Women’s Basketball Takes On No. 10 Purdue Sunday Afternoon On FOX Sports Chicago – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/12/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 12, 2002
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%^$The Tip
%^$Big Ten action continues this weekend for the Ohio State Buckeyes who travel to West Lafayette, Ind., for a Sunday afternoon meeting vs. No. 10 Purdue. The game is the featured matchup on FOX Sports Chicago. Tip-off is 1 p.m. (EST).%^$
%^$Ohio State, 9-7 overall, currently owns second place in the league standings at 4-1 following a 77-66 upset of No. 18 Michigan Thursday night in Ann Arbor. The victory is the fourth consecutive for the Buckeyes and their second against a ranked opponent this season.%^$
%^$Purdue, also competing Thursday, topped visiting Minnesota 84-61. The Boilermakers are 12-3 overall and share fourth place in the league at 3-2.%^$
%^$The Purdue Series
%^$Ohio State leads the series 26-16, however, Purdue has taken nine of the last 10 games. The Boilermakers were pushed into double overtime in Columbus last season but came out on top 74-71. Purdue had an easier time at it in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament, recording an 81-61 win.
%^$2-11-01 71-74, Home, 2OT
%^$3-2-01 61-81, Neutral
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%^$Head Coach Beth Burns
%^$Head coach Beth Burns is marking her 13th career season, her fifth at Ohio State, after steering one of the most amazing comebacks in women’s basketball last year. Rebuilding a squad decimated by injuries, Burns led the program to its second postseason title – the 2001 WNIT Championship and the squad’s best finish in eight seasons at 22-11.%^$
%^$The Buckeyes excelled academically as well with four Buckeyes earning Academic All-Big Ten honors and six tabbed as OSU Scholar-Athletes.%^$
%^$Burns took over the program in April 1997, leaving a successful, well-respected career at San Diego State where she was three times selected the WAC Coach of the Year (1994, ’95, ’97). She has earned a record of 76-57(.571) as a Buckeye and is 227-142 (.615) over her career.%^$
%^$Burns Against Purdue
%^$Coach Beth Burns carries a career record of 1-9 vs. Purdue.%^$
%^$Last Time Out For Ohio State
%^$Despite having a depleted roster with just seven available players, the Ohio State women’s basketball team gutted out a 77-66 victory over No. 18 Michigan Thursday night at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor. The win marks the Buckeyes’ fourth straight in Big Ten play.%^$
%^$DiDi Reynolds (Jr., Portage, Ohio/Hopewell-Loudon) scored a game-high 22 points, while freshman Ashley Allen (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis) notched a career high-tying 19 points, including four key three-pointers in the second half.%^$
%^$Lauren Shenk (Sr., Minster, Ohio/Minster) tallied 16 points and dished out nine assists – tying a career high – and D’wan Shackleford (Jr., Newark, Ohio/Newark) added 14 points and nine rebounds in the winning effort.%^$
%^$The Buckeyes (9-7, 4-1 Big Ten) played without starting center and leading scorer and rebounder Courtney Coleman (Jr.,Cincinnati, Ohio/Hughes), who was held out because of a concussion. OSU also played for the first time without starting guard Tomeka Brown (Sr., Columbus,Ohio/Marion Franklin), who suffered a sprained MCL Sunday vs. Northwestern. Allen and freshman Charisse Crews (Urbancrest, Ohio/Grove City) started in their places.%^$
%^$The teams battled to a stalemate in the first half, fighting to a 34-all tie at halftime.%^$
%^$The Buckeyes opened the second half with a 15-8 run, all on three-pointers, as Allen drilled three treys and Reynolds two to give the Buckeyes a 49-42 advantage. Michigan (11-5, 1-4) came back to tie the game at 55 and then took the lead on a Stephanie Gandy field goal at the 7:19 mark.%^$
%^$Reynolds knotted the score with a deuce, but Alayne Ingram gave Michigan the lead right back with a three-pointer with 5:38 remaining. After a Crews field goal, the Wolverines’ Jennifer Smith hit one-of-two free throws to give UM a 62-59 advantage.%^$
