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Alexa PhilippouESPN
No. 5 Tennessee was shocked in Columbus by No. 14 Ohio State on Tuesday night time, as Buckeyes followers stormed the courtroom following a dramatic 87-75 upset in each groups’ season opener.
It was the primary season-opening loss by an Related Press top-five crew in opposition to both an unranked squad or a ranked crew outdoors the highest 5 since 2008, when No. 3 Maryland fell to unranked TCU, in line with ESPN Stats & Info analysis. Earlier than Tuesday, such groups had gained 69 consecutive contests, together with No. 1 South Carolina, No. 2 Stanford and No. 4 Iowa on Monday night time.
“I wasn’t positive who would present up when it comes to how good we might be as a result of we hadn’t performed anyone but, however I am actually pleased with our youngsters, particularly the primary half,” Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff advised Large Ten Community after the sport. “We did not play very properly. However we type of received ourselves collectively at halftime and performed an ideal second half.”
The Woman Vols, whose eight nationwide titles are second-most in ladies’s school basketball historical past, entered the season as a Last 4 contender. Led by fourth-year head coach Kellie Harper, they’re hoping to return there for the primary time since Candace Parker’s senior yr in 2008.
And whereas Tuesday’s end result will not halt their long-term aim, there have been downside areas they’re going to actually want to wash as much as make it to Dallas. The Woman Vols could not cope with Ohio State’s press and dedicated 29 turnovers, yet one more than their complete made discipline targets. It marked probably the most turnovers for Tennessee because it had 31 in March 2013 in opposition to No. 10 Kentucky.
“I assumed we had been relentless within the press and actually sped them up and received them uncomfortable,” McGuff stated.
“We knew they had been going to press the entire recreation,” Tennessee senior guard Jordan Horston stated. “We simply could not execute.”
After trailing by 12 within the first half, the Buckeyes outscored Tennessee 54-34 within the remaining 20 minutes to take management, together with 30-13 within the third quarter.
“Particularly within the third quarter, we grew to become actually passive, and the extra passive we grew to become, the extra aggressive Ohio State grew to become,” Harper stated. “And we simply could not get that again.”
“We made some pictures,” McGuff stated. “I advised them at halftime, ‘I just like the pictures we’re getting. We’re getting nice pictures. … We’re simply not making pictures we’re able to making. So preserve enjoying arduous within the press, preserve the tempo going. I believe we are able to put on them down and the pictures are gonna fall.'”
Buckeyes senior guard Taylor Mikesell received sizzling as the sport went on, ending with a game-high 25 factors on 9-of-18 capturing. Fellow senior guard Jacy Sheldon had 14 factors, eight steals and 7 assists.
Showing in her homecoming recreation and taking the ground for the primary time since mid-February after struggling a season-ending damage her junior yr, Horston led Tennessee with 20 factors, whereas Minnesota switch Jasmine Powell, additionally a senior guard, added 19.
The matchup was simply the second between top-25 groups early on this season. No. 21 Creighton beat No. 23 South Dakota State on Monday.
Tennessee’s schedule will not fully let up, with upcoming nonconference matchups in opposition to defending Atlantic 10 event champion UMass and Indiana. Ohio State has Boston Faculty and Ohio up subsequent.
Harper says she deliberately put her crew by means of a tricky schedule so it might develop.
“We would have liked to play a tricky crew,” she stated. “If we perform a little higher job caring for the basketball for a small stretch, then this might have been a special final result. I believe that is the place we’ve to know the main points. Hopefully this can create somewhat bit extra sense of urgency for our basketball crew with these particulars.”
Added Horston: “Having the ability to see that early what we have to work on proper now, I really feel like it may make us higher. So we have simply received to be taught from it. … I am not rattled. We’re not frightened in any respect. It was the primary recreation.”
Ohio State — coming off successful a share of the Large Ten regular-season title earlier than falling to Texas within the Candy 16 — now hopes to show Tuesday’s win into even larger momentum shifting ahead.
“I believe we’ve a ‘by no means say die’ mentality and we all the time wish to be the underdog,” Mikesell advised Large Ten Community. “On the finish of the day, we wish to be underrated. That is what we come out and do, and I believe that we’ve a extremely unbelievable crew.”
