Ohio State Buckeyes Rise to No. 5 in Latest AP Poll
The Ohio State Buckeyes(19-3, 10-1 Big Ten) moved up three spots in the Week 14 Associated Press women’s basketball rankings to No. 5 after another solid week.
Head coach Kevin McGuff’s squad took down Wisconsin Thursday and followed up with a top-10 win over then-No. 10 Indiana Sunday behind big third quarters in both games.
Ohio State is on a nine-game win streak and has not lost in the 2024 calendar year. They’ve had a multitude of different outcomes in those wins, including down-to-the-wire wins over Purdue and blowout victories over Northwestern and Rutgers.
However, the most impressive win on the Buckeyes’ record was over No. 2 Iowa on Jan. 21. Hawkeye senior guard Caitlin Clark put up 45 points in an overtime loss behind sophomore forward Cotie McMahon’s 33 points and 12 rebounds and graduate guard Jacy Sheldon’s 24.
McGuff has expressed his happiness for McMahon’s increased versatility on the court — McMahon recorded four straight double-doubles before Indiana Sunday and has done a much better job of distributing the ball in the open court but also knowing when to attack the rim herself.
“Her effort on the boards is terrific,” McGuff said postgame against Wisconsin Thursday.
Despite still being ranked behind Iowa in the AP Poll, Ohio State sits atop the Big Ten conference standings.
Although most of the tough games for the Buckeyes are behind them — besides playing at Iowa in March — McMahon and Sheldon both said Sunday the Big Ten is “crazy difficult this season.”
“Every game is a big game,” Sheldon said. “The Big Ten is one of the best, if not the best, league out there. We have the same mindset. We just want to win.”
The Buckeyes can hope to keep their winning streak alive as they head on the road for five of their last seven regular-season games, including Minnesota Thursday, tipping off at 9 p.m. EST, streaming on Peacock.
