Kelsey Mitchell showed out on the road in a rival matchup between top 25 teams Ohio State and Michigan. It was nothing short of spectacular. The game went into overtime, but not before Buckeye star senior put on a show in regulation in Ann Arbor. The Buckeyes ended up taking the win on the road 78-71 against the Wolverines.
In a game of back and forth’s, Ohio State and Michigan definitely set the arena ablaze and gave some relief to the frigid temperatures set outside. The teams were constantly trading baskets, having over 20 lead changes. However in overtime, Mitchell took over and there was no stopping her from there.
Mitchell, who passed Kelly Mazzante for Big Ten all-time leading scorer, scored 37 points, including 27 points after halftime. Teammate Sierra Calhoun finished with 17 points and seven rebounds while Linnae harper had 12 points and eight rebounds. Michigan’s Hallie Thome scored 27 points while Katelynn Flaherty scored 22 points. Those two carried the team as no other Michigan player had a double-double.
For Mitchell, she is two points away from becoming the 13th player in NCAA history to score 3,000 career points. Assuming she gets there in her next game, she will join pretty good company. This includes Elena Delle Donne, Cheryl Miller, Maya Moore and Chamique Holdsclaw. Judging her pace of average points, it is high possible that she will pass Cindy Blodgett (3,005), Cheryl Miller (3,018), Chamique Holdsclaw (3,025), Maya Moore (3,036), Elena Delle Donne (3,039), and Rachel Banham (3,093). Former Washington Huskie Kelsey Plum holds the top spot with 3,527 points.
Mitchell passed Brandi Hoskins for sixth place all-time in Ohio State history with 471 career assists.
For Ohio State, they will head to Indiana before playing Michigan in less than 10 days. In that game, be on the lookout for Mitchell scoring 3,000 points. The Buckeyes look to extend their win streak to nine before heading to College Park and facing the Terrapins.
For Michigan, they will continue on their quest to make the NCAA tournament. After winning the WNIT tournament, it is safe to say that they are still fired up from not making the big dance. It will certainly be a tough hill to climb seeing how they are 0-4 against ranked teams, but the conference season just started so they do still have some time.