BASKETBALL

Ohio State vs. Maine score, highlights: Jacy Sheldon, Buckeyes win March Madness game

Colin Gay Brian White Brianna Mac Kay

Columbus Dispatch

The NCAA Tournament started Friday afternoon for Ohio State women's basketball.

The No. 2 Buckeyes hosted No. 15 Maine at Value City Arena in Columbus.

Ohio State Buckeyes win, await winner of Duke-Richmond game

Jacy Sheldon led Ohio State with 19 points as the Buckeyes routed Maine 80-55.

Cotie McMahon had 13 points for the Buckeyes, while Taylor Thierry and Celeste Taylor each added 12.

The Buckeyes forced 22 turnovers and used a 24-4 first-half run to take control.

Duke and Richmond will play the second game at Value City Arena, with the winner facing the Buckeyes on Sunday.

Game in hand, Ohio State starting to pull starters

With an 80-53 lead, Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff is using his bench players. Former Newark star Emma Shumate is seeing time and scored 5 quick points.

Jacy Sheldon has left the game after scoring a team-high 19 points.

Mar 22, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Maine Black Bears guard Caroline Bornemann (13) fights for a loose ball with Ohio State Buckeyes forward Cotie McMahon (32) and guard Celeste Taylor (12) during the first half of the women’s basketball NCAA Tournament at Value City Arena.

Maine turnovers keep coming for Buckeyes

Maine was one of the best teams in the nation this year at protecting the ball, averaging only 12 turnovers per game. But the Black Bears are up to 20 turnovers today, the result of Ohio State's swarming full-court defense.

The Buckeyes, who average about 14 turnovers per game, have committed only six today.

Ohio State leads Maine 66-45 after three quarters

Jacy Sheldon leads Ohio State with 19 points, and the Buckeyes lead Maine 66-45 heading into the fourth quarter.

Celeste Taylor and Taylor Thierry each have 12 points for the Buckeyes.

Anne Simon leads the Black Bears with 18 points.

Adrianna Smith returns for Maine Black Bears

Adrianna Smith, injured in the final minute of the first half, returned to the Maine lineup a few minutes into the second half. She has a heavy bandage on her right ankle.

Mar 22, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Teammates celebrate a three pointer by Ohio State Buckeyes guard Rikki Harris (1) during the first half of the women’s basketball NCAA Tournament first round game against the Maine Black Bears at Value City Arena.

Ohio State takes 43-24 halftime lead over Maine Black Bears

After a slow start, Ohio State took control with a smothering press to take a 43-24 halftime lead. Madison Greene, a Pickerington Central product, hit a 3 at the buzzer for the final points.

Maine's troubles got worse with 40.6 seconds left in the half when Adrianna Smith, the Bears' leading scorer and leading rebounder, left the game with a leg injury. Smith had 7 points and two rebounds when she left.

The Buckeyes were led in the half by 10 points each from Jacy Sheldon and Taylor Thierry, plus 7 from Celeste Taylor.

Maine, which averaged only 12 turnovers per game this season, was forced into 13 in the half.

Ohio State-Maine entering blowout territory

Maine went four minutes without a point as Ohio State took a 40-20 lead. Jacy Sheldon and Taylor Thierry each have 10 points.

Mar 22, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard Rikki Harris (1) celebrates a three pointer in front of Maine Black Bears guard Olivia Rockwood (1) during the first half of the women’s basketball NCAA Tournament at Value City Arena.

Defense taking over as Ohio State Buckeyes widen lead

Ohio State went on a 15-2 run to widen the lead to 31-18 with 5:47 remaining in the first half.

Celeste Taylor and Jacy Sheldon lead the Buckeyes with 7 points apiece.

Maine, which averages only turnovers per game, already has 11.

ESPN focuses on Emmy Sheldon, sister of Jacy Sheldon

As other networks have done, ESPN once again focused for a while on Emmy Sheldon, sister of Ohio State guard Jacy Sheldon who has become a fan favorite in Columbus.

Emmy, a 16-year-old with Down syndrome, has become the program's most recognizable supporter.

