COLUMBUS: West Virginia struggled to stop Ohio State guard Kelsey Mitchell, who eclipsed the 40-point mark for the fourth time this year as the Buckeyes outlasted West Virginia to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Mitchell scored 45 points — the fourth highest total ever in NCAA play — to lead third-seed Ohio State to an 88-81 win over the No. 6 Mountaineers on Sunday. She was 11-for-31 from the field, including 5-for-12 from beyond the 3-point line.
Constantly battered driving to the basket by a West Virginia team determined to slow her down, Mitchell also made 18 of 22 shots from the foul line as the Buckeyes moved to the Sweet 16 round for the eighth time.