Ohio
No. 9 Maryland women’s lacrosse vs. Ohio State preview
Just three games stand between No. 9 Maryland women’s lacrosse (9-4) and the start of postseason play. The Terps have a short period of time to shore up their recent issues, all of which were evident in their last game.
Maryland’s second-quarter struggles loomed large throughout its four-game road trip, and that continued against No. 11 Virginia. The Terps conceded three five-goal second quarter performances, exceeding its total from the first nine contests.
Despite taking the lead early in the second quarter, Maryland surrendered five of the next six goals, handing the Cavaliers an advantage they wouldn’t relinquish. While the Terps’ offense mustered up just nine goals, Lauren LaPointe notched her third hat trick of the season.
Now, Maryland returns to College Park for a Big Ten clash with Ohio State on Sunday. The game starts at 1 p.m. and can be streamed on Big Ten Plus.
Ohio State Buckeyes (8-5, 1-5 Big Ten)
Head coach Amanda Moore inherited an Ohio State program trending in the wrong direction. The Buckeyes — who have made four NCAA Tournament appearances in their 29 years of existence — have gone nearly a decade without a national tournament berth. However, Moore comes with plenty of coaching experience, including two seasons as an assistant at Ohio State prior.
In her first season at the helm, Moore led the Buckeyes to a three-win improvement, finishing with an 8-9 record. Ohio State cruised through nonconference play, its lone loss coming to Denver — a tournament team. But the Buckeyes crumbled in Big Ten play, securing just one victory and finishing tied for last in the conference.
Ohio State matched its win total from last year just eight games into the season, marking the best start in program history. After climbing to No. 19 in the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association poll and earning a win in their Big Ten opener, the Buckeyes embarked on a five-game losing streak. Ohio State sits one game out of last place in the conference, ahead of winless Oregon.
Players to know
Brynn Ammerman, senior attacker, No. 10 — Last season’s team leader with 28 assists has taken her game to another level in her final year. Ammerman has solidified her role as the top facilitator, and is one of the best in the country at that. She has totaled the 12th-most assists per game (2.9), while also posting 15 ground balls and 12 goals.
Jocelyn Torres, junior goalkeeper, No. 36 — The Virginia Tech transfer has endured a stellar first season at Ohio State in a conference filled with plenty of talented keepers. Torres has thrived in the spotlight, grasping the starting nod instantly and leaving no doubt about it. Her 50.7% save rate is the eighth-best mark in the nation.
Lilli Sherman, senior defender, No. 41 — After appearing in just five games during her first two seasons, Sherman is now one of the key contributors on the Buckeyes’ defensive unit. The 5-foot-7 Michigan native has registered a team-high 21 caused turnovers — the sixth-highest total in the Big Ten — and corralled 17 ground balls.
Strength
Scoring defense. Ohio State’s shot blocking is much improved from last season when it allowed the most goals in the conference, and Torres is a big reason why. The Buckeyes have conceded the eighth-fewest goals per game in the nation at 8.8.
Weakness
Free-position conversion. While the Buckeyes’ offense has struggled at times this season, they don’t take advantage of their easy looks. Ohio State — who only scores 12.1 goals per game — has turned its 83 free-position shots into 31 goals, one of the lowest percentages in the nation.
Three things to watch
1. Senior day. Sunday’s game will give Maryland fans a chance to honor its six seniors: Sophie Halus, Celia Pell, Hailey Russo, Caroline Smith, Kate Sites and Chrissy Thomas. The Terps’ 2025 senior class has made a lasting impact on the program and will be looking to gain some steam for an extended postseason run.
2. Which goalie makes the biggest contribution? Head coach Cathy Reese has bounced around in net between starter JJ Suriano and freshman Julia Ward. In three of Maryland’s last four contests, Ward has seen extended action as Reese looks for a midgame spark. Suriano has reentered the game twice during this stretch.
2. Big Ten implications. After wrapping up its nonconference slate on Wednesday, the Terps turn their attention back toward Big Ten play. Maryland’s 3-1 record currently sits tied for second in the conference with No. 5 Johns Hopkins, only trailing No. 3 Northwestern — its lone loss during Big Ten competition.
Ohio
No. 21 Ohio State women beat Norfolk State 79-45
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Kylee Kitts scored 13 points, Jaloni Cambridge added 11 and No. 21 Ohio State rolled past Norfolk State 79-45 on Thursday night for its eighth straight win.
Dasha Biriuk added 10 points for Ohio State, which is 10-1 overall and 7-0 at home.
Kitts was 6 of 12 from the field, and grabbed 10 rebounds to go with two steals and two blocks. Cambridge was 4-of-8 shooting and had eight rebounds and two steals.
Cambridge scored seven points in the first quarter as the Buckeyes jumped out to a 20-10 lead and built a 43-21 halftime advantage. Kitts and Cambridge each scored nine first-half points.
