COLUMBUS: After a disappointing end to the season and seeing one of their best players go down to an injury in the Big Ten Tournament, the Ohio State Buckeyes were in the market for a feel-good win.
They got one Friday in the form of an 88-69 rout of overmatched Buffalo in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes advanced to the next round Sunday against West Virginia, which beat Princeton in the opening game.
Kelsey Mitchell scored 27 points to pace Ohio State, which played without injured guard Ameryst Alston (Canton McKinley).
Buffalo, which got an automatic tournament bid by winning the Mid-American Conference Tournament, struggled against the larger, sturdier Buckeyes, who were ranked as high as No.