Cotie McMahon scored a season-high 25 and No. 12 Ohio State stayed unbeaten with an 83-74 victory over No. 21 Illinois on Sunday in Columbus, Ohio, in a Big Ten opener.
McMahon made 7 of 12 shots with two 3-pointers and 9 of 12 free throws.
Taylor Thierry scored 14 on 5-for-7 shooting with two 3-pointers for Ohio State (8-0). Chance Gray scored 13.
Genesis Bryant hit four 3-pointers and scored 22 to lead the Illini (7-2). Kendall Bostic totaled 17 points and 13 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season. Jasmine Brown-Hagger added 14 points off the bench.
Thierry and McMahon scored six points each in the first quarter and Ohio State led 18-16.
Gray had nine points in the second quarter as the Buckeyes outscored the Illini 22-10 to take a 40-26 lead into halftime.
McMahon had 11 points and Jaloni Cambridge scored six, accounting for Ohio State’s first 17 points of the third quarter, as the Buckeyes extended their lead to 61-43.
Bryant hit a 3-pointer to pull the Illini within 73-65 with 3:04 to play, but they would get no closer.
Ohio State will host Ball State on Tuesday. Illinois returns home to play Bradley on Thursday.
No. 23 Michigan 60, Northwestern 54
Olivia Olson scored 18 points, Jordan Hobbs added 16 and the Wolverines used a strong fourth quarter to turn back the Wildcats in Ann Arbor, Mich., in the Big Ten opener for both.
Olson scored the first eight points and Syla Swords added a layup in a 10-0 run that rallied Michigan from a four-point deficit to a 50-44 lead with six minutes left in the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats strung together three 3-pointers and led 53-52 with 3½ minutes remaining before Hobbs hit a layup and a jumper for a 56-53 Michigan lead. Hobbs added a layup near the two-minute mark for a 58-54 lead.
After the teams traded misses, Michigan’s Mila Holloway (10 points) hit a turnaround jumper with 26 seconds left for the final margin.
Michigan outscored Northwestern 20-10 in the fourth quarter.
Kyla Jones scored 14 points and Caileigh Walsh added 10 for Northwestern (4-4). Taylor Williams had 11 rebounds.
Michigan (8-1) has won eight straight games for the first time since winning nine straight to open the 2022-23 season and also has won five straight conference openers.
No. 24 Michigan State 89, DePaul 61
Jaddan Simmons scored 18 points, Julia Ayrault added 17 points and 12 rebounds and the Spartans blew past the Blue Demons in East Lansing, Mich., improving to 9-0 for the first time in program history.
Emma Shumate scored 12 points and Jocelyn Tate had 10 points for the Spartans. Grace VanSlooten had four of Michigan State’s 14 blocks. Michigan State had 24 assists on 31 baskets.
The Spartans outshot the Blue Demons 47%-22% in the first half and led 42-25 at halftime. The lead peaked at 32 when Kennedy Blair converted a three-point play for an 89-57 lead with two minutes remaining.
Jorie Allen had 15 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for DePaul (3-7). Grace Carstensen also scored 15 and Taylor Johnson-Matthews added 10.
Michigan State finished at 51% from the field and DePaul shot 29%.
Michigan State leads the overall series 5-0. Last season the Spartans defeated the Blue Demons 102-64 in Chicago.
Jill Pizzotti continues to serve as DePaul’s interim coach while longtime coach Doug Bruno is on medical leave.
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