OSU women beat James Madison 90-80 in NCAA women's tourney

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — All those freshmen at Ohio State get to stick around their first NCAA Tournament for a little while longer.

The Buckeyes beat James Madison 90-80 on today in the first round of the Greensboro Regional behind 28 points from Ameryst Alston.

Big Ten co-player of the year Kelsey Mitchell added 23 points and fellow freshman Alexa Hart finished with 20 points, 13 rebounds and seven blocked shots for fifth-seeded Ohio State (24-10).

The Buckeyes — who started three freshmen and bring sophomore Shayla Cooper off the bench — shot 58 percent in the second half and scored on seven consecutive possessions down the stretch.

"Obviously, when you get to this time of the year [and] you have kids who have experienced it, that can be beneficial," Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff said. "But I also think for kids who haven't, then have that youthful energy and that passion to be a part of it. ... That can take you a long way."

Mitchell insisted she had wasn't nervous at all heading into her first NCAA Tournament game — and then she played like it.

"It's pretty normal, but it comes with who I am," Mitchell said. "I guess that's something that's not going to change."

Next up: A second-round matchup against host North Carolina, the No. 4 seed, on Monday night.