Balance puts Ohio State women final, top Michigan 66-60

Mar 8, 2020, 04:21 am

INDIANAPOLIS -- Madison Green scored 13 points, Dorka Juhasz had a double-double and sixth-seeded Ohio State held off seventh-seeded Michigan 66-60 Saturday night to advance to the championship game of the Big Ten Conference tournament.

Aaliyah Patty and Jacy Sheldon, who had a steal and layup in with 5.3 seconds to go, both scored 11 points. Juhasz and Brextin Miller had 10 each with Juhasz grabbing 11 rebounds.

The Buckeyes (21-11), who have won four straight, are the lowest seeded team to make the title game since 2012. They'll face sixth-ranked and top-seeded Maryland, the team they beat for the 2018 title, Sunday night.

Naz Hillmon scored 22 points and grabbed 16 rebounds for the Wolverines (22-10). Hailey Brown added 14 points and Akiereh Johnson had 12.

Ohio State, which blew out 19th ranked and third-seeded Iowa by going 11 of 27 from 3-point range in the quarterfinals, was just 4 of 17 from distance but turned 12 Michigan turnovers into 15 points and had a 17-0 advantage in fastbreak points.

Michigan, which knocked of league co-champion No. 11 Northwestern, the second-seed in the quarters, trailed by as many as 12, that coming with 3 1/2 minutes to go in the third quarter. A 9-2 run to close the third and a 5-1 start to the fourth pulled the Wolverines even with 7:18 to go.

Sheldon responded with a layup and the Buckeyes stayed on top the rest of the way. Green had eight of her points and combined with Miller to go 8 of 10 at the line in the fourth quarter.

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