Scarlet Sunrise: Ohio State women's basketball advances to Round of 32 with win over JMU

Good morning, Ohio State fans, and welcome to the Scarlet Sunrise. Football will always be our focus, but every day we’ll cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Buckeyes football, recruiting, basketball and more in Scarlet Sunrise.

Ohio State women’s basketball advances to Round of 32 with win over JMU

Ohio State women’s basketball is still dancing. The No. 12 and third-seeded Buckeyes erased a 12-point, first-quarter deficit to James Madison and wound up beating the Dukes, 80-66, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament Saturday. They completed the comeback in The Schottenstein Center, advancing to the Round of 32 where they will meet sixth-seeded North Carolina.

Ohio State had four players finish in double figures against JMU: Cotie McMahon (18 points), Jacy Sheldon (17 points), Taylor Thierry (15 points) and Taylor Mikesell (14 points).

The Buckeyes started to make their move at the end of the second quarter when they went on a 12-0 run to make it a 37-34 game entering halftime. From there, Ohio State vaulted itself into the driver’s seat, even kickstarting the final frame with a 15-2 surge.

Head coach Kevin McGuff’s team led by as many as 16 points in the second half and, ultimately, emerged as 14-point victors. Ohio State has now advanced to the Round of 32 in six consecutive NCAA Tournaments.

Buckeyes women’s hockey set for National Championship against Wisconsin

Ohio State women’s hockey has a chance to go back to back Sunday. The No. 1 Buckeyes are playing unseeded Wisconsin in the National Championship. Puck drop is at 4 p.m. E.T. at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, Minnesota.

Ohio State advanced to the title game after a 3-0 win over No. 5 Northeastern in the Frozen Four. Amanda Thiele notched her fourth shutout of the season, and Hadley Hartmetz, Sloane Matthews and Makenna Webster each found the back of the net.

The Buckeyes — led by Patty Kazmaier Award winner Sophie Jaques — are now 7-2 in the NCAA Tournament. They have 10 players on their roster who are taking part in the third Frozen Four of their careers.

Last year, Ohio State edged Quinnipiac (4-3 in double overtime), Yale (2-1) and Minnesota Duluth (3-2) en route to its first-ever national title. Now, the Buckeyes are in position for a second straight championship.

Ranking Ohio State position groups by depth

The second week of Ohio State spring ball is right around the corner. It’s a good time to look at the Buckeyes’ roster and pinpoint where head coach Ryan Day’s team is deepest, on both sides of the ball.

There’s no Ohio State offensive position group that has more depth than the Buckeyes’ wide receivers. Ohio State returns a pair of 1,000-yard wideouts in Biletnikoff Award finalist Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, not to mention the highly-touted and still very capable Julian Fleming.

On the other side of the ball, it’s hard to find a more talented crowd of linebackers in the country. The Buckeyes brought back starters Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers for the second year of defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ system. Beyond Eichenberg and Chambers, though, are a handful of young ‘backers ready to make a difference in the second level, perhaps most notably the five-star, uber-athletic C.J. Hicks.

For Lettermen Row’s full position group depth rankings, go here (offense) and here (defense).

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Indiana: 167 days

Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 251 days

Are you subscribed yet?

Are you ready to get all your latest Ohio State news in one place? Become a member of Lettermen Row today. With your Lettermen Row/On3+ membership, you’ll not only have access to the everything that’s happening with the Buckeyes, but you’ll also be able to peruse other fan sites within the network to hear just how rivals are feeling about Ohio State, as well. Make sure to follow along on Twitter, Instagram and on Youtube for all the latest Buckeyes news you need to know.