The Ohio State Buckeyes didn't just have a win in Champaign. At the end of Wednesday night, OSU's sophomore guard Jaloni Cambridge poured in a career-high 41 points to join some elite company.

As the Buckeyes handed Illinois their first home loss of 78-69, Cambridge etched her name in Big Ten and franchise history.

Per ESPN Insights, Cambridge delivered the first 40-point performance by a Buckeye since Kelsey Mitchell, who recorded four 40-plus point games during her junior season in 2015–16.

This also makes her the Big Ten’s most recent 40-point scorer since Caitlin Clark accomplished the feat 5 times as a senior in 2024. Jaloni Cambridge was able to do this as a sophomore, and that comparison alone speaks volumes.

29 of her 41 points came in the second half of the game as she made 6 assists, 6 rebounds, and 9 of 12 free throws attempted in 39 minutes played. She also shot 15/25 from the deep.

And she did all this while her inspiration, A'ja Wilson, was sitting courtside. "I want and need A’ja Wilson to watch me play at least once in my lifetime, and I'll be happy," the 5'7 guard said.

The Nashville native has now scored at least 10 points in all 16 games played this season and is averaging 19.4 points per game.

The night that broke Illinois' streak

The No. 19 team broke the Fighting Illini's 10-home-game win streak, going 14-2 overall.

The first quarter had nine lead changes as Illinois led 22-19. At halftime, the teams were tied at 36 points each until Jaloni Cambridge took matters into her hands.

She scored 12 points in Q3 while Illinois managed only 10 as a unit. The surge gave Ohio State a 52-46 edge heading into the final quarter.

Other notable performers were Chance Gray (18 points) and Kylee Kitts (10 points). Ohio State ultimately sealed the win, but the highlight of the night belonged to Jaloni Cambridge. Now, with the momentum on their side, Ohio State will face No. 8 Maryland next.

Written by

Fatema Kapasi

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi