Sunday afternoon at the Schottenstein Center was a momentous occasion for Ohio State fans. It was the celebration of the 60th birthday of the mascot Brutus Buckeye, the madman who captures the hearts of children and most adults every time Brutus enters his atmosphere. While most parties feature games like Pin the Tail on the Donkey or Musical Chairs, Sunday the game was basketball and Ohio State women’s basketball made easy work of the Niagara Purple Eagles in a 130-32 victory. Most points scored in the largest margin of victory in program history.
Previously, the most points scored by Ohio State was 119 against Idaho State on December 11, 1994.
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Niagara Falls
The Buckeyes sent the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference team home without any game favors and broke program records in the process. The Buckeyes’ 45-point halftime lead is a new program record. Overcame a 43-point Ohio State lead over Alabama State on December 16, 2016.
Niagara didn’t show an adjustment in the second half against the Buckeyes and Ohio State continued to add to the MAAC’s misery. Ohio State’s 80-point victory surpassed two 70-point victories and moved to the top of the program’s record book. A 70-point win over the Akron Zips dates back to February. December 22, 1977 until the Buckeyes did it again, against the Ohio Bobcats, on December 1, 2004.
A win of this magnitude could top the list for a long time.
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The margin of difference between the 98-point victory and the previous record of 70 points is large enough to be the second-largest margin of victory for Ohio State this season.
Ava Watson continues to rise
Through the seven games early in the 2025-26 season, point guard Ava Watson’s impact on games has increased. Coming off the bench, Watson had a four-steal game Wednesday against No. 21 West Virginia and an assist on the shot that gave Ohio State the lead late in the fourth quarter.
On Sunday, Watson nearly had a triple-double for the Buckeyes in 26 minutes. Watson had 15 points, 10 assists and 7 steals in the huge blowout of the Buckeye. Opponent aside, Watson contributes on both ends of the court when participating in games. It’s only a matter of time before Watson enters games at bigger moments, should Watson’s current form continue.
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Game number: 19
That’s how many steals the Buckeyes made in the one-sided victory. It’s the most steals in a game so far this season for Scarlet and Gray. While not a difficult conference opponent by any means, Ohio State showed the ability to time passes and frustrate opponents.
The Purple Eagles’ 43 turnovers didn’t make the record books, but they came close to making history. Ohio State forced 45 turnovers from High Point University in 1999.
Ten great looms
Ohio State’s opponent’s difficulty level increases one week from Sunday, when the Buckeyes head to Evanston, Illinois, to take on the Northwestern Wildcats. Head coach Joe McKeown is at the start of his 18th and final season with the Wildcats and Northwestern is responding to the added motivation with a 6-1 record to start the season. However, the Buckeyes are on a five-game winning streak against the Wildcats, a program that was once contending near the top of the Big Ten but has just eight conference wins over the past three seasons.
After Sunday’s trip, the Buckeyes have five more non-conference games remaining in the season, leading to any potential berth in the NCAA Tournament.