COLUMBUS, Ohio — Wednesday night’s latest installment of the Ohio State-Michigan game was an instant classic, a thrilling, chaotic, back-and-forth affair that ended in chaotic fashion over the final five and a half minutes.
No. 8 Michigan State blew a lead in the fourth quarter, made a key error in the final seconds of regulation, and then beat No. 13 Ohio State 88-86 in overtime.
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The Wolverines (23-5) led by three with less than a second left when Brooke Quarles Daniels fouled on Ohio State star guard Jaloni Cambridge’s 3-pointer. The 81% free throw shooter made all three of his attempts to send the game into overtime.
From there, Ohio State (23-6) kept the momentum going — something it had struggled to do since leading by 14 points late in the first quarter — to build an eight-point lead with 1:33 left in overtime. But Chance Gray’s turnover gave Michigan life, and the Wolverines tied the game with 18 seconds left.
Ohio State’s chance for another blowout victory remained, but instead of going for the final shot, the Buckeyes’ Bryn Martin drained a 3-pointer. She fumbled it, giving Michigan the ball with eight seconds left.
Michigan’s Olivia Olson led all scorers with 31 points, and a contested layup sent Michigan home for its second win over a ranked opponent in three games.
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Prospects for both teams moving forward
Olson’s shot not only salvaged Michigan’s nine-point lead in the fourth quarter, but it also washed away the bad taste of last weekend’s loss to Iowa State.
Michigan had a chance to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament before losing to Iowa State. It will need help from some higher-ranked teams, but the opportunity is there. The loss to the Hawkeyes hurts those chances, but beating Ohio State, which is competing at home to host the first two rounds, is a step in the right direction. The Wolverines still need to beat Maryland to end the season and clinch a spot in the Big Ten Tournament for a chance to earn a No. 1 seed. Michigan State is more likely to be a No. 2 seed, and if that’s the case, beating rival Ohio State would go a long way toward locking down that spot.
As for Ohio State, the Buckeyes are in desperation as they look to host the first two rounds of the postseason for the fourth consecutive time. However, those chances have diminished significantly since the initial 16-seeded team rankings of No. 9 were announced on Feb. 14. Since then, Ohio State has lost at Minnesota and at home to Maryland and Michigan.
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Ohio State will open the regular season against No. 15 Michigan State, and a win would be the icing on the cake for the team’s recovery. But without a deep Big Ten tournament, the Buckeyes will be nervous before announcing their host site on Saturday, March 14.
Wednesday’s thriller wasn’t the cleanest game in the game, with no double-digit leads blown away, four players ejected, and untimely fouls and turnovers, but it will go down in history as one of the most entertaining games.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Ohio State Buckeyes, Michigan Wolverines, Women’s College Basketball, College Sports
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