%^$The Buckeyes finished the game on an 18-4 run over the final 4:02. Allen started the run with a long, arcing three-pointer to tie the score at 62. Shenk drilled two free throws to give the Buckeyes the lead and Allen added a field goal in the lane to push the lead to four. After a Gandy field goal, the Buckeyes scored the next six points to stretch the lead to eight, 72-64. The Wolverines got no closer than six points the rest of the way as Ohio State put the game away with free throws.%^$
%^$The Wolverines were paced by Ingram’s 17-point, four-assist performance. Michigan’s leading scorer, LeeAnn Bies, was held to five points and seven rebounds. She averages 16.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.%^$
%^$Costly Victory
%^$Ohio State’s 77-51 victory over Northwestern last Sunday (Jan. 6) proved to be a costly one with starters Tomeka Brown and Courtney Coleman both sustaining injuries.%^$
%^$Brown exited in the early minutes, spraining the MCL in her left knee. The 5-8 guard misssed the first collegiate game of her career when the Buckeyes took the floor Thursday night at Michigan.%^$
%^$Coleman, Ohio State’s “go-to” player, also sat out and remains questionable for the Purdue game after suffering a concussion against the Wildcats.%^$
%^$Heading to Ann Arbor with a seven-player roster was nothing new for the Buckeyes. Last year, Coach Beth Burns dressed the same number of players and topped the Wolverines 76-68.%^$
%^$Did You Know…
%^$The Buckeyes’ 4-1 record in Big Ten conference play is their best start since the 1998-99 season when the program jumped out to a 5-0 debut.%^$
%^$Purdue Lately
%^$Purdue,12-3 overall, ranks fourth in the league with a 3-2 slate following an 84-61 win against Minnesota Thursday. Sophomore forward Shereka Wright is averaging a team-leading 18.5 ppg. and is second in the rebounding column collecting 6.8 caroms per game. Kentucky transfer, senior forward Laura Meadows, paces the Boilermakers with 7.1 rpg. while contributing 10.3 ppg. to the scoring column. Senior Kelly Komara, a three-year starter in the backcourt, is averaging 4.9 assists per game.%^$
%^$Last Season With Purdue
%^$Feb. 11, 2001
%^$No. 5 Purdue 74, Ohio State 71, 2OT
%^$Katie Douglas sliced through the lane for a lay-in with 17.1 seconds remaining in double overtime to give fifth-ranked Purdue the lead for good in a 74-71 win over Ohio State in front of a Value City Arena-record crowd of 11,467.%^$
%^$The lead went back and forth in the second overtime. The Buckeyes captured the advantage, taking a 71-70 lead on a Jamie Lewis 3-point field goal with 34 seconds remaining. OSU had one last shot to tie the game, but Lauren Shenk’s 30-foot runner caromed off the rim.%^$
%^$Purdue jumped out to 63-59 lead in the first overtime. The Boilers held the Buckeyes scoreless for the first three and a half minutes before freshman Emily Haynam hit back-to-back hoops to knot the score at 63. Haynam, in her first game back after missing seven games because of a finger injury, scored a career-best 10 points in 20 minutes of action.%^$
%^$Lewis led the Buckeyes with 18 points, drilling 4-of-10 from 3-point range in 48 minutes of play. She also became the all-time leader in assists at Ohio State, breaking Yvette Angel’s mark of 562 after dishing out her third assist of the game in the first half.%^$
%^$The Buckeyes took a 32-27 lead into halftime on a buzzer-beating turnaround jumper by Dana Stearns. OSU came out strong to start the second half, holding its biggest lead at 11, 43-32, with 15:10 remaining. Purdue responded with a 16-0 run over the next five minutes to take the lead. The lead seesawed the rest of the way until Douglas’ winning hoop.%^$
%^$Courtney Coleman added nine points and a career-high 15 rebounds for Ohio State. D’wan Shackleford chipped in 10 points and seven rebounds before fouling out late in regulation.%^$
%^$March 2, 2001
%^$No. 8 Purdue 81, Ohio State 61
%^$Ohio State forward Courtney Coleman recorded 20 points and 14 rebounds against No. 8 Purdue, but it wasn’t enough as the Boilermakers prevailed, 81-61, in the 2001 Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals in Grand Rapids, Mich.%^$
