Mills’ five blocks are a career-high.

“When I can be a big presence inside, it gives us more of a post edge, Mills said. “We’re a very guard-oriented team, I feel like. When I can get my back to the basket and start scoring, it adds a different dynamic”

Head coach Suzy Merchant complimented Pickrel during the postgame press conference, who had struggled in recent outings.

“I thought she was really back to willing herself and the team to playing at a high level,” Merchant said. “She did it defensively, she certainly did it offensively, rebounding. She had some great assists that led to layups. It was nice to see that energy and enthusiasm.”

Ohio State sophomore guard Ameryst Alston led all scorers with 25 points but needed 32 shots.

The Spartans were devastating on the glass, grabbing 57 rebounds, 14 on the offensive end. MSU held Ohio State to 30.9 percent shooting for the game.

“I like that our defense was there tonight because obviously that helps ignite our break on the offensive end,” Merchant said. “We got some sloppy spurts, obviously. Didn’t think we were as powerful in the second half as we were in the first. But we got through it and I was proud of our group, especially on the rebounding side and defensively.”

Due to an Ohio State administrative technical foul before the game, freshman guard Tori Jankoska, who finished with 11 points and six rebounds, shot and made a technical free throw before the opening tip. MSU started hot, building a 10-2 lead and forcing the Buckeyes to call timeout early.

Mills found a rhythm early, making her first five shots. She was fouled on a turnaround with 15:49 on the clock, making it a 14-4 lead going into the first media timeout.

Ohio State junior guard Raven Ferguson nailed a corner 3 to trim the lead to seven, but Powers responded with a 3-pointer of her own to make it a 10-point game. Senior guard Klarissa Bell assisted Pickrel on a layup in transition to give the Spartans a 21-9 lead with 11:47 left in the first, forcing another Ohio State timeout.

The Buckeyes utilized a half-court press and went on a 6-0 run to cut the score to 21-15 with under eight minutes remaining.

MSU soon regained command of the game. Powers sank an open 3-pointer with 5:02 on the clock to extend the lead to 11, 30-19. Pickrel located Hines under the rim for a lay-in, and Pickrel hit two free throws on the next play to make it a 15-point game.

Jankoska nailed her first triple of the game with 2:30 on the clock, giving the Spartans a 16-point lead. Powers assisted Pickrel on a layup in transition to make it an 18-point advantage, 39-21, with 2:13 left in the first half.

Jankoska got the Spartans on board in the second half with her second 3-pointer of the night, giving MSU a 22-point lead. Becca Mills hit another one to push it to 25.

Ohio State cut it to 17, but a Pickrel 3-pointer and Jankoska layup pushed it back to 22.

Powers took the ball coast-to-coast to tie MSU’s biggest lead margin at that point, 59-34. Mills completed a three-point play to give the Spartans a 28-point lead with 9:32 on the clock.

A 15-2 run helped the Buckeyes trim the lead to 15 with under two minutes remaining, 64-49. But it was too little, too late. The Spartans scored the last three buckets to seal the bounce-back win.