Ohio State’s Cotie McMahon drives to the basket against Penn State’s Alexa Williamson during Thursday night’s game , in State College, Pa. (AP photo)
STATE College, Pa. — Cotie McMahon scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for her first double-double and No. 13 Ohio State defeated Penn State 67-55 on Thursday night.
The Buckeyes (22-5, 11-5 Big Ten) scored the last nine points of the third quarter to lead 51-31 and scored the first nine of the fourth quarter.
Rikki Harris had 15 point s with eight rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and two steals for Ohio State and Taylor Thierry scored 13.
Makenna Marisa scored 22 points for Penn State (13-13, 4-11) and Leilani Kapinus had 10 points and 11 rebounds. The Nittany Lions fell to 0-6 against ranked teams,
McMahon hit a 3-pointer, as did Taylor Mikesell, and added a layup in a 12-0 run early in the first quarter as the Buckeyes took a 15-5 lead. The Nittany Lions stayed close, trailing 21-16 after one quarter and 38-26 at the half, a Buckeye lead built off an 11-2 run when Mikesell and Harris hit 3-pointers and Eboni Walker converted a three-point play.
The Nittany Lions were within 38-30 in the first minute of the third quarter but then missed missed their last 14 shots in the quarter and their first three of the fourth quarter.
Harris hit two 3-pointers and Mikesell’s 3 made it 60-31 with 7:37 left. Penn State then scored the next 16 points with Marisa scoring 13.
The Buckeyes play at No. 12 Michigan on Monday. Penn State is at Illinois on Sunday.
Men’s roundup
Maryland 68,
No. 3 Purdue 54
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Jahmir Young scored 20 points and Maryland (18-8, 9-6 Big Ten) used a dominant stretch in the middle of the second half Thursday night to rally past Purdue (23-4, 12-4) and deal the Boilermakers their second consecutive loss.
The Terrapins trailed 37-29 before erupting on a 29-4 burst to take control.
Hakim Hart added 13 points for Maryland, which defeated a top-three team for the first time since toppling then-No. 3 Iowa 74-68 on Jan. 28, 2016. Maryland improved to 14-1 at home this season.
No. 2 Houston 80, SMU 65
DALLAS — Marcus Sasser scored 20 points, freshman Jarace Walker added 14 and Houston (24-2, 12-1 American Athletic Conference) cruised to a victory against SMU (9-18, 4-10).
With a win at home over Memphis on Sunday, the Cougars could be in line for their third stay atop The Associated Press Top 25 poll this season after losses by No. 1 Alabama and third-ranked Purdue, which has dropped three of four.
Jamal Shead, who scored 13 points, finished the first half with an isolation layup before starting the second half with one of his eight assists on a one-handed, alley-oop dunk by Walker.
Those plays were part of a 12-0 run on either side of halftime as the Cougars took a 48-29 lead and led by at least 11 points the rest of the way in their sixth consecutive win.
Zhuric Phelps had 22 points, six rebounds and five assists to lead the Mustangs, who lost by 34 at Houston last month and never gave the often-raucous Moody Coliseum crowd much chance to get loud a year after a two-point upset of the Cougars at home.