%^$Coleman’s effort marked her fourth career double-double. Guard Jamie Lewis also finished in double figures, scoring 16 points. She also collected eight rebounds and seven assists.%^$
%^$Purdue controlled both halves, pulling ahead of Ohio State late in the first stanza. Coleman brought the Buckeyes within four points of the lead, 27-23, with two free throws at the 6:18 mark but a Katie Douglas jumper sparked a 13-6 Purdue run, allowing a 40-29 lead for the Boilermakers at halftime.%^$
%^$Both squads shot better than 50 percent from the floor in the second half, but Purdue maintained its momentum, bettering Ohio State 41-32. The Buckeyes were plagued by 21 turnovers for the game but pounded Purdue on the boards by a 42-32 margin. Douglas led three other teammates in double-figure scoring with 21 points.%^$
%^$More On The Michigan Win
%^$*With her 16-point performance, Lauren Shenk became the newest member of Ohio State’s 1,000-point club. Shenk now has 1,013 points in her career and is the 20 th member to earn the distinction at Ohio State.%^$
%^$*Shenk matched her career best with a nine-assist performance. She also had nine assists vs. Iowa one week ago (Jan. 3).%^$
%^$*Ashley Allen tied a career high with 19 points. She also scored 19 vs. Xavier (Dec. 15). Allen also matched her career-high rebounding total of five. She has set that mark three times this season.%^$
%^$*Allen drilled four three-point goals, matching a season best for a Buckeye. Three other Buckeyes have hit four treys in a game previously this season.%^$
%^$*DiDi Reynolds’ 22-point performance is the second-most points scored by a Buckeye this season. Reynolds, with 26 vs. Virginia (Dec. 18) and Courtney Coleman, with 26 vs. Sacred Heart (Dec. 20), have the high scoring outputs this season.%^$
%^$*With three made three-point goals, DiDi Reynolds now shares sixth place with Cheryl Perozek (1988-91) on the all-time chart at OSU with 67 treys.%^$
%^$*Ohio State drilled nine three-point goals, matching a season best. OSU also threaded nine treys vs. Xavier (Dec. 15) and UCLA (Nov. 24).%^$
%^$*Beth Howe tied a career best of three rebounds. She also had three boards against Sacred Heart (Dec. 20).%^$
%^$*Ohio State had just 10 turnovers, just one off their season low. OSU had nine turnovers vs. Xavier (Dec. 15).%^$
%^$On Target
%^$No question about it – the Ohio State offense has been in high gear lately. The Buckeyes have shot better than 50 percent from the floor in four of their last seven victories and scored no fewer than 70 points.%^$
%^$Ohio State shot a season-high 58.5 percent from the floor against Iowa Jan. 3 and scored a season-high 96 points vs. Xavier (Dec. 15).%^$
Louisville .532 L, 66-67%^$Xavier .563 W, 96-68%^$Virginia .509 W, 88-79%^$Sacred Heart .567 W, 87-50%^$Indiana .305 L, 52-64%^$Penn State .472 W, 70-65%^$Iowa .585 W, 82-63%^$Northwestern .406 W, 77-51%^$Michigan .468 W, 77-66%^$
%^$More Scoring Muscle
%^$This week, four Buckeyes rank among the Top 30 scorers in the Big Ten Conference. Forward Courtney Coleman ranks 12th, averaging 13.9 ppg. and DiDi Reynolds 24th at 12.1 ppg. Forward D’wan Shackleford is 27th and averaging 11.1 ppg. Guard Lauren Shenk is making her first appearance on the roster this season. She falls in at No. 30, averaging 10.1 ppg.%^$
%^$Crews Shows No Jitters
%^$Freshman Charisse Crews started in her second collegiate game Thursday night at Michigan, turning in another solid performance. Playing a career-high 38 minutes, Crews converted 3-of-4 field goals for six points and co-led the Buckeyes in the rebounding column, tying her career-high of nine caroms.%^$
%^$Plug in her numbers against Northwestern a week ago and the Urbancrest, Ohio, native touts a two-game average of 10.0 points and 8.5 rebounds.%^$
%^$Buckeyes Against The Ranked
%^$Topping No. 18 Michigan, 77-66, Thursday in Ann Arbor marks Ohio State’s second victory against a ranked team this season. The Buckeyes knocked off then No. 24 Penn State Dec. 30, 70-65, their first such feat since a 53-51 victory against No. 18 Purdue on Jan. 13, 2000.%^$
