Ohio State rebounded in a big way Monday night as they grinded out a 65-60 win at Gonzaga in front of a raucous crowd at McCarthey Athletic Center.
It marked only the 14th loss at home for Gonzaga since 2004 when the building opened.
Tayler Hill also came back strong, putting the Buckeyes on her back after a sub-par performance Saturday at Washington State. Hill scored a season-high 25 points, grabbed nine rebounds and went 12 of 12 from the free throw line. She also added three assists and a key steal in the final minutes to help seal the win.
The Buckeyes (7-3) led by seven, 54-47, with 5:53 left before Gonzaga (9-3) went on a 7-0 run to tie the game at 54-54 with 3:49 left. After a timeout, senior Amber Stokes drilled a 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down to give the Buckeyes breathing room.
Things then got wild in the final minute. Down five, 61-56, with 31 seconds left, Gonzaga scored four points in four seconds. After GU’s Taelor Karr made the first of a one and one, Gonzaga grabbed the offensive rebound after she missed the second and Haiden Palmer immediately drilled a three-pointer to cut the lead to 61-60 with 26 seconds left.
After Ameryst Alston made the first of a one and one at the other end, Hill grabbed her miss on the second and calmly nailed two free throws to put OSU up by three. Two more free throws by Hill with 4 seconds put the game away.
Ashley Adams and Aleksandra Dobranic played solid games on the interior for the Buckeyes, scoring 10 and eight points, respectively, while Adams added four assists and three steals. Dobranic hit all four of her field goal attempts and grabbed five rebounds. Stokes added 10 points and three steals, including a critical one in the final minutes.
Ohio State trailed by as much as nine points twice in the first half, but stormed back behind some excellent defense and the play of Hill, who had 11 in the half. An offensive rebound and putback by Darryce Moore with under a minute to go gave the Buckeyes the 25-23 advantage at the break.
Moore finished with six points and four boards off the bench while Alston played a solid game at the point with seven assists, four points and three boards.
The Buckeyes return home Tuesday from their trip to the Great Northwest and play again at 7 p.m. Friday vs. Southern.
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