Big Ten women's basketball steps into the spotlight on Wednesday, as No. 10 Ohio State travels to face No. 23 Minnesota while conference tournament seeding hangs in the balance.
The Buckeyes will look to bounce back from Sunday's 76-75 upset loss to No. 14 Maryland. Ohio State surrendered a 19-point lead to the Terrapins in the second half, falling behind despite guard Jaloni Cambridge scoring 29 points while Chance Gray added a season-high 25.
"That's sort of the story of being in the Big Ten," Buckeyes head coach Kevin McGuff said postgame. "You play so many great teams, and how you handle adversity goes a long way."
Ohio State currently sits fourth in the Big Ten women's basketball standings. However, the Gophers trail OSU by just one game, as Minnesota enters Wednesday's contest riding an eight-game winning streak. The hot streak earned them their first AP Top 25 ranking of the season this week.
Minnesota excels at protecting the basketball in Big Ten play, averaging 10.4 turnovers per game — the fewest in the conference. During their winning streak, that number dropped to 9.8 per game.
"We've built a lot of chemistry over the last couple years," Gophers center Sophie Hart told reporters. "I think that's showing up right now. We're just playing together as a team and having a lot of fun doing it."
The Big Ten tournament tips off March 4th, with the top four finishers receiving first-round byes and advancing directly to the quarterfinals. Just five games remaining in the regular season.
How to watch Ohio State vs Minnesota in Big Ten women's basketball
OSU takes on Minnesota on Wednesday at 8 PM ET, live on Big Ten Network.