"Emmy's just a light for everyone," said Ohio State's Cotie McMahon. "Whether you know her or you don't know, you're going to love her, any interaction you have with her."

Emmy has been able to bring Down syndrome awareness to people within the Ohio State program and fans of the team. On Jan. 14, the Buckeyes held an awareness game where the Dublin-based organization "Ability Matters" gave out shirts with Emmy's quote on the back that read, "Hear my words… never give up."

Jacy Sheldon shot gives Ohio State Buckeyes lead at end of first quarter

Jacy Sheldon hit a runner at the top of the lane to give Ohio State a 22-16 lead after one quarter. Cotie McMahon and Celeste Taylor lead the Buckeyes with 6 points each. Sheldon and Taylor Thierry each have 4.

Olivia Rockwood leads Maine with 9 points.

Maine Black Bears hot from outside to start game

Maine is 4 for 4 on 3-pointers and leads 14-13 at the first timeout, with 3:20 remaining in the first quarter. The Black Bears don't look intimidated, and senior Olivia Rockwood has hit three of the 3-pointers.

The Buckeyes are 0 for 3 on 3s.

NCAA Tournament: Has a No. 2 seed ever lost to a No. 15 seed?

A No. 15 seed has never won a game in the women’s NCAA Tournament. They are 0-116 in the NCAA Tournament since it expanded to 64 teams in 1994.

No. 2 seeds have posted a record of 311-112 and have finished as a champion four times.

Ohio State vs. Maine: Who is expected to start for the Buckeyes?

Here’s a look at Ohio State’s expected starting lineup Friday against Maine:

G Jacy Sheldon
G Celeste Taylor
G/F Taylor Thierry
F Rebeka Mikulasikova
F Cotie McMahon

Maine vs. Ohio State: Who is expected to start for the Black Bears?

Here’s a look at Maine’s expected starting lineup Friday against Ohio State:

G Olivia Rockwood
G Anne Simon
G Sarah Talon
C/F Caroline Bornemann
F Adrianna Smith

Which Maine players have NCAA Tournament experience?

No Maine women’s basketball player has ever played in an NCAA Tournament game.

Which Ohio State players have NCAA Tournament experience?

Heading into Friday’s NCAA Tournament game, 10 Ohio State players will come in with at least one game of March Madness experience.

Here is Ohio State’s average stats in each NCAA Tournament game appearance:

Rikki Harris (7 games): 3.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists
Taylor Thierry (7 games): 7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists
Jacy Sheldon (7 games): 19.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists
Emma Shumate (3 games): 0 points, 0.3 rebounds, 0.3 assists
Celeste Taylor (6 games): 12.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists
Taiyier Parks (1 game): 9 points, 11 rebounds, 0 assists
Karla Vres (1 game): 0 points, 1 rebound, 0 assists
Eboni Walker (4 games): 9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists
Rebeka Mikulasikova (7 games): 4.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists
Cotie McMahon (4 games): 18.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists

Who leads Ohio State in scoring?

Jacy Sheldon has been Ohio State’s main source of offense in 2023-24.

The first-team All-Big Ten guard is averaging 18 points per game and is shooting 50.9% from the field on an average of 13 shot attempts per game.

Cotie McMahon (14.1), Taylor Thierry (11.4) and Celeste Taylor (10.2) are the other Buckeyes that average more than 10 points per game.

Who leads Maine in scoring?

Redshirt senior guard Anne Simon, the 2024 AEC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, leads the Black Bears with 18.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game while shooting 43.4% from the field on a career high 16.1 shots per game.

Junior forward Adrianna Smith has also played an instrumental role in Maine's offense, averaging 16.6 points and 10.9 rebounds per game along with 1.5 steals per contest.

Smith and Simon account for 54.1% of the team’s total points, 53.6% of its assists and 48.1% of its rebounds.

Ohio State NCAA Tournament history

Ohio State has made 28 editions of the NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes have posted a 34-27 record in tournament games, but have only made one Final Four: 1993, when Ohio State lost to Texas Tech in the national championship game.

