Lady Vols stumble in opener as OSU pulls upset

No. 5 Tennessee was stunned successful Columbus by No. 14 Ohio State connected Tuesday night, arsenic Buckeyes fans stormed the tribunal pursuing a melodramatic 87-75 upset successful some teams' play opener.

It was the archetypal season-opening nonaccomplishment by an Associated Press top-five squad against either an unranked squad oregon a ranked squad extracurricular the apical 5 since 2008, erstwhile No. 3 Maryland fell to unranked TCU, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Before Tuesday, specified teams had won 69 consecutive contests, including No. 1 South Carolina, No. 2 Stanford and No. 4 Iowa connected Monday night.

"I wasn't definite who would amusement up successful presumption of however bully we'd beryllium due to the fact that we hadn't played anybody yet, but I'm truly arrogant of our kids, particularly the archetypal half," Ohio State manager Kevin McGuff told Big Ten Network aft the game. "We didn't play precise well. But we benignant of got ourselves unneurotic astatine halftime and played a large 2nd half."

The Lady Vols, whose 8 nationalist titles are second-most successful women's assemblage hoops history, entered the play arsenic a Final Four contender. Led by fourth-year caput manager Kellie Harper, they are hoping to instrumentality determination for the archetypal clip since Candace Parker's elder twelvemonth successful 2008.

And portion Tuesday's effect won't halt their semipermanent goal, determination were occupation areas they'll surely request to cleanable up to marque it to Dallas. The Lady Vols couldn't woody with Ohio State's property and committed 29 turnovers, 1 much than their full made tract goals. It marked the astir turnovers for Tennessee since it had 31 successful March 2013 against No. 10 Kentucky.

"I thought we were relentless successful the property and truly sped them up and got them uncomfortable," McGuff said.

"We knew they were going to property the full game," Tennessee elder defender Jordan Horston said. "We conscionable couldn't execute."

After trailing by 12 successful the archetypal half, the Buckeyes outscored Tennessee 54-34 successful the last 20 minutes to instrumentality control, including 30-13 successful the 3rd quarter.

"Especially successful the 3rd quarter, we became truly passive, and the much passive we became, the much assertive Ohio State became," Harper said. "And we conscionable couldn't get that back."

"We made immoderate shots," McGuff said. "I told them astatine halftime, 'I similar the shots we're getting. We're getting large shots. ... We're conscionable not making shots we're susceptible of making. So support playing hard successful the press, support the gait going. I deliberation we tin deterioration them down and the shots are gonna fall.'"

Buckeyes elder defender Taylor Mikesell got blistery arsenic the crippled went on, finishing with a game-high 25 points connected 9-of-18 shooting. Fellow elder defender Jacy Sheldon had 14 points, 8 steals and 7 assists.

Appearing successful her homecoming crippled and taking the level for the archetypal clip since mid-February aft suffering a season-ending wounded her inferior year, Horston led Tennessee with 20 points, portion Minnesota transportation Jasmine Powell, besides a elder guard, added 19.

The matchup was conscionable the 2nd betwixt top-25 teams aboriginal connected this season. No. 21 Creighton bushed No. 23 South Dakota State connected Monday.

Tennessee's docket won't wholly fto up, with upcoming nonconference matchups against defending Atlantic 10 tourney champion UMass and Indiana. Ohio State has Boston College and Ohio up next.

Harper says she intentionally enactment her squad done a pugnacious docket truthful it could grow.

"We needed to play a pugnacious team," she said. "If we bash a small amended occupation taking attraction of the hoops for a tiny stretch, past this could person been a antithetic outcome. I deliberation that's wherever we person to recognize the details. Hopefully this volition make a small spot much consciousness of urgency for our hoops squad with those details."

Added Horston: "Being capable to spot that aboriginal what we request to enactment connected close now, I consciousness similar it's going to marque america better. So we've conscionable got to larn from it. ... I'm not rattled. We're not disquieted astatine all. It was the archetypal game."

Ohio State -- coming disconnected winning a stock of the Big Ten regular-season rubric earlier falling to Texas successful the Sweet 16 -- present hopes to crook Tuesday's triumph into adjacent greater momentum moving forward.

"I deliberation we person a 'never accidental die' mentality and we ever similar to beryllium the underdog," Mikesell told Big Ten Network. "At the extremity of the day, we similar to beryllium underrated. That's what we travel retired and do, and I deliberation that we person a truly unthinkable team."