Indiana women’s basketball will be tasked with a gauntlet of games within the next seven days before its regular season finale against Purdue on March 2. Thursday will mark the start of the tough three-game stretch as the Hoosiers are set to take on No. 8 Ohio State at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
The Hoosiers are coming off a 22-point victory over Purdue on Feb. 15 in the first of two matchups. Indiana reigned dominant in all facets during its win over the Boilermakers, and graduate student Sydney Parrish acknowledged that the Hoosiers needed to carry that momentum into the upcoming games on their schedule — No. 22 Michigan State on Sunday and No. 20 Maryland on Feb. 27.
“How we came out tonight, we need to play like that against those teams,” Parrish said after the Hoosiers’ win over the Boilermakers.
Indiana hasn’t faced a ranked opponent since its loss to No. 4 USC on Jan. 19. Their matchup with Ohio State will serve as an initial test for the Hoosiers as they head into the three tough matchups in an attempt to grab a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
But the Hoosiers will have to clean up their turnovers if they want to start the three-game stretch with a win. Ohio State is one of the best teams at forcing turnovers as it leads the Big Ten in steals with 13 per game while senior forward Taylor Thierry leads the conference with 2.5 steals per game. The Buckeyes’ opponents average just over 23 turnovers per game this season.
Turnovers have been a problem for Indiana throughout the season. The Hoosiers average just over 14 turnovers a game but have been prone to careless giveaways in the crucial minutes of contests, so better protecting the ball will be crucial.
Ohio State also presents a challenge for Indiana senior forward Karoline Striplin and junior forward Lilly Meister. Junior forward Cotie McMahon provides the Buckeyes with a dominant scoring presence in the lane. She leads the Buckeyes averaging 17 points per game, while Thierry and graduate student forward Ajae Petty add 10.3 points and 9.1 points, respectively.
Striplin and Meister have struggled against other teams with a strong play inside. Illinois fifth-year senior forward Kendall Bostic recorded 21 points and eight rebounds in the Hoosiers’ loss to the Illini on Jan. 16.
Along with McMahon and Thierry, freshman guard Jaloni Cambridge and junior guard Chance Grey average double figures with 15.2 points and 13.4 points, respectively. The four create a balanced scoring attack and high-powered offense for the Buckeyes, who average 80 points per game this season.
Ohio State, which is led by head coach Kevin McGuff in his 12th season with the Buckeyes, enters the matchup at 22-3 overall and 11-3 in Big Ten play.
The Buckeyes are riding a two-game win streak after they dropped two road games to then-No. 1 UCLA and then-No. 7 USC as a part of their West Coast trip.
Since its two losses, Ohio State strung together two wins at home against Minnesota and Iowa, both coming in overtime. The Buckeyes allowed the Golden Gophers and the Hawkeyes to make second-half comebacks and force an overtime period, but Ohio State ultimately defeated the two squads.
Ohio State’s third loss came in a Big Ten matchup with Penn State — which currently sits at the bottom of the Big Ten with only one conference win — on Jan. 19. The Lady Lions defense held the Buckeyes to their second lowest scoring game of the season with 59 points, the lowest coming against UCLA.
Tipoff between the Hoosiers and the Buckeyes is slated for 7 p.m. Thursday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The contest will stream on Peacock.
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and Savannah Slone (@savrivers06) and columnist Ryan Canfield (@RyanCanfieldOnX) for updates throughout the Indiana women’s basketball season.
