Montana
NCAA Tournament: How Kevin McGuff’s technical foul fueled Ohio State’s first-round victory
The Ohio State Buckeyes were already struggling to find their footing in their NCAA Tournament first-round matchup against Montana State when coach Kevin McGuff was charged with a technical foul.
McGuff, frustrated with multiple calls against Ohio State to start the second quarter, indirectly helped the Bobcats cap a 10-0 run to take a 27-23 lead. (Sophomore guard Natalie Picton made two free throws, then slashed to the basket for a layup on the ensuing possession.)
At the same time, the technical provided a boost the Buckeyes needed to break a four-minute scoring drought.
“I think that’s the main thing that takes teams far, when you are fighting for something more,” Ohio State forward Eboni Walker said. “Him showing that consistently is what really fuels our team to want to listen and play hard for not only him, but each other.”
Picton’s layup was the Bobcats’ last basket for nearly 10 minutes of play, as Ohio State went on a 24-0 run that started in the first half and ended in the second.
With a 20-point cushion, the Buckeyes recorded a 71-51 victory at Value City Arena on Friday to advance to the second round.
Ahead of the postseason, senior Taylor Thierry had spoken about Ohio State’s need to play through missed and bad calls, and it was Thierry who was the charged with the foul (her third of the game) that set McGuff off.
“I don’t know if it’s built-up anger, but I feel like that kind of brings us together,” Thierry said. “It just motivates us to play together and just try to get stops. Again, just not focusing on things we can’t control.”
Cotie McMahon, Chance Gray provide key production in Ohio State’s 24-0 run
Fired up, the Buckeyes concluded their only path to victory was to take control and put the game in their own hands.
Following a pair of free throws from freshman point guard Jaloni Cambridge to break the scoring drought with 3:17 remaining in the half, forward Cotie McMahon powered her way to the basket on three-consecutive plays, recording five points.
McMahon finished with 15 points, with over 7 coming during the run.
Ohio State held a 32-27 advantage coming out of halftime and continued to pull away behind the hot hand of guard Chance Gray. The first three Ohio State possessions of the second half all resulted in Gray 3-point baskets.
“We played really aggressively in transition,” McGuff said. “When there’s two people there (in transition), you can spread it out to somebody wide open, which is what happened and Chance was obviously capitalizing on those.”
Gray finished the game with 15 points, all coming from beyond the arc.
The run came to an end at the 6:18 mark in the third quarter with a Bobcats’ 3-pointer, but the distance Ohio State built was enough to secure a victory.
Ohio State will face No. 5 seed Tennessee in the second round at 8 p.m. on Sunday at Value City Arena.
bmackay@dispatch.com
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Montana State squares off with Illinois State Monday night in the FCS national championship game at FirstBank Stadium on the campus of Vanderbilt University. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.
The Bobcats are making their third trip to the title game in the past five seasons under coach Brent Vigen. The program is seeking its first championship since 1984.
MTN Sports has been on the ground in Nashville for the past five days covering the lead-up to the game, including the pregame show “Bobcat Built: Montana State’s Championship Quest” hosted by Scott Breen and Kyle Hansen.
In it the MTN staff provides game previews, features, facts and figures and sights and sounds from the past several days in Music City in the run-up to the game. To watch, see the video reel below.
Watch: Bobcat Built – Montana State’s Championship Quest
Bobcat Built: Montana State’s Championship Quest
Past Montana State football players meet with current Bobcats during a team walk-through at the indoor practice facility at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.Kyle Hansen / MTN Sports
Past Montana State football players meet with current Bobcats during a team walk-through at the indoor practice facility at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.Kyle Hansen / MTN Sports
Past Montana State football players meet with current Bobcats during a team walk-through at the indoor practice facility at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.Kyle Hansen / MTN Sports
Past Montana State football players meet with current Bobcats during a team walk-through at the indoor practice facility at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.Kyle Hansen / MTN Sports
Past Montana State football players meet with current Bobcats during a team walk-through at the indoor practice facility at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.Kyle Hansen / MTN Sports
Past Montana State football players meet with current Bobcats during a team walk-through at the indoor practice facility at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.Kyle Hansen / MTN Sports
Past Montana State football players meet with current Bobcats during a team walk-through at the indoor practice facility at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.Kyle Hansen / MTN Sports
Past Montana State football players meet with current Bobcats during a team walk-through at the indoor practice facility at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.Kyle Hansen / MTN Sports
Past Montana State football players meet with current Bobcats during a team walk-through at the indoor practice facility at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.Kyle Hansen / MTN Sports
Past Montana State football players meet with current Bobcats during a team walk-through at the indoor practice facility at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.Kyle Hansen / MTN Sports
Past Montana State football players meet with current Bobcats during a team walk-through at the indoor practice facility at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.Kyle Hansen / MTN Sports
Past Montana State football players meet with current Bobcats during a team walk-through at the indoor practice facility at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.Kyle Hansen / MTN Sports
Past Montana State football players meet with current Bobcats during a team walk-through at the indoor practice facility at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.Kyle Hansen / MTN Sports
Past Montana State football players meet with current Bobcats during a team walk-through at the indoor practice facility at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.Kyle Hansen / MTN Sports
Past Montana State football players meet with current Bobcats during a team walk-through at the indoor practice facility at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.Kyle Hansen / MTN Sports
Past Montana State football players meet with current Bobcats during a team walk-through at the indoor practice facility at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.Kyle Hansen / MTN Sports
Past Montana State football players meet with current Bobcats during a team walk-through at the indoor practice facility at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.Kyle Hansen / MTN Sports
Past Montana State football players meet with current Bobcats during a team walk-through at the indoor practice facility at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.Kyle Hansen / MTN Sports
Past Montana State football players meet with current Bobcats during a team walk-through at the indoor practice facility at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.Kyle Hansen / MTN Sports
Past Montana State football players meet with current Bobcats during a team walk-through at the indoor practice facility at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.Kyle Hansen / MTN Sports
Past Montana State football players meet with current Bobcats during a team walk-through at the indoor practice facility at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.Kyle Hansen / MTN Sports
Montana
Miley Cyrus Debuts Hannah Montana-Inspired Hair Transformation to Tease 20th Anniversary Plans
Though she hasn’t revealed what a celebration of the show’s legacy would look like, she did share why it’s so important for there to be one at all.
“For me, I love looking back at the growth for both of us because it’s very rare that someone grows up with their fanbase,” she explained. “When I was 15 years old, I’d look out and see 15-year-olds and now I’m a grown woman, I look out and see other grown people. So, what I want to do is honor the longevity of the relationship that we built.”
Having earned a Disney Legend award last year for her iconic role, the LOL star emphasized how the double-life pop star was so much more than a TV show character.
“Hannah Montana, it outgrew the fantasy,” she continued. “It became the reality of my life. Something that was about a regular girl getting to have this extraordinary life by being someone that she’s not and then turning my life and having this life because of being who I really am and authenticity. So getting to celebrate that—20 years is a long time.”
For a look back at Miley’s life from ordinary girl to rock star, read on…
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