Jaloni Cambridge scored 10 points to lead the Buckeyes (25-6), who now await their NCAA Tournament seeding.
In Indianapolis, Indiana, Londynn Jones had a standout performance, scoring a season-best 22 points and making six 3-pointers, as No. 4 UCLA secured a dominant 75-46 victory over No. 13 Ohio State in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
This win paves the way for an anticipated third faceoff between the regular-season champion, No. 2 Southern California, and UCLA, the tournament runner-up, on Sunday. Southern California emerged victorious in the first two meetings, setting the stage for an exciting third clash in their local rivalry.
Contributing to the victory, Lauren Betts and Gabriela Jaquez each added 12 points in limited playing time. Betts grabbed six rebounds, while Jaquez pulled down five boards, as UCLA (29-2) secured their second consecutive double-digit win.
Jaloni Cambridge scored 10 points to lead the Buckeyes (25-6).
But this game was never really close after the Bruins took a 16-5 lead less than five minutes into the game. UCLA then closed the first half on a 9-0 spurt, keeping Ohio State scoreless over the final 3:09, to take a 44-21 lead.
Ohio State: The Buckeyes played well most of this season but struggled in every facet of the game — shooting, defense and rebounding — against the more motivated Bruins.
UCLA: Coach Cori Close’s team came to Indy with a mission — getting another shot at the Trojans. They’ve certainly played well so far, although the real challenge comes Sunday.
Betts scored her first points on back-to-back baskets early in the second quarter and her presence helped fuel the closing first-half run from which the Buckeyes never recovered.
Ohio State was outrebounded 21-9 in the first half and was outscored 22-4 in second-chance points during the first two quarters.
The Buckeyes have a week to figure out what went wrong before starting NCAA Tournament play.
