Holy Buckeye
Live from the Bryce Jordan Center, welcome to another installment of Lady Lions basketball. Tom Copain here as Penn State hosts the No.18 Ohio State Buckeyes in the final home game of the season for the Lady Lions. This is the second meeting of the season between the two. Ohio State won the first meeting in Columbus, 89-53.
The Buckeyes come in off an overtime loss to Indiana, while your Lady Lions have lost nine games in a row. Yes, NINE times. But to avoid the un-perfect 10, Penn State will have to deal with Ohio State fab frosh Jantel Lavender, who leads the team in scoring with 17.2 points per game. She's second in the conference in scoring behind Jolene Anderson of Wisconsin, and she's second in the nation among freshmen behind UCONN'S Maya Moore. Penn State will counter with fellow freshman Evelyn Lewis, making her first career start
Starting Lineups
Ohio State
Ashlee Trebilcock
Shavelle Little
Marscilla Packer
Jantel Lavender
Tamarah Riley
Penn State
Brianne O'Rourke
Tyra Grant
Julia Trogele
Kam Gissendanner
Evelyn Lewis
15:53 left in the first half - Ohio State 8, Penn State 8
Jantel Lavender is doing what she does - she's scored four points, and forced Evelyn Lewis to the bench with one foul already. Tamarah Riley has the other four points for the Buckeyes. Kam Gissendanner has had a nice start in her last home game as a Lady Lion, scoring four of the team's first eight points.
11:26 left - Ohio State 17, Penn State 16
The Lady Lions have stayed in it to this point, but Ohio State has a large advantage on the boards. Lavender continues to be a force, leading all scorers with 10 points. But she has turned the ball over three times already to this point. Penn State has been able to keep it close, but they will have to start rebounding better to stay in it.
7:37 left - Ohio State 22, Penn State 21
Brianne O'Rourke has shown up, leading the Lady Lions with seven points. Mashea Williams, back after a one-game hiatus, continues to struggle with only one point, but she does have two rebounds and an assist right now.
1:37 left - Ohio State 38, Penn State 36
It's been up and down play all half, and the Lady Lions are hanging around with the Buckeyes. Brianne O'Rourke, Tyra Grant and Kam Gissendanner are pacing Penn State, while Lavender and Marscilla Packer have been the offense for Ohio State
Halftime - Ohio State 44, Penn State 41
The Lady Lions have almost matched their point total from their last meeting with the Buckeyes in this first half. Kam Gissendanner and Brianne O'Rourke are both in double digits, and Penn State has even had contributions from Janessa Wolff and Julia Trogele in their frontcourt.
Ohio State has been led by Lavender, who has a game-high 14 points and Marscilla Packer with 13, including three foul shots with nine seconds left to give the Buckeyes the lead right before the half.
15:42 left in the second half - Ohio State 53, Penn State 51
Kam Gissendanner now has the game high with 19, as Penn State continues to stay with Ohio State. Packer has put together a very nice game with 16 for Ohio State, and Lavender has 16 as well to pace the Buckeyes.
11:12 left - Ohio State 67, Penn State 61
Brianne O'Rourke had hit a pull-up jumper to tie the game at 61, but Maria Moeller hit back-to-back 3s to give the Buckeyes their largest lead of the game. Lavender has found her second wind, now she has a game-high 24 points.
6:45 left - Ohio State 75, Penn State 73
Brianne O'Rourke, Kam Gissendanner and Janessa Wolff have been the offense of late, bringing the Lady Lions back from an eight-point deficit. But Penn State has no answer for Lavender, who has tied her career high with 30 points, 16 of them in the second half.
3:48 left - Ohio State 81, Penn State 75
Lavender now has a career high 32 points, including a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line. Ohio State is 24-of-25 from the free-throw line, while Penn State is only 7-of-9. That might be the difference when this one is said and done.
1:52 left - Ohio State 83, Penn State 80
Lavender had been perfect from the free throw line, until she missed two big free throws that resulted in a 3 from O'Rourke. But Lavender found Alison Jackson for a big jumper to put the lead back up to three.
Final - Ohio State 87, Penn State 84
Kam Gissendanner had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, but her shot missed the rim and Penn State makes it 10 consecutive losses. The Lady Lions stayed around with Ohio State all night, but there was no answer for Lavender, who finished with a career high 36 points, along with 16 rebounds and six assists. Penn State finishes the regular season on Sunday at Indiana.
-Copain



