Ohio State women aim to avoid needing another NCAA Tournament comeback vs. North Carolina
The Ohio State women's basketball team has made a habit of comebacks this season.
Seven times in their 33 games — 21.2% of the time — the Buckeyes have erased double-digit deficits and found a way to win. The trend began with their first game of the season, an 87-75 win over Tennessee after trailing by 12 points in the second quarter, and it reappeared periodically throughout the regular season before carrying over into the postseason. Ohio State pulled off the biggest comeback in Big Ten Tournament history to beat Indiana in the semifinals.
And against No. 14 seed James Madison in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the No. 3 seed Buckeyes had to do it again. A poor shooting performance in the first half led to the Dukes taking a 16-point lead in the second quarter, and though Ohio State eventually pulled away for the 80-66 win, it wasn't the start-to-finish performance the Buckeyes were looking for.
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"We need to change that," senior point guard Jacy Sheldon said after the game. "We have to start better. Mentally and physically, focus better from the start. That's definitely something to change going forward."
'We're just going to try our best to play our game': Ohio State women's basketball team preparing for game against North Carolina
On Monday afternoon at Value City Arena, facing No. 6 seed North Carolina in the second round, Ohio State knows that it can't count on pulling off yet another comeback.
"Definitely trying to work on not digging ourselves a hole or being a deficit every single game, because that's not going to work against every team," sophomore guard Taylor Thierry said. "Just something that we're working on. We're just going to try our best to play our game. Try to execute things as best as possible."
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The Tar Heels narrowly escaped being upset by No. 11 seed St. John's to win 61-59 on Saturday, but Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff believes that when North Carolina is playing well it's one of the top teams in the country.
"North Carolina is kind of similar to us in the regard of, when they've had their highs, they're easily a top-10 team in the country," McGuff said. "They've had some days where they weren't that, and we've done the same thing. That's going to be the interesting part. Who can show up and be the best version of yourself, because when they're good, they're really, really good, and I think the same about us."
'We have to make sure we, one, are executing at a high level on the offensive end'
Both teams have a propensity for forcing their opponents into turnovers. Ohio State ranks 17th in the country with an average of 20.2 turnovers forced per game, and the Tar Heels aren't far behind at 18.6. When the Buckeyes' full-court press is at its most effective, they can build momentum in an instant as they force turnovers, score quickly in transition and immediately reset the press after the made basket.
But when the shots aren't falling for Ohio State, as they didn't in the first half against James Madison, a slow start can rapidly spiral towards disaster.
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"We have to make sure we, one, are executing at a high level on the offensive end," McGuff said. "Two, getting some balance in our offense. Not settling for threes. Usually, if we're not getting balance, it's that we're settling for threes. We have to get to the rim or maybe try to get to the free throw line, just to generate some offense early, to allow us to get into an offensive rhythm."
'Everybody is going to have to play their hardest'
The Buckeyes' offense, led by senior guard Taylor Mikesell, with an average of 17.2 points per game, and freshman forward Cotie McMahon, who averages 14.8 points, ranks in the top 10 nationally with an average of 80.7 points per game. The Tar Heels allow just under 60 points on average — the stingiest defense, statistically, that Ohio State has faced this year.
Having Sheldon back at full strength after missing most of the year with a lower leg injury will be crucial for the Buckeyes to start on the front foot and avoid needing another comeback. Sheldon scored 17 points and recorded nine assists Saturday in her first start since Nov. 30, and Ohio State needs her to run its offense at peak efficiency in Monday's game.
"Everybody is going to have to play their hardest," Thierry said. "This is a crazy month. There's upsets. We're just going to approach every game like it's going to be our last. We just have to go in with that mindset."
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: NCAA Tournament: North Carolina at Ohio State second round preview
