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Ohio State Win Over Minnesota Was Personal: ‘We Got That Get Back’

The Ohio State Buckeyes had unfinished business with Minnesota, and they made sure to handle it.

In a 60-55 quarterfinal win at the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis, the fifth-seeded Buckeyes avenged their only regular season loss to the Gophers, advancing behind a balanced team effort that went beyond the stat sheet.

Guard Ava Watson summed up the mindset going in simply and directly.

“Basically we got that getback,” Watson said. “We weren’t the best team when we played them the first time, so we just wanted to go out there and show everyone that they didn’t get the best of us.”

Kennedy Cambridge embodied that spirit perhaps more than anyone. Her shot wasn’t falling offensively, but she refused to let it affect her impact on the game. Cambridge finished with six steals, four assists, and a defensive presence that her coaching staff leaned on when it mattered most.

“My coach told me in a timeout, offense is going to come,” Cambridge said. “What we need you for right now is defense and pushing the pace. I kept shooting, it obviously wasn’t going in, but my teammates kept encouraging me to keep going, so I tried to give back a little bit more on the defensive side.”

Cambridge’s resolve was tested further late in the fourth quarter when she injured her back running into a camera after a steal and assist in transition. She didn’t stay down long.

“I took some Advil, got some Biofreeze, and ran out there,” Cambridge said. “My back is in so much pain, but I felt I needed to be out there to secure the win with my team.”

Ohio State’s quarterfinal run came to an end Saturday against top-seeded UCLA, but the Buckeyes leave Indianapolis having proven something to themselves, and to anyone who counted them out after that regular season loss.