Ohio State outrebounded Norfolk State 55-32 and scored 21 points off 17 turnovers.
Jasha Clinton scored 18 points to lead Norfolk State (5-9). Ciara Bailey had 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Up next
Norfolk State plays at Elon on Sunday.
Ohio State hosts Western Michigan on Mondahy.
___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball
Ohio
Menards to pay 10 states, including Ohio, $4.25 million in rebate settlement
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio is part of a multistate lawsuit settlement against home improvement store Menards.
According to the state Attorney General’s Office, Ohio and nine other states reached the settlement with Menards, a Wisconsin-based home-improvement retail store, over allegations of deceptive rebate advertising.
The 10-state led investigation revealed that Menards would give shoppers the impression that they were getting an immediate discount while shopping through its advertising, when in fact, savings actually came in the form of a rebate or in-store credit.
The investigation raised concerns with Menards’ marketing strategy and sales practices, alleging the following of the company:
- Advertised 11% off or 11% off everything that suggested an instant price cut, even though customers received only a rebate on future purchases.
- Listed prices already at an 11% discount, reinforcing the idea that shoppers were getting an in-store discount.
- Failed to clearly explain the important limits of the rebate program, burying key details in the fine print.
- Tell customers that Rebates International was a separate company handling rebates, even though it is operated by Menards itself.
The settlement, announced Thursday, included an agreement by Menards that it would, in part, discontinue ads suggesting immediate discounts, clearly explaining the rules, limits, and conditions of its rebate program, and offer customers an easier path towards claiming rebates, both in person and online, among other changes.
In addition, Menards will pay participating states $4.25 million in fees, of which $365,173.05 will go toward the Ohio Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Enforcement Fund.
Ohio
Ohio State dominate latest power ranking as nine Buckeyes rank inside Top 50 players
The honors continue to roll in for this Ohio State Buckeyes football team.
From young players ready for another College Football Playoff run next season to players hungry for one more run starting December 31 before the NFL Draft, this Ohio State Buckeyes team is loaded with talent headed into their seventh playoffs appearance since the CFP era began in 2014.
Five defensive players and four offensive players headlined a class of extremely talented Buckeyes. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza took the No. 1 spot to go along with his Heisman and Maxwell honors.
An offensive Ohio State Buckeye took the No. 2 spot right behind Mendoza.
Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith takes the No. 2 spot
Jeremiah Smith was ranked behind Mendoza along with his gun-slinging sophomore quarterback. Julian Sayin was the second-highest ranked quarterback on the list at No. 5.
“Smith caught 80 balls for 1,086 yards and 11 touchdowns as a sophomore, but that doesn’t really tell the story…Smith commands double-teams constantly, draws the attention of everyone’s best corner, and has every defensive coordinator he faces scheming to slow him down. And none of it has mattered.”
ESPN’s David Hale
Smith is expected to have one more dominant season with the Buckeyes next season where fans hope to see him paired next to five-star recruit Chris Henry Jr. Senior wide receiver Carnell Tate has been an impressive receiving mate for Smith the past two seasons. Tate caught 48 passes, nine touchdowns, and had 838 yards. He ranked No. 26 in the rankings.
Offensive tackle Austin Siereveld ranked No. 44 as well.
The defense takes over
All five of Ohio State’s defensive players on the list ranked inside the top-22. Junior linebacker Sonny Styles sat at No. 21 to kick things off for the defense. The Buckeyes have had the best defense in college football for the entire season and these are the names that have made it happen. Projected first round NFL Draft Arvell Reese took the No. 16 spot.
“A new set of stars emerged to lead the nation’s No. 1 defense this fall, and Reese was undeniably front and center. He has thrived under new coordinator Matt Patricia, recording 6.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss from the edge position and finished second on the squad with 62 total tackles…Reese was named Big Ten’s Linebacker of the Year and recorded a sack in six of Ohio State’s first eight games of the season.”
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg
Defensive linemen Kayden McDonald and Caden Curry ranked at No. 13 and No. 11 respectively. Safety Caleb Downs was the highest ranked defensive Buckeye at No. 7. Downs is a simply a lockdown player who can play corner or safety while still being able to tackle at a high level. If he chooses to declare for the NFL Draft after the season is over, he’ll be slated to go within the top 10 in most mock drafts.
Opposing quarterbacks only targeted downs 20 times for the entire season. Only nine passes were caught on his watch as the primary defender.
“The longest completion he gave up was 17 yards. A 14-yard completion in the second quarter of the Big Ten title game was the first one he’d given up in nearly two months. There is not a more lockdown corner in the country than Downs.”
ESPN’s David Hale
The Ohio State Buckeyes are waiting for the winner of the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes against the No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies in the first round of the College Football Playoffs this Saturday at 12:00pm Eastern on ABC/ESPN.
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