Lady cagers seek revenge vs. Ohio State

By WILLIAM KALEC
Collegian Staff Writer

It will be 54 days this Sunday, but the memory still lingers in the mind of Maren Walseth.

Since that unforgettable night in late December, the sophomore Lady Lion forward's role, as well as her minutes, has increased. But that still doesn't erase the scene that unfolded at The Bryce Jordan Center Dec. 28.

After a 72-54 home-court drubbing at the hands of Ohio State courtesy of a porous 26-percent shooting effort from the field, Walseth and the rest of the Lions were more than beaten when they walked off the floor.

That night their pride was scarred.

"It was embarrassing what they did to us," Walseth said. "I can't point fingers, I can't say whose fault it was, but it was embarrassing."

Before a national television audience, Walseth and the rest of the Lions get their shot at redemption as they travel to face the Buckeyes at 3:30 p.m. Sunday in the Value City Arena at The Jerome Schottenstein Center. Winners of seven of its last eight contests, with its only loss coming to No. 2 Purdue in overtime, Penn State (19-6, 11-4 Big Ten) enters the final Big Ten contest of the regular season perhaps playing its best basketball of the season.

Ohio State (15-9, 8-6) cannot make the same claim.

After being spanked by Purdue 88-58 last Sunday, a once-certain first-round bye in the Big Ten Tournament is no longer etched in stone. Currently third in the conference standings, Ohio State must win at least one of its two weekend contests to avoid playing next Friday in Indianapolis.

But the fun doesn't stop there for Buckeyes coach Beth Burns.

Adding injury to insult, the status of sophomore guard Jamie Lewis, who back in December against Penn State scored 16 points and tallied five assists all while not committing a single turnover, remains in question. Penn State coach Rene Portland will have a better idea of what to expect out of Lewis as the Buckeyes played host to Michigan State last night.

"I think since our game they thought (Lewis) was great, she is playing more," Portland said. "We heard that she got hurt in the Purdue game, but we know she will be there."

And so will Portland's Lions.

They will be there to solidify their place among the conference's elite.

They will be there to give the families of Ohio natives Helen Darling, Chrissy Falcone and Katrena Carr something to remember.

And they will be there to rebuild something Ohio State crumbled nearly two months ago -- their pride.

"Beating Ohio State will help separate us from the rest of the Big Ten," Walseth said. "I think it will be a very different game, it will be a different outcome.

"They are a good team. I think we are a better team."