Women’s Basketball To Take On The Bulldogs – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/16/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 16, 1999
The Tip
Ohio State, 6-2 on the season, will put its four-game winning streak on the line Sunday against the No. 5-ranked Lady Bulldogs of Georgia (11-1, 0-1) in the opening round of The Beach Classic at 8:30 p.m. ET. Hosted by Long Beach State (4-4), the Buckeyes will face either the 49ers or Tennessee-Martin (2-5, 1-1) in the consolation round Monday at 8:30 p.m., or the championship game, which tips off at 10:30 p.m.
OSU vs. Georgia
The two programs by no means are strangers with seven previous meetings in the series. Sunday’s game marks the third such meeting on a neutral floor. Georgia enjoys a 5-2 advantage in the series which dates back to 1984.
Date Score Site 11-25-94 UGA, 79-70 Athens 12-19-92 OSU, 89-72 Columbus 11-30-91 OSU, 82-79 Columbus 12-15-90 UGA, 60-91 Columbus 11-24-89 UGA, 88-78 Neutral 12-28-87 UGA, 80-66 Neutral 12-19-84 UGA, 58-57 Columbus
OSU vs. Long Beach State
Ten years have passed since OSU last played the 49ers. In the two previous meetings, both in NCAA postseason action, Long Beach State has prevailed.
Date Score Site 3-23-89 LBSU, 89-83 Neutral (NCAA) 3-21-87 LBSU, 102-82 Neutral (NCAA)
OSU vs. Tennessee-Martin
Should Ohio State meet Tennessee-Martin in The Beach Classic it would mark the first meeting between the two schools.
OSU Head Coach Beth Burns
Marking her 11th career season, her third at Ohio State, Coach Beth Burns continues to guide the program to success both on and off the court. Last season, Burns guided the Scarlet & Gray contingent to a 17-12 campaign and to its first NCAA tournament in three years. In addition, a 9-7, fourth-place finish in the league marked Ohio State’s best effort since its 1993 Big Ten Championship run.
Academically, six returnees earned OSU Scholar-Athletes laurels with two tabbing academic All-Big Ten laurels.
Burns took over the program in April 1997, leaving a successful, well-respected career at San Diego State where she was three times selected the WAC Coach of the Year (1994, ’95, ’97). Burns has earned a record of 38-26 (.598) as a Buckeye and is 189-108 (.636) for her career.
On Ohio State
Reserve guard Jamie Lewis drilled each of her five three-point attempts in the first half vs. Boston Tuesday night, to guide the Ohio State Buckeyes to a 79-49 trouncing of the visiting Terriers before 6,260 fans at Value City Arena.
Lewis finished the game with a season-high 17 points – all scored in the first half. Freshman Courtney Coleman added a dozen points, while Michaela Moua marked her eight consecutive game in double figures with 10 points.
With the game tied at eight early in the first half, Lewis came in and drilled the first of her five treys, giving the Buckeyes (6-2) a lead they would not relinquish. After the Terriers (3-6) closed to within one, 17-16, with 8:13 remaining, Lewis caught fire, drilling four three-pointers as the Buckeyes outscored Boston 22-9 to end the half with a 39-25 lead.
Boston was paced by Alison Dixon’s 22 points and nine rebounds, while Dia Dufault added 12 points and seven assists.
Burns On Boston
“It was a good game. I’m very, very excited. I told them to hang in there the first half because we would have to switch baskets and they (Boston) would have to shoot at the other end.
“We were very fortunate that Jamie got hot. It was the best thing that could have happened. She came in and got us the lead and our defense played well.
“I’m most impressed with limiting them to 34 shots. We talked a lot about continuing to focus, but we’ve got to do better against Georgia.”
On Georgia
Georgia is led by its longtime mentor Andy Landers who is in his 21st season at the helm. Landers touts a school record of 497-149 on the heels of an average 24.3 wins per season and five Final Four appearances, including a semifinal showing in ’99.
The 1999 WNIT preseason champion, like Ohio State, is enjoying a four-game winning streak and had won seven in a row, prior to a surprise defeat in its SEC opener to No. 23 LSU, 80-74.
Georgia touts arguably the best backcourt in the country in twin junior guards Coco and Kelly Miller, both 5-10. Kelly paces the sqaud, averaging 16.1 points and 5.1 assists per game. Coco averages a second-leading 14.4 ppg and the duo has combined for more that half of the team’s three-point goals (22-of 40). The remainder can be credited to reserve guard Camille Murphy, 5-6, who is shooting nearly 40 percent (15-of 38) from the arc. Center Tawana McDonald, 6-4, is also a double-figure scorer (14.0 ppg) and leads the rebounding effort, collecting 8.8 per game.
