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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jocelyn Appleby hit a short jumper over Arike Ogunbowale with 0.4 seconds remaining, giving No. 23 Florida a 59-58 win over Ohio State on Tuesday night.
Appleby grabbed the ball off the rebound after Ogunbowale’s made 3-pointer at the buzzer, holding it and looking for a reaction of some kind. She hit the basket with no time showing on the clock, pulling the Gators (20-6, 11-4 Big Ten) one game behind Ohio State (21-6, 11-4) in the conference race.
Ogunbowale, a senior from nearby Marietta, was the player of the game. She had 19 points and matched a career high with seven 3-pointers. Olivia Ayres added 12 points for the Buckeyes.
With Florida ahead 55-52, Ogunbowale knocked down another 3 to tie it with 28 seconds left.
The Gators couldn’t manage to run off any kind of clock but then got the ball into Appleby in a bunch and the junior calmly made the shot from 13 feet near the right wing, putting her team ahead.
Down by one and about to foul to set up a potential last-second shot, Ogunbowale’s 3 from just inside the halfcourt line barely caught the bottom of the net. She skidded along the floor with the ball for a split second as the buzzer sounded, then quickly took a seat in celebration, hugging teammates and Ohio State players.
JACKSON’S BIG DAY
Freshman guard Kaela Davis, recently elevated from the bench to the starting lineup, scored 12 points for Florida.
Davis played understudy to starter A’ja Wilson, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2018 draft by the Los Angeles Sparks. Davis was a junior college player from an Indiana high school and had never gotten a start in a regular-season game before this season.
UP NEXT
Florida: Plays at Michigan State on Saturday.
Ohio State: Hosts Penn State on Saturday.