This was about 40 minutes after the Buckeyes beat Buffalo 88-69 in an NCAA Tournament opener Friday. But this was also what Alston had done for 40 minutes during the game, though she was sitting next to her teammates then, not her boyfriend.
"It was a little bit of a gamble," Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff said after the win without the first-team All-Big Ten player, "but we were obviously able to get through today's game without her, and so I'm still optimistic that she can help us on Sunday."
Optimism was in the air Thursday as well, before this game. Optimism only takes you so far. You almost get a feeling the Buckeyes could be optimistically waiting for Alston right up until the end of the season, while she's still watching.
This is what athletes do every day, balance pain. Asked whether the issue with her two-week-old wrist injury was pain tolerance or a risk of further injury, Alston told cleveland.com it was both.
As the Buckeyes move deeper in the NCAA Tournament, the context around the injury changes. The second round Sunday is different than the first round Friday.
Sunday is against No. 6 seed West Virginia, the third-place team in the Big 12 during the regular season. Friday was against No. 14 seed Buffalo, the eighth-place team in the MAC during the regular season.
"I would like to play," Alston said. "But I'm taking it day by day, depending on how I feel."
The Buckeyes waxed West Virginia last season, but that was right before Christmas break and the Mountaineers may have been dreaming of sugar plums in a 42-point loss in Columbus. Don't expect that this time.
But maybe expect that if Alston's not out there Sunday, her nearly 19 points and 36 minutes per game will be ably filled.
Sophomore Asia Doss found a balance of asserting herself without trying too hard while scoring a career-high 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting Friday.
"She's got enough experience now where she's going to get a few more shots, but get them in the flow of the game," McGuff said of Doss finding more room to work in Alston's absence. "And that's what I really liked today. Everything she got was within the flow and that's why I think the results were so good for her."
Against the Bulls, the Buckeyes' offense didn't look like it had a gaping hole. That was especially true when they ran. They're always better up-tempo, but against West Virginia, no Alston might mean a six-player rotation. Friday, subs Kalpana Beach and and Chelsea Mitchell were able to contribute 25 minutes that can't be assumed against the No. 23 team in the country.
Even an Alston who can't shoot could be of service for a few minutes here and there Sunday.
It won't just come down to Alston. If the Buckeyes get efforts like they got from Doss and Makayla Waterman, if Shayla Cooper is active and confident like she was during her 17-point effort Friday, they can win without her. And Friday was a typical Kelsey Mitchell day, the 25.7 point scorer dropping in 27. She has three games of 40-plus points this season, so there's a chance she adds a fourth if the Buckeyes need it Sunday.
You'd just like to see the senior out there.
Alston has already dealt with the how-can-this-be-happening feelings that would hit any star looking at an injury-plagued end to her career. Now there's pragmatism with the optimism.
Friday, Alston and McGuff trusted the other Buckeyes could get it done. They were right.
Sunday, they could do the same and still punch a ticket to the Sweet Sixteen.
Or Alston could hit the court with a smaller brace and a tape job, not the larger brace that went over her thumb that she wore as she watched warmups Friday.
She's tried that brace out.
"It's cool," she said.
The Buckeyes have tried out winning without her. It was cool. They were able to plan for two weeks this time after losing in the Big Ten semis two weeks ago the first time they tried to go without Alston.
Whether Alston plays or not Sunday, it feels like a bit of a gamble either way. That means the Buckeyes will need a little luck.
But not just luck. They're better than that.
