Game Preview: No. 2 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. Penn State

Game Preview: No. 2 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. Penn State

It’s been eight days since Ohio State women’s basketball took to the court for a game of Big Ten basketball. In the last road game in February, the Buckeyes head to Happy Valley, facing the Penn State Nittany Lions on its historic home court.

Head coach Kevin McGuff’s side holds destiny in its hands, securing a share of the Big Ten title if it wins its next three games. Will that overshadow and distract the Buckeyes against the Nittany Lions, who now include an All-American on their available roster?

Preview

After the 2021-22 season, Maryland Terrapins guard Ashley Owusu left the Mid-Atlantic for the Virginia Tech Hokies. Then, following a tumultuous season where the former All-American seemingly fell out of favor with head coach Kenny Brooks, Owusu returned to the Big Ten for her final season of eligibility, joining Penn State but not playing until January.

That sets up an intriguing Thursday matchup, with the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions facing off for the second time this season. It comes at a time where both teams aren’t playing like they did back on Dec. 10.

For the Buckeyes, the Dec. 10 victory over the Nittany Lions required a late comeback and overtime to get the job done. Afterwards, Ohio State lost to the UCLA Bruins and Michigan Wolverines to close out the most competitive games of the 2023 calendar.

That loss to its rivals up north on Dec. 30 shook something loose. Since the calendar flipped to 2024, the Buckeyes haven’t been beaten. Now, 12 games later, Ohio State is holding teams to 63.2 points per game on defense, and within reach of a 17th Big Ten regular season championship.

On the other side, Owusu joined the Nittany Lions and Penn State looked like a team ready to challenge for a double-bye in the Big Ten tournament and a high seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Nittany Lions outscored teams by 16 points during a six-game winning streak, including a lopsided 112-76 win over the Maryland Terrapins.

Then, it all stopped. Even with new Penn State guard Owusu averaging 17.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists in her 11 games in blue and white, the Nittany Lions went from a team roaring to a team whimpering.

Penn State welcomes Ohio State on a five-game losing streak. In that streak, the Nittany Lions lost guard Tay Valladay, a graduate senior transfer from the University of Virginia, to a season-ending injury. Although the guard wasn’t an offensive powerhouse, her absence aligns directly with the shift to the Nittany Lions of today.

In the five-game losing streak, Penn State’s been outscored by 11 points per game. While one came against the powerhouse Iowa Hawkeyes, the streak also includes a 17-point second quarter lead over the Wisconsin Badgers that evaporated in less than eight game minutes.

Sunday, after beating Maryland by 36 points in Pennsylvania, the Nittany Lions traveled to Maryland and lost by 15 points in a listless performance. Thursday adds motivation for Penn State to respond.

Not only does facing the No. 2 team in nation give strong motivation, but the Nittany Lions have a 19-9 advantage over the Buckeyes in State College. Plus, the two teams play in historic Rec Hall, a venue that hasn’t hosted a women’s basketball game in 28 years with the move to the Schottenstein Center-esque Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State also showed in December that it can matchup well against the Buckeyes, even without Owusu.

The dual threat of guards Makenna Marisa and Shay Ciezki scored 47 of Penn State’s 84 points, hitting six of the team’s nine three-point shots on the day, and Marisa especially torched the Ohio State defense with 28 points.

In overtime, the guard went down with what appeared to be a serious injury, but returned after four games away. Marisa’s form has dipped since returning. The graduate senior went from averaging 17.2 points and 3.6 assists before the Dec. 10 matchup in Columbus to 11.9 points and 1.8 assists in the 12 appearances that’ve followed. With that dip though is the emergence of Owusu, somebody who plays the Buckeyes well.

Owusu averages 20.6 points and 8.3 rebounds in her three previous games against Ohio State, all as a member of head coach Brenda Frese’s Terrapins. Although its in less games, due to injury, the 2023-24 edition of Owusu is playing like the 2020-21 All-American edition, creating a challenge on Thursday for Taylor Thierry and Cotie McMahon especially.

The Penn State graduate senior guard is a three-level shooter who makes midrange shots look effortless. All the added attention will mean open looks for Ciezki and Marisa, creating an extra busy night for Ohio State guards Jacy Sheldon and Celeste Taylor.

That doesn’t even mention Leilani Kapinus and Ali Brigham. Although the Buckeyes interior presence slowed the two to a combined 16 points and 14 rebounds on Dec. 10, that was without the added outlet of Owusu. Ohio State will lean on forward Rebeka Mikulášiková and Thierry, especially in the paint.

Should the Nittany Lions return to the team punishing teams on the offensive end of the court to start the year, the Buckeyes will need its defense to continue its tear, even after eight days away from the court.

Ohio State

G- Jacy Sheldon

G- Celeste Taylor

G- Taylor Thierry

F- Cotie McMahon

F- Rebeka Mikulášikova

Lineup Notes

• Ohio State’s 30 forced turnovers on the Nebraska Cornhuskers is the most the team has forced since Feb. 21, 2001.
• Guard Jacy Sheldon’s 23 points against the Cornhuskers is the graduate senior’s 10th game scoring at least 20 points this season.
• Forward Cotie McMahon’s 20-point, 10-rebound double-double is her fifth of the season, after entering her sophomore season with three as a freshman.

Penn State

G- Shay Ciezki

G- Makenna Marisa

G- Ashley Owusu

G- Leilani Kapinus

F- Ali Brigham

Lineup Notes

• Guard Leilani Kapinus leads the Big Ten in steals with 57 total and 2.2 per game.
• Of the Penn State starting lineup, only one player has started all 26 games: Forward Ali Brigham.
• Head coach Carolyn Kieger’s has trotted out eight different starting lineups in 26 games.

Prediction

Considering the environment, Penn State’s current run and Ohio State coming on with eight days away from competitive games, the Nittany Lions will be the aggressors early. Penn State will score in droves, but the Buckeyes will mount a comeback.

Guards Sheldon and Taylor will play well against the Marisa and Ciezki duo, but it’ll be difficult for the Scarlet & Gray to stop Owusu. Even so, the second half will be another strong one by the Buckeyes, pulling away in the fourth quarter behind another double-double by McMahon.

How to Watch

Date: Thursday, February 22, 2024

Time: 6:00 p.m. ET

Where: Rec Hall, State College, Pennsylvania

Television: Big Ten Network

Stream: Fox Sports App

LGHL Prediction: 93-87 Ohio State Buckeyes

Coach McGuff Honored

Throughout the season, weekly awards feature names like Sheldon, McMahon and Taylor. This week, Coach McGuff joined the list of Buckeyes honored this season when the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame put him on the shortlist of 15 coaches for the National Coach of the Year award.

The list features stiff competition, including four coaches who’ve already won the honor, like current No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley, who’s won three of the last four awards.

McGuff is joined by Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder, who won for the 2018-19 season, as the only two Big Ten coaches on the list.