Ohio State women’s basketball team dominated the Purdue Boilermakers with a resounding 98-46 victory on Sunday at Value City Arena. This win is the Buckeyes' largest margin of victory against any Big Ten opponent this season and demonstrated their exceptional resilience after suffering a recent setback against Indiana.
Ohio State, ranked eighth nationally, came out aggressively following their 71-61 loss to Indiana just days earlier. Center Ajae Petty set the tone for the game, scoring quickly with a second-chance layup off a missed jumper from point guard Jaloni Cambridge. This basket initiated the Buckeyes’ impressive 13-point run right from the start.
Purdue, on the other hand, found themselves struggling to score early. They did not register any points for over four minutes to start the game, finding it difficult to recover from Ohio State's defense. The Boilermakers were limited to just 8 points during the first quarter. By the end of the game, they managed to shoot only 32.1% from the field, with their three-point shooting at 27.8% (5-of-18).
The Buckeyes showcased their shooting prowess, completing 52.4% of their attempts from the field, including 14 for 27 from three-point range—an impressive 51.9%. This was the first time this season they surpassed the 50% mark from deep. Multiple players contributed to this impressive feat, showcasing Ohio State's depth and offensive versatility.
Leading the scoring for the Buckeyes was transfer Chance Gray, who found her rhythm after several games of struggle. She dropped 21 points, hitting five out of her twelve attempts from beyond the arc. Gray’s performance was particularly noteworthy as it marked the end of her recent shooting woes; her last successful outing from deep before Sunday was back on January 19 against Penn State.
Ohio State's ability to spread the scoring among their roster was evident, with every player who came off the bench contributing at least 2 points to the total score. Alongside Gray, several other players crossed the double-digit threshold, including Ajae Petty and Elsa Lemmila, the latter marking her first three-point shot with the Buckeyes during the game.
Despite their struggles, Purdue managed to find some highlights through individual efforts. The Boilermakers’ Rashunda Jones was their top scorer, finishing with 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting. Reagan Bass, who closely approached her fifth double-double of the season, recorded 8 points and 10 rebounds but lacked the offensive support needed to make a significant impact.
Moving on, the Boilermakers, now at 9-18 overall and 2-13 within conference play, will face Penn State for their final road game of the season on Thursday night. On the other hand, Ohio State improved their record to 23-4 and 12-4 in the Big Ten, with their next matchup set against No. 22 Michigan State at home.
The Buckeyes’ dominant performance against Purdue serves as both a statement of their capabilities and as momentum heading down the stretch of the season. With strong collective play and individual breakthroughs like Gray’s, Ohio State is poised to continue making waves within the Big Ten and beyond as they head toward postseason play.