It took just over three minutes, early in the fourth quarter Thursday at Williams Arena, for a potential upset to come apart at the seams.
The Gophers women's basketball team led for much of the game against third-ranked and unbeaten Ohio State. They led by as many as 10 points in the third, and still led by six entering the fourth thanks to an incredibly high level of intensity and a good job of dealing with OSU's vaunted full-court press.
Then things changed. In the first 3:03 of the fourth quarter, the Gophers were outscored 14-0. They missed their first five shots. They were whistled for five fouls, including a costly technical on Mi'Cole Cayton.
In 183 seconds, the Gophers went from six up to eight down and never fully recovered in an 83-71 loss to the Buckeyes (16-0, 5-0 Big Ten).
It was a disappointing end to a game that had so many positives for the Gophers (8-7, 1-3). Mallory Heyer had a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double. Amaya Battle had 14 points and nine rebounds. Rose Micheaux scored 14 points and Mara Braun 12.
Oregon State was led by Taylor Mikesell's 22 points. Rikki Harris had 19.
For much of the game the Gophers did a decent job of handling the OSU pressure; the Gophers had a 12-9 lead on points off turnovers at the half. But Ohio State scored 15 points off Gophers turnovers in the second half.
The Gophers started the game 1-for-5 with two turnovers as the Buckeyes built an early 12-4 lead.
Then, handling the Ohio State press well, and getting some stops, the Gophers got six points from Battle in an 8-2 run that brought the Gophers within 14-13 with 4:19 left in the first quarter.
Unfortunately, the Gophers missed four straight shots and had two turnovers, and the Buckets were up 22-12 in no time. But the Gophers scored the final five points of the quarter — including a three-pointer by Borowicz — to pull within five entering the second.
Ohio State hit a three to start the second quarter, pushing their lead to eight.
Much of the rest of the half belonged to the Gophers. Battle had six points in an 11-2 run capped by Braun's steal and basket that put the Gophers up 30-29 with 5:43 left in the half.
Out of a timeout, Braun hit a three putting the Gophers up four. The Buckeyes came back to take a two-point lead on Cotie McMahon's free throw with 2:58 left.
But the Gophers finished the half 8-2, with Heyer scoring four. The Gophers hit 11 of 21 shots in the quarter and forced eight OSU turnovers, which resulted in seven points. It was just the third time the Buckeyes had trailed at the half this season.
The Gophers kept pushing. Up just a point early in the third quarter, another 11-2 run — this time led by Micheaux's four points — put the Gophers up 10 on Cayton's drive with 3:58 left.
But then the Gophers went cold and, taking advantage of an uptick in turnovers, Ohio State promptly scored eight straight to pull within two.
But the Gophers calmed down. Micheaux scored in the post and Heyer hit a three late in the third, a 5-1 finish to the quarter that had the Gophers up 61-55 entering the fourth.
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January 06, 2023 at 09:54AM
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Gophers women's upset bid falls short against No. 3 Buckeyes - Star Tribune
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