Northwestern
Ohio State
'Cats Hit The Road, Visit No. 10 Ohio State On Sunday
1/4/2025 10:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Northwestern seeks first win in Columbus since 2020
LAST TIME OUT
Melannie Daley reached double figures in scoring for a fifth straight game as Northwestern dropped an 85-65 decision to visiting Oregon this past Tuesday inside Welsh-Ryan Arena. Daley paced the attack for the 'Cats in the setback, leading all scorers with 17 points. Across Northwestern's last five games, Daley, who also handed out four assists against the Ducks, is averaging a team-best 15.6 points and operating at just shy of a 56 percent clip from the field.
Caileigh Walsh and Kyla Jones joined Daley in double figures. Walsh put up 15 points, while Jones added 14 points on an efficient 7-of-11 clip. Northwestern was also bolstered by the return of Mercy Ademusayo, who chipped in six points and three rebounds in her 2024-25 debut.
SCOUTING OHIO STATE
Ranked 10th in the latest Associated Press Top 25 Poll, reigning Big Ten Conference regular season champion Ohio State has opened 2024-25 on a tear, racing out to a 13-0 start that includes a 2-0 ledger in Big Ten play. The Buckeyes are coming off a 77-63 road win at Rutgers on December 29.
2023-24 Big Ten Coach of the Year Kevin McGuff's team boasts one of the nation's premier offenses. Ohio State averages a Big Ten-best 85.9 points per game, a mark that ranks 10th nationally. The Buckeyes are just as impressive on the defensive end of the floor, sitting inside the top 30 nationally in scoring defense (30th; 55.2 ppg) and steals (6th; 14.4 spg).
Cotie McMahon looks to be picking up right where she left off following an outstanding 2024-25 season in which she was tabbed an All-American by both the Associated Press and United States Basketball Writers Association. McMahon averages a team-high 18.0 points per contest and has surpassed the 20-point mark in four games. Five Buckeyes in total average north of 10 points per game, a group that also includes Chance Gray (16.2 ppg), Jaloni Cambridge (12.7 ppg), Ajae Petty (12.1 ppg), and Taylor Thierry (10.8 ppg).
SERIES STUFF
The Wildcats and Buckeyes are set to meet for the 70th time as part of a series that traces its roots back to 62-49 Northwestern win back on March 7, 1980. Ohio State has gained the upper hand in the series of late, rattling off four straight wins to widen its advantage to 48-21 (.696). The most recent of those victories came last season as the Buckeyes prevailed by a final count of 90-60 on January 5, 2024 at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Northwestern will be in search of its first win over Ohio State since a 69-55 triumph on February 25, 2020. Behind a game-high 19 points from Abi Scheid, the 'Cats set a new program record for wins in the NCAA era, notching their 25th victory of a historic campaign that saw Northwestern go on to win its first conference title since the 1989-90 campaign.
UP NEXT
Northwestern returns to Welsh-Ryan Arena on Wednesday, January 8 to entertain Indiana at 7 p.m.
