How Ohio State women’s basketball got off to a record-breaking 17-0 undefeated start

Ohio has never had a season like it. After the best start in program history with a 17-0 unbeaten run, the Buckeyes emerged as a top team and had a season that no one could have predicted.

Ohio State was 14th in the preseason AP rankings. Not bad for a team after a Sweet 16 run with three returning starters. But there were no signs Ohio State was perfect until two weeks after him in January. Also, he is one of three teams to finish undefeated, up to 3rd in the nation (1st-ranked South Carolina and 5th-ranked LSU are the other teams).

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But here’s how the Buckeyes did it.

Commission success

Ohio State has six players averaging double digits. Among the top 10 teams, he is the only team with so many players to score 10 or more goals in one game.

1. Taylor Mikesell: 18.8 points
2. Jaycee Sheldon: 16 points
3. Rebeka Mikrashikova: 13.8 points
4. Coty McMahon: 12.9 points
5. Taylor Thierry: 12.3 points
6. Madison Green: 10.9 points (missed this season)

Sheldon and Mikesell led the Buckeyes last season with 19.7 and 18.6 points respectively. The Buckeyes are averaging about 8 more points overall a game this season, despite Sheldon’s points dropping and Mikesell’s 3-pointer percentage dropping from his 47.5% to his 39.9% . A short step back opened the door for Ohio State’s roll his player.

Injuries also played a role in the player’s step-up. Sheldon said he suffered a lower extremity injury on November 30. Madison suffered a season-ending knee injury on January 5, with Green intervening. But that didn’t stop the Buckeyes momentum. Ricky Harris scored a career-high 19 points in a game in which Green was down.

Starting in his second season, Thierry leads the Buckeyes in rebounds (6.5), steals (2.2) and field goal percentage (66.7%). McMahon has served as the Ohio State’s only freshman starter, with him recording 12.9 points and his 2.1 steals.

Mikesell, Mikulasikova, McMahon, Sheldon and Thierry in order lead the game in scoring. In fact, Ohio State won a different top scorer in each of his first four games.

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statement win

To start the season, Ohio State used the then No. 5 Tennessee 87-75 as a marker of what was to come. With 17 wins, the Buckeyes have beaten three more ranked teams (Louisville, Oregon, and Michigan) at the time of the game.

The Buckeyes are 5th in points behind the nation, averaging 23.7 points ahead of their opponents. South Florida and Illinois were the most likely to upset OSU.

In overtime, 88-86, Ohio State made an 18-point comeback to beat the Bulls. In a recent game, the Buckeyes rebounded from his 17-point deficit. As always, it was a team effort. Mikesell led with her 31 and she made her 3-pointers on her seven. However, McMahon tallied 22 and made 10 free throws for him, and Thierry stats his sheet with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 assists, 1 block and 0 turnovers. filled in.

Here are all their victories:

* Matches until January 12th

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How far can Buckeyes go?

Ohio State currently sits behind South Carolina and Stanford in AP polls. Could the Buckeyes follow a similar path and make a deep run this season?

The Buckeyes will face their next-ranked opponent in Iowa on January 23, followed by No. 6 Indiana three days later. Five more matches against ranked teams with the talented Big His Ten before the season ends. This includes his two current top 10 teams, No. 6 Indiana and No. 9 Maryland, which Ohio State faces twice against him.

With a schedule that size, it’s likely a series of losses, but come March, Ohio State will be the team no one wants to see in the bracket.