3 things we learned from No. 3 Ohio State’s 75-54 win over Howard

COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 21: Nile Miller #25 of the Howard Bison shoots the ball as Kylee Kitts #1 of the Ohio State Buckeyes defends during the third quarter of a game in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Jerome Schottenstein Center on March 21, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images) | Getty Images In what was hopefully the first game of a deep tournament run, No. 3 Ohio State women’s basketball routed No.

14 Howard on the Buckeyes’ home turf Saturday, 75-54. Though the Bison kept things close early, once the Buckeyes pulled away, they never looked back, and in the process, OSU signaled how tournament-ready they are. Here are three things we learned about what we can expect from this team heading into round two.

OSU’s defense has the potential to be destructive A big reason the Buckeyes were able to create so much separation in Saturday’s game was their dominant defensive effort. The Buckeyes gave up just four points in the second quarter, and the opportunities they generated off defensive pressure were perhaps never more evident than during a 30-2 run that started late in the first quarter and extended into the second. Turnovers, a strength of this Buckeye team all season, played a major role in this run, with the Buckeyes forcing five turnovers during the run alone to give themselves a lot of breathing room.

The Bison finished the game with just three assists, their lowest of the season. It’s a testament to how much pressure the defense put on the Bison—and just how disruptive OSU was to their offensive structure—that they couldn’t sustain any offensive rhythm they had at the outset. They’ll need this defense on Monday against Notre Dame as they try to contain Hannah Hidalgo and the Fighting Irish offense.