Recapping how March went for five Ohio State winter sports teams
· Yahoo Sports
March was a busy month for Ohio State athletics. Along with the winter sports wrapping up their seasons, the spring sports are now in the middle of their seasons. As if that wasn’t enough to keep track of, the Buckeye football team kicked off spring practices ahead of next month’s annual spring game.
Since we are close to the end of the month, now is a good time to do our best to recap the month that was in Ohio State sports. Highlights, lowlights, and everything in between. At times we were celebrating. Other times we were frustrated. At least we know that those athletes out there in the scarlet and gray were giving it there all.
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Women’s hockeyThe most successful team during the winter sports season was undoubtedly the Ohio State women’s hockey team. The Buckeyes started the month off by winning the WCHA Final Faceoff, beating Wisconsin in the final to earn the top-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The conference tournament title was the third for Ohio State, and their first since 2022. In the four games the Buckeyes played in the WCHA Tournament they only allowed three goals.
Ohio State opened up their NCAA Tournament run with a 6-1 win over Yale to book their spot in the Frozen Four, where they would tangle with Northeastern. The Buckeyes easily handled the Huskies 5-0 to clinch their spot in their fifth straight title game. The opponent for Ohio State for the fourth straight season was the Wisconsin Badgers.
After falling behind Wisconsin 2-0 in last Sunday’s title game, Ohio State rallied to tie the score before Wisconsin netted a goal with 6:18 left in the third period to win the championship. Of the five losses by the Buckeyes this season, four came to the Badgers.
WrestlingLost in all of the hockey and basketball action was the performance of the wrestling team in Cleveland at the NCAA Championships. Tom Ryan’s squad ended up finishing fifth, accumulating 84.5 points.
Ohio State was one of just six teams to qualify wrestlers in all 10 weight classes, a feat the Buckeyes accomplished for the second straight year, and fifth time under Ryan.
Ohio State saw two wrestlers in the national title finals in their weight classes. Top-ranked Jesse Mendez wrestled second-ranked Sergio Vega of Oklahoma State at 141 pounds. After Vega took a 1-0 lead, Mendez tied the score late in the match, forcing a two-minute sudden death victory period. Mendez unfortunately couldn’t bring the title back to Columbus, as Vega went on to win 4-1.
Redshirt freshman Ben Davino also competed against an Oklahoma State wrestler in the final, taking on top-ranked Jax Forest at 133 pounds. Forest was too much for Davino, winning 5-1. Brandon Cannon at 157 pounds and Carson Kharchla at 174 pounds had a chance at third place finishes but couldn’t get the wins, with each placing a respectable fourth place in the championships.
Women’s basketballAfter closing out the regular season with a win at Michigan State on the first day of March, the Ohio State women’s basketball team would go on to win two games at the Big Ten Tournament before falling to eventual conference champion UCLA in the semifinals.
By posting a 25-7 record heading into the NCAA Tournament, the Buckeyes were given a three-seed and chosen as a host for the first two rounds of the tournament for the fourth consecutive year.
Following a 75-54 win over Howard last Saturday, Ohio State was matched up with Hannah Hidalgo and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. After jumping out to an early lead, Hidalgo and Notre Dame were too much for Jaloni Cambridge and the Buckeyes.
With the 83-73 loss, Ohio State was dumped out of the NCAA Tournament before the Sweet Sixteen for the third straight season.
Despite their strong play throughout the year, the Ohio State women’s basketball program can’t seem to get to the next level and make an extended run in the NCAA Tournament. Even though the Elite Eight run in 2023 was memorable, Kevin McGuff and company have struggled to replicate the magic since then.
Men’s basketballIn early February if you asked an Ohio State men’s basketball fan if they thought the team would make the NCAA Tournament the answer would have likely had a lot of uncertainty. Credit to head coach Jake Diebler and the Buckeyes for finishing the regular season the way they did, as wins over Wisconsin and Purdue went a long way in helping Ohio State earn their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2022.
The win over Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament was just icing on the cake when it came to solidifying their spot in the dance.
When Selection Sunday rolled around, Ohio State was paired with TCU in the first round, with the winner moving on to take on the Duke Blue Devils. After an ugly first half, the Buckeyes found their rhythm, taking the lead late in the second half. A bucket by the Horned Frogs with just four seconds left put Ohio State behind 66-64. Diebler couldn’t draw up a play that would allow the Buckeyes to either tie the game or take the lead.
While the end of the basketball season was tough to swallow for Ohio State, at least Bruce Thornton was able to end his college career in the NCAA Tournament. In the final game of the regular season against Indiana, Thornton became the leading scorer in school history, passing Dennis Hopson.
Thornton’s Ohio State career will be remembered for his toughness and loyalty.
Men’s hockeyThere wasn’t much to write home about when it came to the 2025-26 season for the Ohio State men’s hockey team.
The Buckeyes did save their best for last, though. After entering the Big Ten Tournament with a 12-20-2 record, Ohio State beat Wisconsin 7-1 in Madison, followed by a 3-2 overtime win against top-seeded Michigan State.
For the second straight season Ohio State made it to the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament. If the Buckeyes were going to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, they would have to beat rival Michigan in Ann Arbor.
The Wolverines showed why they are one of the top teams in the country this year, taking down the Buckeyes 7-3 to keep Steve Rohlik’s team from making the postseason.