Maine NCAA Tournament history

Maine has appeared in 10 NCAA tournaments. The Black Bears' first appearance was in 1995 as a No. 16 seed. They lost 105-75 to No. 1 Connecticut.

Maine has one NCAA Tournament win, a 60-58 victory as a No. 10 seed against No. 7 Stanford. The Black Bears lost to No. 2 Old Dominion in the Round of 32, 72-62.

Here's a look at Maine's full NCAA Tournament history:

1995: No. 1 Connecticut 105, No. 16 Maine 75
1996: No. 6 George Washington 83, No. 11 Maine 67
1997: No. 4 LSU 88, No. 13 Maine 79
1998: No. 4 NC State 89, No. 13 Maine 64
1999: No. 10 Maine 60, No. 7 Stanford 58; No. 2 Old Dominion 72, No. 10 Maine 62
2000: No. 5 North Carolina 62, No. 12 Maine 57
2004: No. 4 Texas Tech 60, No. 13 Maine 50
2018: No. 2 Texas 83, No. 15 Maine 54
2019: No. 3 NC State 63, No. 14 Maine 51

When was Ohio State’s last NCAA Tournament game?

Ohio State ended the 2022-23 season in the Elite Eight. The Buckeyes lost its regional final meeting against Virginia Tech 84-74.

When was Maine’s last NCAA Tournament game?

Maine’s most recent NCAA Tournament game came against No. 3 NC State. The No. 14 Black Bears lost 63-51 in the first round.

Ohio State vs. Maine history

Ohio State has won each of its two meetings against Maine.

Nov. 17, 1995: Ohio State 93, Maine 64
Dec. 3, 2017: Ohio State 83, Maine 70

What channel is Ohio State vs. Maine on today? How to watch, stream live

TV channel: ESPN

Stream: YouTubeTV, Hulu Live, Fubo TV (free trial), ESPN app

Ohio State vs. Maine start time, TV info, location

Start time: 12 p.m. ET
TV info: ESPN
Location: Value City Arena, Columbus, Ohio

Ohio State vs. Maine preview

Ohio State: After winning the regular-season Big Ten championship for the 17th time in program history, Ohio State faltered in the Big Ten women's basketball tournament quarterfinal against Maryland. Led by Big Ten Coach of the Year Kevin McGuff, the two-seeded Buckeyes will have two first-team All-Big Ten recipients — Jacy Sheldon and Cotie McMahon — along with Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Celeste Taylor. Ohio State has made the regional round of the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two seasons.

Ohio State women vs Maine:Ohio State women vs Maine in March Madness: Prediction for 2024 NCAA Tournament opener

Maine:Maine will play in its first NCAA Tournament since 2019 after winning the Women's America East Conference regular-season title and conference tournament championship. Redshirt senior guard Anne Simon, a two-time AEC Player of the Year, leads the Black Bears with 18.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game. Simon and junior forward Adrianna Smith combine on average for more than 20 of the Black Bears' 60 shot attempts per game.

Feb 1, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes forward Cotie McMahon (32) celebrates a shot with guard Jacy Sheldon (4) during the second half of the NCAA women’s basketball game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Value City Arena. Ohio State won 87-49.

Ohio State vs. Maine odds, betting line, spread

Odds according to BetMGM

Spread: -26.5 Ohio State
Over/under: 131.5 points

Ohio State vs. Maine prediction, game picks

Ohio State is in a prime position to relight the fire it had that made the team a two-seed in the NCAA Tournament. If the Buckeyes' half-court defense returns to the form it was at during January and February and the offense is able to score early, Ohio State should be able to easily take the first-round victory against Maine.

Ohio State vs. Maine injury updates

Ohio State:

Kennedy Cambridge
Karla Vres

Maine:

None

Ohio State vs. Maine stats

Ohio State

PPG: 79.8
PPG allowed: 63.8
FG%: 46.7%
3PT%: 35.2%

Maine

PPG: 64.3
PPG allowed: 56.3
FG%: 40.2%
3PT%: 30.2%

Ohio State vs. Maine championship odds