UConn pulls away to beat Ohio State

Sarah Strong scored 25 points and hit a career-high seven three-pointers as No. 4 UConn defeated No. 17 Ohio State 87-55 on Thursday night in Columbus. The Huskies took control of the game late, extending a narrow halftime lead into a decisive victory.

The third quarter decided the outcome. UConn outscored Ohio State 27-11 during that period. Strong made five three-pointers and finished with 17 points in the quarter alone. Ashlynn Shade added five points during that run, and Olivia Vukosa finished with a team-high 12 rebounds.

Ohio State struggled from the perimeter. The Buckeyes shot 5 of 24 from beyond the arc. Their field goal percentage dropped to 34.5% for the game, a sharp decline from the nearly 50% shooting they averaged in their first three contests.

Jaloni Cambridge led the Buckeyes with 21 points but shot 6 of 23 from the field. She was 1 of 7 from deep. Ava Watson added 13 points for Ohio State. Kennedy Cambridge hit a three-pointer to make the score 52-45 midway through the third quarter, but UConn answered with 13 straight points to close the gap permanently.

This was the Huskies' third game in a four-game stretch against ranked opponents. UConn lost to Michigan 77-66 on Nov. 5 and beat Iowa 91-79 on Sunday. Strong scored 37 points in that Iowa win. UConn now holds an 8-1 record in all-time matchups against Ohio State.

The Huskies travel to No. 7 Louisville on Sunday. Ohio State hosts Fairleigh Dickinson at home on the same day.