Jaloni Cambridge Scores 23 as No. 18 Ohio State Forces 44 Turnovers in 103-36 Rout of Central Michigan

COLUMBUS, Ohio. It took less than two minutes for this one to look like a mismatch. Ohio State made its first three 3-pointers, built a 9-0 lead before the two-minute mark and never let up, rolling past Central Michigan 103-36 on Thursday, Nov. 5, at the Schottenstein Center.

Jaloni Cambridge scored 23 points, 15 of them in the first quarter, and handed out eight assists. Kennedy Cambridge, Jaloni's sister, added 16 points, six rebounds and five steals. The No. 18 Buckeyes moved to 2-0 in front of 3,893 fans, and Central Michigan fell to 0-2.

The story of the night was not the offense, though. It was the 44 turnovers Ohio State forced. Here is the ESPN box score (opens in a new tab) and Ohio State's recap (opens in a new tab).

Thirty-four points in 10 minutes

The first quarter was over almost as soon as it started. Ohio State hit three straight 3s to go up 9-0 and force a Central Michigan timeout, and the lead reached 13-0 before the Chippewas scored their first point on a free throw.

The Buckeyes added an 11-0 run in the middle of the period and scored the last five points of the quarter to lead 34-8. They shot 10 of 17 from the field and 7 of 11 from 3-point range in those 10 minutes, according to Ohio State.

Jaloni Cambridge was the engine. In eight first-quarter minutes, she scored 15 points, going 3 for 3 from deep and 4 for 4 at the line. By the time she checked out, Central Michigan was already facing a deficit it had no realistic way to erase.

The second quarter went much the same way. Ohio State scored the first 10 points to stretch the lead to 44-8, and after a brief five-point answer from the Chippewas, the Buckeyes closed the half on a 15-1 run.

The 59-14 halftime score tied the largest halftime lead in program history, according to Ohio State. Kennedy Cambridge had 13 of her 16 points before the break.

Then the Buckeyes opened the third quarter with 19 straight points, pushing the margin to 78-14 by the midpoint of the period. Sydney Mobley scored six in a row on her own late in the quarter, and Ohio State led 89-21 after three. The fourth quarter was a back-and-forth affair against the deep reserves, with Central Michigan winning the period 15-14. Atlee Vanesko scored the final basket on a layup to make it 103-36.

Forty-four turnovers

Central Michigan's ball security was the defining number. The Chippewas turned it over 44 times, and Ohio State scored 54 points off those giveaways. The Buckeyes had 23 steals as a team.

Kennedy Cambridge and Bryn Martin had five steals each. Adriana Diaz added four off the bench, and Jaloni Cambridge and Ava Watson had three apiece. Pressure came from every spot on the floor, and eight of the 10 Buckeyes who played recorded at least one steal.

Rylan Buschell committed nine turnovers for Central Michigan and Jailenn Green had seven. Riley Smith and Summer Davis turned it over five times each. Every Chippewa who played had at least one.

When Central Michigan did get a shot up, it rarely went in. The Chippewas shot 12 of 41 from the field, 29 percent, and 4 of 17 from 3-point range. They finished with seven assists and 26 rebounds, compared with Ohio State's 23 assists and 47 rebounds.

The Cambridge sisters set the tone

Jaloni Cambridge's line was efficient across the board. She shot 7 of 15 from the field, 3 of 8 from 3-point range and 6 of 6 at the line, with eight assists, three steals and two turnovers in 23 minutes.

Kennedy Cambridge was arguably even better on a per-minute basis. In 22 minutes, she made 6 of 8 shots, including 3 of 5 from deep, and filled the stat sheet with six rebounds, two assists and five steals.

Elsa Lemmilä was perfect. Lemmilä went 6 for 6 from the field and 3 of 4 at the line for 15 points, with four rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block in 19 minutes. Watson hit four 3-pointers on nine attempts for 14 points. Kylee Kitts scored six but grabbed 10 rebounds and handed out four assists, giving the Buckeyes another starter who impacted the game without needing shots.

Depth that matters for what is coming

Ohio State's bench was more than garbage-time filler. Mobley, who scored 14 in her collegiate debut against UIC three nights earlier, matched that exact total on 5 of 8 shooting and 4 of 5 at the line. Two games into a college career, Mobley already looks like a dependable scorer off the bench. Diaz pulled down 10 rebounds and scored seven to go with four steals. Martin played 24 minutes, second most on the team, and Martin's five steals mattered far more than the three points. Seini Henry hit a 3 and Vanesko scored two.

Ohio State's starters scored 74 points and the bench added 29. No Buckeye played more than 25 minutes, and 10 players logged at least 12. For a team that will face a much bigger test soon, getting real minutes for players like Mobley, Diaz and Martin is the most useful thing a 67-point win can provide.

The Buckeyes shot 36 of 78 overall, 46 percent, and 12 of 35 from 3-point range. They made 19 of 22 free throws. The 3-point percentage cooled after that 7 of 11 first quarter, and the half-court offense was not always crisp against the deeper part of Central Michigan's rotation. Ohio State's 21 turnovers were also more than a coaching staff would like on a night it controlled every possession.

The Chippewas' rough night

Central Michigan never found its footing. Jailenn Green led the team with nine points but needed 11 shots to get there. Lilah Turnbull was the most efficient Chippewa, scoring eight on 3 of 4 shooting off the bench, and Indya Davis had seven points and five rebounds in 18 minutes. Summer Davis added five points and five rebounds with four steals, the most of any Chippewa.

Buschell, a reserve, played a team-high 29 minutes and had four assists, but the nine turnovers overshadowed everything else. Central Michigan's 12 steals show the Chippewas were active defensively at times, but Ohio State's ball movement and shooting turned most possessions into points before that pressure could matter.

This matchup carries a little history. Central Michigan beat Ohio State in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament, a result that was referenced in AP's coverage. This version of the Chippewas was not equipped to repeat it.

What it means and what is next

Two games, two blowouts. Ohio State beat UIC 81-34 in its opener on Nov. 2 and followed with a performance that hit triple digits and tied a program halftime record. The defense has been the constant, forcing 25 turnovers against UIC and 44 against Central Michigan.

The next game stays at home. Ohio State hosts Mercyhurst on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 1 p.m. for season ticket holder appreciation day, with the game on B1G+. After that comes the first real measuring stick of the season: No. 2 UConn visits the Schottenstein Center on Thursday, Nov. 12.

UConn will not turn the ball over 44 times. What Ohio State shows against the Huskies, especially in a half-court game where forced turnovers do not hand over easy points, will say more about this team than any early-season rout. But the Buckeyes have done exactly what a ranked team should do with a soft opening stretch: win big, spread the minutes and build habits on defense.

Around the Big Ten on the same night, Michigan upset UConn. For more on the Buckeyes, visit our Ohio State team page.

Sources: ESPN box score, Ohio State Athletics, AP.

Photo: Ohio State Athletics.