Ohio State begins the second half of its Big Ten schedule tied for first place with defending champion Maryland and ranked No. 7 in both major polls.
Co-captain Ameryst Alston counts neither as a surprise.
“We definitely came into the year confident, as you should,” she said. “I would say the great thing about us is that we can be even better, especially defensively. Even offensively, we can be better.”
The latter observation might seem odd since the Buckeyes (16-4, 8-1) are averaging a robust 85.5 points per game.
“Sometimes we struggle in the first half offensively and we turn it up in the second half,” said Alston, noting the late surge on Thursday that led to a 76-73 win over Northwestern.