On Long Beach State
Long Beach State is guided by Dallas Boychuk-Bolla whose career record is 55-64 over five seasons. The 49ers are led by First Team All-Big West forward Rhonda Smith who stands at a towering 6-8. Smith leads the country in blocks, rejecting 4.9 per game (39 total) and is posting a team-leading 20.2 points and 9.0 caroms. Running the offense is 5-6 guard Reta Sula who is distributing 5.9 assists per game while contributing 7.5 points per game. LBSU lost its second consecutive game Wednesday night vs. Portland State, 54-47.
On Tennessee-Martin
The UT-Martin Skyhawks are guided by Co-head coaches Gary and Kim Van Atta. Gary enjoys a career record of 216-92 in 11 seasons in Martin. Kim, marking her fourth season, is 50-43.
The team is 2-5 entering the tournament but enjoys the talents of its leading returning scorer Zabrina Harris. A six-foot center, Harris has led the squad in scoring in four of seven contests this season, averaging 14.9 points per game. She is a co-leader in the rebounding column with 5-8 forward Tracy Webb at 5.3 caroms per game.
Lewis For “Three”
Reserve guard Jamie Lewis scored a season high 17 points vs. Boston, doubling her season point total of 16. Lewis connected on a career high five three-point field goals-all in the first half. Her previous best was four, established during the 1999 NCAA Tournament tilt with Boston College (3/13/99).
The five treys rank sixth in the OSU record book, two short of Katie Smith’s record seven, set vs. Northwestern (1/15/95).
The 5-4 Lewis is averaging 16.9 minutes per game after undergoing surgery July 6 to repair the torn ACL in her left knee. Lewis has been in the situation before however, having torn the right ACL as a high school junior.
Going For Five In A Row
Ohio State improves to 6-2 on the season following a 79-49 victory over Boston. The win marked the Buckeyes’ fourth in a row and its fifth by 30 points or more, including the largest of the season, 39 points, in a 75-36 triumph over Saint Peter’s.
Opponent Score Margin High Point 70-40 30 pts. Sacred Heart 98-66 32 pts. Bowling Green 86-56 30 pts. Saint Peter’s 75-36 39 pts. Boston 79-49 30 pts.
Last Time On The Coast
The Buckeyes are enjoying their second trip to California in three years. In 1997, Coach Beth Burns’ first season at Ohio State, the Buckeyes traveled to the Bay Area to compete in the Oakland Tribune Classic. Ohio State defeated Howard (76-56) and host Cal (85-72) to claim the tourney title.
Ingham Shares The Wealth
Sophomore guard Laura Ingham established a career high for single game assists, notching 10 two games back vs. Saint Peter’s. The performance is the seventh best in Ohio State history. Her 4.13 assists per game rank eighth in the Big Ten.
Against The Ranked
Ohio State will be facing its second opponent this season ranked in the Top 10 when facing No. 5 Georgia Sunday. The Buckeyes hosted then-No. 7 Rutgers on Dec. 1, falling to the Scarlet Knights in a defensive battle, 46-35. OSU was 2-4 vs. the ranked in ’99.
Coleman Produces
Courtney Coleman broke into double figures in scoring for the third time this season, tallying a dozen points against the Terriers. Half of her points came from the charity stripe, where she was a perfect 6 for 6, tying an arena record for free throw percentage.
Give Us The Ball
OSU forced Boston into an uncharacteristic 34 turnovers, making the Terriers the fourth of the Buckeyes’ eight opponents to have eclipsed the 30-turnover plateau. The Buckeyes also held their fifth opponent this year to under 50 points.
Let ‘Em Play
Showcasing five freshmen in the 1999-2000 appears to be no problem for head coach Beth Burns who has played each member of the Class of 2003 frequently and without hesitation. Four of five freshmen have played in every game with the unit playing in nearly a third of the overall minutes clocked. Center LaToya Turner and guard Tanya McClure lead the pack, averaging 17.1 and 16.5 minutes, respectively.
Bale California Dreamin’
Vista, Calif., native Courtney Bale is collecting a team-leading 6.3 rebounds per game but more importantly, the 6-4 junior from San Diego State is compiling the boards with nearly equal effort at both ends of the floor. Of her 50 caroms, Bale has cleared 22 at the offensive end. A transfer from San Diego State, Bale enjoyed similar success two years ago as an Aztec, averaging a team-high 11.3 rpg.
