Ohio
Ohio State women’s basketball vs Howard prediction: Our pick for 2026 NCAA bracket first round
Ohio State women’s basketball will begin its 2026 NCAA Tournament campaign at the Schottenstein Center against Howard on March 21, marking the fourth consecutive year the Buckeyes earned hosting rights for the opening two rounds.
Despite taking a dip to end the regular season, losing three of their final five games, the Buckeyes’ solid outing at the Big Ten Tournament secured them the No. 3 seed in the Fort Worth 1 region. Ohio State defeated Indiana and Minnesota before falling to the No. 2 team in the nation, UCLA, 72-62 in the semifinals.
The Buckeyes are entering the NCAA Tournament with their focus set on getting out of Columbus for the first time since 2023, as they’ve been eliminated in the second round the past two years.
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But the first step to the Sweet 16 for Ohio State is its matchup against the No. 14 seed Bison, who punched their ticket to the tournament by winning the Mid-Eastern Conference championship.
Here are four predictions for this first-round matchup between Ohio State and Howard:
Ohio State will thrive capitalizing on turnovers
Ohio State finished top-20 nationally in opponent turnovers, forcing 21.4 per game, and recorded an average of 24.4 points off those turnovers. Howard recorded 15 turnovers per game throughout the season, which is a higher average than seven of the opponents the Buckeyes faced this conference play season.
If the Buckeyes can find defensive momentum and force turnovers via their press, the offense should be able to find easy baskets to build an advantage over the Bison.
Jaloni Cambridge needs to bounce back from outing vs UCLA
Ohio State point guard Jaloni Cambridge, who led the Big Ten in scoring with 23.4 points per game, had her worst shooting performance of the season in the semifinals against UCLA.
Going 4 for 14 from the field (28.6%), Cambridge finished with 12 points and missed five shots during the Buckeyes’ attempt to come back in the fourth quarter.
The Buckeyes will need Cambridge to get closer to her average of 49% shooting against Howard, especially with the Bison holding opponents to just 59.9 points per game.
Ohio State, Howard enter matchup evenly matched on the boards
While the Buckeyes’ game on the boards has struggled throughout the season, grabbing just 36.8 per game, Howard is just a slightly better rebounding team on paper, averaging 37.9.
However, Ohio State has seen an uptick in its rebounding game due to the performance of Elsa Lemmila. The 6-foot-6 center averaged 10 rebounds per game in the Big Ten Tournament, and helped the Buckeyes match UCLA on the boards, 34-34.
Lemmila should be able to put together another solid outing while going up against Howard’s 6-foot-2 forward Zennia Thomas, who leads the Bison in rebounds with eight per game.
Ohio State vs Howard prediction: March Madness first round
The Buckeyes are going into the NCAA Tournament with momentum, even with the loss to UCLA, as their 10-point loss margin was the smallest of any team that faced the Bruins in the conference tournament.
While Howard has just seven losses this season, one of those is to Purdue, 92-62. The Buckeyes easily handled Purdue 83-56 behind a combined 30 points from Cambridge and guard Chance Gray.
If Cambridge and Gray have their usual offensive performances, and Ohio State plays Howard closely on the boards, the Buckeyes should be able to advance to the second round for a fifth-straight year.
bmackay@dispatch.com
Ohio’s U.S. Congressional District changes
Here is how Ohio’s new U.S. congressional district boundaries will compare to the old ones in four districts in the Cincinnati area.
May 5 is a primary Election Day in Ohio. Voters will choose candidates to represent their party on the ballot in the November elections. Some voters also have tax levies.
Here are The Enquirer’s primers on the top contested primary races:
For Republicans:
Ohio governor
Ohio Secretary of State
Ohio Treasurer
Ohio Supreme Court
U.S. House District 1
U.S. House District 2
Butler County Commissioner
Warren County Commissioner
Clermont County Commissioner
For Democrats
Ohio Attorney General
U.S. House District 1
U.S. House District 2
U.S. House District 8
U.S. House District 10
Hamilton County Commissioner
Clermont County Commissioner
Nonpartisan issues
School levies to watch
Full list of everything on the ballot
Go deeper
The Enquirer background-checked every local congressional candidate. What we found
Inside the two primaries for Ohio’s 1st Congressional District
Who’s paying for the congressional races?
CINCINNATI — Anyone who needs to go to their polling location for Ohio’s primary election will be able to ride all Metro services for free Tuesday, May 5.
Metro announced all fixed-route buses will run their regular weekday schedules fare-free on Election Day. For those who need door-to-door help, Metro’s Access paratransit will be available for eligible riders, while MetroNow! — the on-demand shuttle service — will also be free to anyone who needs it.
“Access to transportation should never be a barrier to voting,” Brandy Jones, Metro’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, said in a release. “By offering fare-free service on election day, we’re helping ensure that more people can take part in shaping their community.”
Metro has already announced that it will also offer fare-free rides for the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, as well.
To learn more about the different routes or transit options, download the Transit app or visit Metro’s website here.
After the Ohio Redistricting Commission passed new congressional maps last year, and some county board of elections announced polling consolidations this spring, there’s a chance your polling place has changed. If you are not sure where your polling location is, visit the Secretary of State’s website here.
The Ohio Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at April 27, 2026, results for each game:
Powerball
Powerball drawings are held Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m.
18-31-33-36-62, Powerball: 03, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 3
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.
Midday: 7-6-6
Evening: 5-6-2
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.
Midday: 9-2-8-2
Evening: 6-1-5-6
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 5
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.
Midday: 5-7-8-3-3
Evening: 7-6-8-3-5
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Rolling Cash 5
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 7:05 p.m.
09-10-24-30-39
Check Rolling Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Classic Lotto
Drawings are held Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, at approximately 7:05 p.m.
01-12-15-22-27-42, Kicker: 6-7-2-4-1-9
Check Classic Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.
Millionaire for Life
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 11:15 p.m.
04-15-19-21-31, Bonus: 04
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Enquirer digital news director. You can send feedback using this form.
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