OSU WINS WILD ONE

Buckeyes blow big lead, but rally in last minute to top Wolverines on Thursday

Ohio State was staring down its biggest win of the season when its worst fears began to become reality. Only those fears were erased on a high-arching 3pointer from its best shooter.

Down 74-73 to unbeaten Michigan with under a minute to go, the Buckeyes withstood pressure on the ball and eventually got it in the hands of guard Jacy Sheldon. On the right wing with 45.3 seconds left, Sheldon hit nothing but net that gave the Buckeyes a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

In a classic, the No. 17 Buckeyes gave up a double-digit second-half lead and allowed one of the nation’s premier post

players to score at will only to hold on in the end to a dramatic 81-77 win over the previously undefeated No. 11 Wolverines.

Ohio State (8-1) still had to sweat out the final possession after Madison Greene made two free throws to put the Buckeyes up 78-74. Michigan forward Naz Hillmon, who scored a programrecord 50 points, finished a 3-point play to bring the deficit back to one point.

Ohio State guard Braxtin Miller made one of two free throws, giving a shot at the win with 10.4 seconds remaining. But on its next possession, Michigan threw the ball out of bounds and Sheldon converted both free throws on the other end to preserve the win.

Until the fourth quarter, Ohio State seemed to have the game in the bag.

An efficient third quarter with 10of-15 shooting put the Buckeyes ahead by as much as 16, and they led 66-54 entering the final quarter before Michigan pulled off a brutal comeback on Ohio State’s home floor.

Then the dam broke. Hillmon simply overpowered the Buckeyes in the fourth quarter, scoring 15 of her 50 points in the quarter to go with 16 rebounds for the game.

Ohio State simply couldn’t stop Hillmon, the Big Ten player of the year candidate who will undoubtedly be the frontrunner after Thursday’s performance.

The Buckeyes were handicapped in the frontcourt already with Aaliyah Patty out with a shoulder injury, but it didn’t matter who guarded Hillmon.

Michigan scored the first 11 points of the final quarter and denied Ohio State on the other end from any good look at the rim.

Finally, the Buckeyes got the ball in the hands of Sheldon and they could exhale.

Barred from any postseason tournament, Ohio State has shrugged off the punishment and bought into the idea that this team is good enough to win a regular-season conference championship.

They took a big step Thursday in knocking off one of the last unbeaten teams in the country.

PHOTOS BY ADAM CAIRNS/COLUMBUS DISPATCH Ohio State guard Jacy Sheldon (4) drives to the basket in the first quarter past Michigan’s Elise Stuck. Sheldon’s 3-point basket in the final minute gave the Buckeyes the lead for good.

Ohio State forwards Rebeka Mikulasikova (23) and Dorka Juhasz fight for a rebound on Thursday.

ADAM CAIRNS/COLUMBUS DISPATCH Ohio State Buckeyes guard Braxtin Miller (10) grabs a rebound away from Michigan guard Elise Stuck (30) during the second quarter at Value City Arena Thursday.