Moua Rolling Along
Forward Michaela Moua marked her eighth consecutive start, the longest of her career vs. Boston. In that role, she has recorded double figures in every game, another career best, to top the Buckeye scoring ledger, averaging 14.6 ppg. The Vantaa, Finland, native ranks 10th in league scoring but leads the league in field goal percentage, shooting 63.2 percent. On the national level, Moua’s shooting proficiency ranks 7th.
Eyeing 300
Look for junior guard Jamie Lewis to continue her assault on the Ohio State career assists ladder. In 1998, she marked the third all-time single season record for assists, threading a freshman record 159 on the year. Last season, the 5-4 playmaker dished out 122 assists, eclipsing Geneva Sanford’s sophomore record of 119. Lewis currently ranks eighth with 299 and will look to distribute the 300th assists of her career this weekend.
Career Assists Leaders 1. Yvette Angel 562 1981-85 2. Lisa Cline 491 1985-89 3. Katie Smith 444 1993-96 4. Cheryl Perozek 341 1988-91 5. Laurie Pirtle 317 1976-80 6. Averrill Roberts 306 1990-93 7. Geneva Sanford 305 1985-89 8. Jamie Lewis 299 1995- 9. Alysiah Bond 297 1992-95 10. Liana Coutts 295 1984-89
Buckeye All-Star
For Lauren Shenk, the summer of 1999 was anything but typical. The 5-10 sophomore guard enjoyed the fruits of a four-game exhibition tour in Belgium and Germany as a member of the Big Ten All-Star Team. The unit posted a 3-1 record with Shenk pacing the scoring effort with an 11.0 scoring clip. The long-range shooting talent tied the Buckeye freshman record for three-pointers last season, draining 43 on the year. Shenk ranked third in the league in shooting proficiency with a clip of .382 and sank a trey in 23-of-28 games, including a Value City Arena record 5-of-7 performance vs. Illinois Jan. 8.
Scholar-Athletes
Six returning members of the Buckeye Basketball team attained scholar-athlete laurels last season. Senior Michaela Moua, juniors Courtney Bale and Mandy Stanhope, and sophomores Tomeka Brown, Laura Ingham and Lauren Shenk all earned OSU Scholar-Athlete honors, maintaining GPAs of 3.0 and higher. Moua and Stanhope also tabbed Academic all-Big Ten recognition.
We’re No. 2
In just two seasons, Coach Beth Burns’ talent as a top-notch recruiter has resulted in her securing the No. 2-ranked freshman class in the country. The all-Ohio class consist of two nationally-ranked players in 6-4 center LaToya Turner (Pickerington High School) and 5-4 point guard Tanya McClure (Gahanna-Lincoln) who were hailed at No. 2 and No. 7, respectively at their positions. Forward DiDi Reynolds, 6-1, reigns as the Division IV Player of the Year out of Hopewell-Loudon. Also joining the frontcourt are Ohio Capital Conference standout D’wan Shackleford, 6-0, and Courtney Coleman, 6-2, of Cincinnati Hughes who ranked sixth in the state last year, collecting 15.9 caroms per game.
Buckeye Class of 2000
Head Coach Beth Burns has again secured a segment of the nation’s top high school talent in assembling her 1999 fall recruiting class, signing Ohioans Caity Matter, a 5-10 guard, and 6-3 forward Emily Haynam.
Matter, a First Team all-Ohio selection and the Division III Player of the Year, enters her senior campaign with a 26.0 ppg scoring average. Ranked No. 18 nationally by the All-Star Girls Report (ASGR), Matter is a pure shooter who owns every offensive record of the Pirates’.
Haynam averaged 12.8 points, 4.0 assists and 2.0 blocks per game as a junior, and led the Ohio Capital Conference (OCC), collecting 9.8 rebounds per game for the Wildcats. Ranked No. 91 by ASGR, she is a first team all-OCC selection and earned honorable mention all-District laurels.
It’s Over
The non-conference campaign will close Monday, Dec. 20, against host Long Beach State or Tennessee-Martin in the second round of The Beach Classic.
Big Ten Opener On The Horizon
Thursday, Dec. 30 marks the kickoff of Ohio State’s 1999-2000 Big Ten campaign. The Buckeyes will host 20th-ranked Illinois, which along with Penn State, is a preseason pick to claim the championship crown. Tipoff is 7:30 p.m.
The game will also mark the 300th career coaching game for head coach Beth Burns.
