Ohio State aims to end two years of women’s NCAA Tournament heartbreak at home COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State has struggled to capitalize on home-court advantage in its recent NCAA Tournament appearances, failing to advance past the second round in each of the past two years despite playing in the Schottenstein Center. The Buckeyes’ quest for a deeper run begins Saturday against No. 14 seed Howard, with the winner facing either No. 6 seed Notre Dame or 11th-seeded Fairfield on Monday in the Fort Worth 1 Regional. Coach Kevin McGuff emphasized the team’s focus on preparation and attention to detail as key factors for success. “Our attention to detail and focus on preparation have been as good as they’ve been in years. I think that’s what we’re going to have to hang our hat on this week,” he said. The Buckeyes, who finished 11th in the final Associated Press Top 25, have shown steady improvement this season after starting unranked. Ohio State’s recent tournament history includes a second-round loss to Duke in 2024 and a defeat to Tennessee in the round of 32 last year. The selection committee has not made things easier for the Buckeyes, with Notre Dame, a team with a strong tournament pedigree, set to face them in the regional. “The last home game (an 88-86 overtime loss to Maryland), we didn’t get to pull it out the way we wanted to. Hopefully, we get the next two opportunities to make it a good one and just go out and have fun,” said sophomore guard Jaloni Cambridge. The regional in Columbus also features standout guards, including Cambridge and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, both AP second-team All-Americans. Hidalgo, a two-time ACC Player of the Year, leads Division I in scoring with 25.2 points per game and ranks first in steals with 173. Cambridge, seventh in scoring at 22.#notre_dame #ohio_state #columbus #schottenstein_center #fort_worth_1_regional
