Buckeye bashing

Lady Lions erase haunted past, hold off Buckeyes in overtime

Last year, Ohio State used a late rally to stun the Lady Lion basketball team and end their season in the first round of the Big Ten tournament.

Yesterday at The Bryce Jordan Center, Penn State (12-7, 6-3 Big Ten) made sure history did not repeat itself by holding off the Buckeyes (11-7, 4-5) in overtime, 82-73.

"We were fortunate to find a way to win," Lion coach Rene Portland said. "We needed this win. We've lost two Big Ten games at home and we don't need people coming in here and thinking they can win."

Clutch free throw shooting down the stretch helped Penn State force overtime after it fell behind 62-61 with just over three minutes remaining. Freshman Lisa Shepherd, who connected on 12 of 13 from the charity stripe, led the charge hitting four foul shots in the final minute, including two with 31 seconds left that tied the game at 69 and sent it into overtime.

A combination of strong defense and clutch shooting carried the Lions to victory in the extra frame. A driving layup by guard Jamie Parsons put Penn State up for good midway through overtime. Point guard Helen Darling bounced back from a tailbone injury that sent her to the locker room late in the second half and sealed the outcome with a breakaway basket after she stripped the ball from Buckeye guard Jamie Lewis.

The Lions needed to summon up all the pride they could to stop Ohio State forwards Larecha Jones and Marrita Porter. The lethal combination teamed up for 62 points and brought the Buckeyes back from 10-point deficits in both halves. Jones broke the Jordan Center record for points with 36, but fouled out in the opening minute of overtime.

"We had to win the game in regulation. We were in a lot of foul trouble," Buckeye coach Beth Burns said. "We needed Jones in there to win."

With Jones out of the game, the Lions were able to gang up on Porter and stymie the high-scoring forward in overtime. As it did frequently throughout the game, Penn State's full court pressure forced Buckeye turnovers when it needed it most. Ohio State capped a 31-turnover performance by throwing the ball away twice during overtime.

"(Penn State) did a good job of mixing things up," Burns said. "They competitively attacked our decision making. They get a lot of steals from their press."

The Lions' nine-point victory against Ohio State capped a Big Ten weekend sweep. Friday night Penn State traveled to Minnesota and handed the Gophers a 70-55 thumping. Garner led the Penn State attack with a game-high 22 points and was complemented by freshman Maren Walseth's 12 points and 11 rebounds.

As Ohio State did, the Gophers (4-14, 1-7) struggled against the Lions' swarming defense, turning the ball over 28 times. Penn State's defense also put the clamps on Big Ten Player of the Year candidate Angie Iverson, holding the center to six points and one rebound.

Penn State's victory Friday night brought an end to a three-game losing streak and Sunday's victory moved them within two games of Big Ten front runner Illinois. The Lions will next try to cut into that gap Friday when they head west to battle Northwestern.

"We had a few slumpy games," Lion forward Em Clements said. "But now we're back."