still a long, long way to go.”

Junior forward Rebeka Mikulášiková on what was working for her on all areas of the court:  

“I got good passes from my teammates, which was certainly a big part. They were giving me the ball down there and trusting me, so I felt confident too. I made some free throws and got some balls in.”

Up Next 

Ohio State continues its season-opening home stand against Bowling Green on Wednesday evening. Tip time is slated for 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on B1G+ (subscription required).