COLUMBUS, Ohio — Montana State's historic season came to an end Friday, as the Bobcats were overwhelmed by Ohio State 71-51 in the first round of the NCAA tournament at the Schottenstein Center.
After Natalie Picton sparked the Bobcats to a 27-23 lead in the first half, Ohio State responded with a 24-0 run spanning the second and third quarters to take control and cruise into the second round. The Bobcats, who won the Big Sky Conference regular-season and tournament championships and became the league's first 30-win program, finish the season with a 30-5 overall record.
Friday's game between the 13th-seeded Bobcats and fourth-seeded Buckeyes of the Big 10 Conference started at a frenetic pace. Both teams pushed the tempo on offense and played their trademark aggressive full-court defenses. The teams combined for 13 first-quarter turnovers, including eight by Montana State that turned into six fast-break points for Ohio State.
Though they seemed rushed at times, the Bobcats weren't intimidated. They had an early 7-0 run that gave them a 10-6 lead four minutes into the game before the Buckeyes later went on their own 7-0 run to take a 17-12 lead. But Montana State closed the quarter with another spurt and went to the second tied at 17 after Isobel Bunyan made a corner 3-pointer just before the first quarter ended.
Ohio State scored the first six points of the second, but Picton went on a personal 10-0 run to give the Bobcats a 27-23 lead midway through the period. The sophomore guard made back-to-back 3-pointers, the second preceding a technical foul on the Buckeyes' bench. Picton made the technical free throws and then blew by her defender for a layup on the ensuing possession.
Ohio State went more than four minutes without scoring until Jaloni Cambridge made a pair of free throws, which started a 9-0 Buckeyes run to end the half. Ohio State led 32-27 at the break.
Cotie McMahon, a 6-foot forward, had 10 first-half points for the Buckeyes, as the Bobcats had no match for her size or physicality.
The Bobcats made 5 of 13 3-pointers to keep the margin close in the opening 20 minutes, but they had 14 turnovers that led to 18 Ohio State points.
Ohio State scored the first 15 points of the third quarter to extend its total run to 24-0, as Chance Gray banged 3-pointers on three consecutive possessions in the first 1:15 of the quarter and Cambridge, McMahon and Ajae Petty broke through the MSU defense for layups. The Buckeyes led 47-27 before Esmeralda Morales finally stopped the run with a 3.
Montana State made just three field goals in the third quarter — two Morales 3s and a Marah Dykstra layup — as Ohio State took control. The Buckeyes led by as many as 25 points, 55-30, in the period and ultimately took a 55-37 lead to the fourth quarter.
Morales, the Big Sky player of the year, made five 3-pointers and finished with 20 points. Picton had 12, and Dykstra added eight. As a team, Montana State had 26 turnovers and six assists. The Bobcats, who entered the game averaging an NCAA-best 14.6 steals per game, had just seven steals against the Buckeyes.
Ohio State, which is now 16-0 at home this season, had 14 steals and 17 assists. Cambridge had six assists and six steals to go with 12 points and five rebounds. Taylor Thierry led the Buckeyes with 16 points, while McMahon and Gray, who was 5 of 8 from 3-point range, each added 15. Petty added 11 points and seven rebounds.
Ohio State (26-6) will play Tennessee or South Florida in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday.
