Ohio State scored 16 straight points early in the fourth quarter to take the lead for good in the Buckeyes' 65-55 win over the Gopher women's basketball team Monday at Williams Arena.
"In the fourth it got away from us which was disappointing," said Gopher head coach Lindsay Whalen.
Taiya Bello's basket to open the final period gave the Gophers a 45-43 lead, only to have the Buckeyes take control of the game.
Minnesota went nearly seven minutes without scoring, but managed to close within eight points in the closing seconds before Ohio State put the game away.
"We struggled to score," said Whalen. "When you’re not scoring is when you need to stay even that much more committed to the defensive end, the game plan and all those things because then the floodgates kind of opened in the fourth."
It was Minnesota's third straight loss and seventh in eight games-all in the Big Ten-after the Gophers started Whalen's first season with 12 straight wins and a spot in the top 15.
Destiny Pitts led the Gophers with 19 points, while Kenisha Bell added 16.
Bello had 12 points and 18 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the season. It's the sixth time she's had at least 18 rebounds in a game this season.
Ohio State, playing without top scorer Dorka Juhasz, got a game-high 20 points from Aaliya Patty to break a two-game losing streak.
It was the fifth straight win for the Buckeyes over the Gophers, who next play at Northwestern on Thursday.
