Scarlet and Game
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Ohio State women’s basketball falls short of Final Four

By Ryan Stano

March 27, 2023; Seattle, WA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes forward Cotie McMahon (32) leaves the game near the end of the first half of an NCAA Tournament Elite EIght basketball game at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on Monday. Virginia Tech led 48-45 at the half.Mandatory Credit: Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus DispatchCeb Osu Vt Ncaa Bjp 20
March 27, 2023; Seattle, WA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes forward Cotie McMahon (32) leaves the game near the end of the first half of an NCAA Tournament Elite EIght basketball game at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on Monday. Virginia Tech led 48-45 at the half.Mandatory Credit: Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus DispatchCeb Osu Vt Ncaa Bjp 20 /
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The Ohio State women’s basketball team came into Monday night’s Elite 8 game looking to make the second-ever trip to the Final Four. Standing in their way was 1-seed Virginia Tech. After taking down UConn, the Buckeyes had one more tough team to beat before they could possibly get to Dallas.

Unfortunately, they weren’t able to get that done. The Buckeyes just couldn’t close the gap in the fourth quarter after they fell down by 10 points. They couldn’t quite get it inside 7. Failing to force turnovers at the same rate as they did against UConn was a huge factor in that.

After forcing 25 of them in the matchup with the Huskies, the Ohio State women’s basketball team only managed to force 13 against the Hokies. That limited the number of points they were able to score in transition. Virginia Tech just did a great job of breaking the press.

In the end, the Buckeyes fell 84-74. Taylor Mikesell started the game 5-5 from three in the first half, but only hit two more in the second half. She still finished with 25 to lead the Buckeyes. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough in the second half when Ohio State struggled to score.

Another big factor in the game is the fact that no one besides Mikesell was able to hit a three for Ohio State. Mikesell finished 7-11 from deep. The rest of the team was 0-9. Not being able to help her out from the three-point line was a big problem.

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It was a great season for the Buckeyes even if it ended in disappointment. They made the Elite 8 for the first time in 30 years and still have an incredibly bright future ahead of them. This season is just the beginning for this program and Kevin McGuff will continue to build something great.