Basketball: Women's
No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 11 Penn State: The Lady Lions' game of the year
Tonight, the Lady Lions play in their biggest game of the season by far in the BJC at 7 p.m. against Ohio State. Here’s everything you need to know.
The teams
No. 11 Penn State (21-5, 11-3) vs. No. 8 Ohio State (23-3, 10-3). The Lady Lions are first in the Big Ten, and they lead the Buckeyes by a half-game in the Big Ten.
How they match up
Points per game: Ohio State leads the conference with 77.1 Penn State is a close second at 75.5.
Opponents’ PPG: Again, the numbers are close. Penn State is fourth in the conference at 60.3, while Ohio State is seventh at 61.7.
Scoring Margin: Ohio State is first, with a plus-15.4 margin. Penn State is second, with a plus-15.2 number. The point is, these teams are very similar.
Key Players
For Penn State, it’s the usual. Guards Alex Bentley (14.4 points per game and 4.8 assists per game) and Maggie Lucas (19.4 points per game) will have the biggest impact on the Lady Lions’ game.
For Ohio State, it’s all about their incredible 1-2 punch at the top of the key: Guards Tayler Hill and Samantha Prahalis. Hill leads the Big Ten in scoring (21.3 points per game) and Prahalis is second (19.8 points per game). Stopping these two is critical to success. Unless, of course, the Lady Lions just go out and score 100 points.
If Penn State WINS
They clinch at least a share of the Big Ten regular season title. If they proceed to beat Minnesota on Feb. 26 or if Ohio State loses another game, the Lady Lions are Big Ten champions. A win would make the Lady Lions no worse than a 2 seed in the Big Ten tournament.
If Penn State LOSES
If the Lady Lions lose, the only way they could win a share of the Big Ten title is by beating Minnesota and having Ohio State lose one of their remaining two games. To win it outright, Penn State would have to beat Minnesota and Ohio State would have to lose both of their remaining games.
Promotions
The game is scheduled to be a whiteout, and the first 300 students to go will receive a white Lady Lions shirt. The first 100 to go will get a free Domino’s Pizza voucher and a $5 gift card to McLanahan’s. Students get in free.