Can Buckeyes pull off the upset? Keys to No. 13 Ohio State women's game against No. 2 UCLA
In less than a year's time, winning the Big Ten women's basketball title is going to be significantly more difficult. Two of the countries' top 10 programs, UCLA and Southern California, are set to join the already stacked Big Ten conference next season.
Luckily (or unluckily, depending on the point of view), Ohio State had both teams slotted into its nonconference schedule this season, giving coach Kevin McGuff and his team a preview on what to expect from their future Big Ten rivals.
Opening up the season against USC, the Buckeyes got their first taste of what it'll be like facing these two squads when they were handed their only loss, 83-74. No. 13-ranked Ohio State now has one more chance to redeem itself before these games count towards the conference record, but coming out victorious against UCLA will be far from easy.
On Monday night, UCLA enters Value City Arena as the second ranked team in the country. Under coach Cori Close, the Bruins currently have an undefeated record, which includes a dominant 78-67 victory over the UConn Huskies.
"They’re a great team, very talented, well coached," McGuff said. "They have as good of roster as anyone in college basketball. They’re ranked number two for a reason. They deserve it."
Going into this matchup, the Buckeyes have to be sharp and learn from their mistakes from the USC loss, cleaning up their game in two key areas.
Full-court press
The Buckeyes rely heavily on their full-court press, both to stop opponents and to generate offense. This season, the Buckeyes have forced 227 turnovers and notched 114 steals across 10 games.
When Ohio State struggles in its press, it has a damaging impact, as seen against USC. Both Juju Watkins and Rayah Marshall of the Trojans found holes in the Buckeyes' press, which significantly contributed to their combined 50 points that day.
Since then, Ohio State has started to find its groove in the press, which in large part is due to reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year Celeste Taylor adjusting to a new style of defense. After transferring from Duke during the offseason, it took some time for her to come into her own with the Buckeyes.
“She’s getting comfortable and she's starting to really fit into our system really well," Ohio State's Jacy Sheldon said. "She helps our defense, she helps our press, half-court defense."
UCLA is fourth in the country in points per game, averaging just under 93. The Buckeyes' offense has surpassed that number only twice this season, and one of those occasions was against Penn State in a game that went into overtime. So, the Buckeyes will need their defense to be on point.
Grabbing boards
McGuff wants his team to get better in rebounding. Last season, despite appearing in the Big Ten championship game, Ohio State was at the bottom of the conference in rebounding, averaging just over 35 per game.
There has already been a slight increase in that average this season, as the Buckeyes have grabbed about 37 boards per game. The Buckeyes are going up against the fifth-best rebounding team in the nation on Monday, with UCLA recording an average of more than 48 rebounds per game.
The Bruins are led by former No. 1 recruit Lauren Betts, who is 6 feet 7 and averages 9.2 boards per game. The Buckeyes' tallest starter is 6-4 Rebeka Mikulasikova, but her game rarely consists of much rebounding.
Ohio State is going to need to rely on players such as Cotie McMahon and Taylor Thierry, who lead the team in rebounding, to crash the boards all night against the Bruins. Coming off their game against Grand Valley State on Friday, where the Buckeyes only grabbed 30 rebounds, McGuff knows his team can't afford a repeat performance.
"If we rebound like that on Monday," McGuff said. "It's gonna be a long night, I can assure you."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Does Ohio State women have what it takes to defeat UCLA?
