Ohio
Ohio State women’s basketball to face Maine to open March Madness in 2024 NCAA Tournament
For the first time in over a decade, Ohio State women’s basketball is entering the NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed, and with that, is set to take on the No. 15 seed Maine Black Bears in the Round of 64.
It was revealed on Sunday night during ESPN’s Selection Show that Ohio State earned the No. 2 seed in the Portland 1 region and will be hosting the first two rounds of the tournament at Value City Arena this upcoming weekend. The Buckeyes are in the same region as the No. 1 seed Southern California, whom they fell to in the season opener, 83-74.
Over the past week, it had been projected by bracketology analysts that Ohio State would wind up being a No. 2 seed, especially after being knocked out of the Big Ten Tournament by the Maryland Terrapins in the quarterfinals. The Buckeyes went 25-4 before entering postseason play and secured the Big Ten regular-season title.
This marks the highest placement in the tournament that the Buckeyes have earned under coach Kevin McGuff, as the last time they were a No. 2 seed was in 2010 when Jim Foster was at the helm. That year, Ohio State was eliminated from the tournament in the second round in an upset against the No. 7 seed Mississippi State.
In the 2023 tournament, Ohio State made a run to the Elite Eight as a No. 3 seed but ultimately fell to the No. 1 seed in its region, Virigina Tech. It was the first time that the Buckeyes had made it that far since 1993.
If the Buckeyes defeat the Black Bears, they will go on to face the winner of No. 7 seed Duke vs. No. 10 seed Richmond in the Round of 32.
bmackay@dispatch.com