Ohio State possesses the nation’s top scorer

IOWA CITY - Kelsey Mitchell has a license to launch.

A freshman at Ohio State, Mitchell brings her national-best 26-point scoring average to Carver-Hawkeye Arena for Thursday's Big Ten women's basketball encounter with 17th-ranked Iowa.

'We've got a lot of promotions Thursday, but it shouldn't take a lot of promotions to watch Mitchell play,” said Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder.

A 5-foot-8 guard from Cincinnati, Mitchell has helped rejuvenate the Buckeyes (15-7 overall, 7-3 Big Ten), who suffered through a rare down year last season.

'She has long-distance, 3-point range,” Bluder said. 'She can get to the rim, but the depth of her pull-up shot is amazing. She can stop on a dime.”

Mitchell took 29 shots (making 11), including 20 from long-distance (she hit six) in the Buckeyes' win over Michigan State on Monday, their fourth victory in a row. Her 31 points marked the sixth time she has scored 30-plus.

'She's a scorer; she's going to be a load to handle for the next four years,” said Iowa center Bethany Doolittle. 'We have to focus on her and limit her touches.”

Mitchell, who is second in the country to Iowa's Melissa Dixon in 3-pointers per game, is just part of the Buckeyes' equation. Ameryst Alston, a junior, adds 20.6 points per game.

Iowa (17-4, 8-2) saw its six-game win streak end on Sunday at the hands of No. 5 Maryland, 93-88. Despite the defeat, the Hawkeyes' coaches-poll ranking remained the same, as did their RPI of 5.

'We played so good,” Dixon said. 'Obviously, it was disappointing coming out of there with a loss, but it showed we can compete with a great team.”

Dixon is averaging 3.95 triples per game, Mitchell 3.82. Dixon 3-point rate of 48.0 percent is fourth nationally.

Iowa sophomore Ally Disterhoft has scored 64 points in the last three games. Few players drive the baseline better.

'She's got that little hesitation with her upper body,” Bluder said. 'She's really perfected that. She gets people out of her stance. Then she has that double-pump at the end and draws some fouls.”

The Hawkeyes are 12-0 at home this season. They are two games behind Maryland, which is showing no signs of collapse, and a game clear of the next wave - Ohio State, Nebraska and Rutgers.

'Second place is pretty good,” Doolittle said. 'Our goal is to get a bye (for the Big Ten tournament, with a top-four finish). We'll see what we can do.”

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