AP%^$Opponent/Date Rank Result%^$Penn State/12-30 24 W, 70-65%^$Michigan/1-10 18 W, 77-66%^$Purdue/1-13 10 –%^$
%^$Shenk – A Quick Study
%^$With injuries literally wiping out the Buckeye backcourt, guard Lauren Shenk has quickly had to become familiar with the duties of point guard. A starter in the last 10 games, Shenk is averaging 4.4 assists per game. In conference action her play has improved significantly as she ranks third distributing 6.6 assists per game.%^$
%^$Coleman on the National Scene
%^$Forward Courtney Coleman, the Buckeyes’ “go-to” player inside, ranked first in the league and 12th nationally as of Jan. 7 in field goal percentage.%^$
%^$Currently shooting 61.2 percent, her success should surprise few. Last season, the Second Team All-Big Ten choice ranked 11th nationally in field goal percentage, showcasing a 58 percent clip.%^$
%^$Shack of Late
%^$Junior forward D’wan Shackleford scored a career-high 21 points vs. then No. 24 Penn State (Dec. 30) off 9-of-10 shooting from the floor and with 14 points vs. Michigan has averaged 16.8 ppg. over the last four games.%^$
%^$In Big Ten action, Shackleford is making a name for herself as she ranks 13th in league scoring (14.8 ppg.), fourth in field goal percentage (.579) and shares 13th place on the rebounding ledger (7.0 rpg.)%^$
%^$Double The Effort
%^$Forward Courtney Coleman, with 8-of-11 (.727) shooting from the floor vs. Louisville (Dec. 14), marked her ninth career double-double, the third of the season, posting 10 points and 10 rebounds at Indiana.%^$
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Coleman’s Career Doubles%^$Opponent Date Pts./Rebs%^$Indiana 12-28-01 10/10%^$Louisville 12-14-01 16/10%^$Duquesne 12-2-01 16/11%^$Western Ky. 3-20-01 12/10%^$DePaul 3-18-01 18/10%^$Purdue 3-02-01 20/14%^$Minnesota 2-15-01 22/10%^$Penn State 2-01-01 17/13%^$UCLA 12-21-01 18/10%^$
%^$Reynolds For Three
%^$Forward DiDi Reynolds drilled another three triples in OSU’s win over Michigan (1-10).%^$
%^$The Buckeyes’ three-point scoring specialist, Reynolds ranks fifth in the league in treys made, averaging 2.20 and sixth in three-point field goal percentage, shooting 40.2 percent.%^$
%^$Allen In The Lineup
%^$With guard Tomeka Brown’s injury, freshman Ashley Allen is marking her second stint as a starter this weekend. Voted one of the Top 21 New Players of Impact for 2001-02 by womenscollegehoops.com, Allen recorded three starts earlier in the season vs. Ohio, Arizona and UCLA. Against Michigan Thursday she tied her collegiate scoring high of 19 points, threading 4-of-7 three-point goals.%^$
%^$Coleman 3-for-3
%^$Forward Courtney Coleman made it 3-for-3 with her selection to the Women’s Sports Foundation Classic All-Tournament Team Dec. 15. Coleman averaged 18.5 points per game, shooting 78.2 percent from the floor, and 7.0 rebounds. It is the third such honor for the Cincinnati, Ohio, native who was named to The Great Alaska Shootout and WNIT All-Tournament teams last season.%^$
%^$Big Time Win
%^$Ohio State’s 96-68 win vs. Xavier (Dec. 15) represents its largest margin of victory this season and most points scored since a 100-35 victory vs. Akron Dec. 19, 2000.%^$
%^$All-Star Performance
%^$Ohio State topped No. 24 Penn State Dec. 30 due in part to its dominating performance on the boards. The Buckeyes beat the Lady Lions 45-28 on the glass, 29-16 at the defensive end. Forwards Charisse Crews and D’wan Shackleford led the attack collecting 17 between them.%^$
%^$Buckeyes Suffer A Double Blow Inside, Injury Roster Grows
%^$Junior center LaToya Turner (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington) and freshman center Brandee Gibbs (Hanover,Minnesota/Orono) will both be sidelined for at least the next six weeks. Turner, the 2000 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, underwent arthroscopic surgery Dec. 11 to clean scar tissue and debris from her left knee. The surgery followed two previous procedures to repair the ACL (April 1999) and ACL-graft (January 2001) . Gibbs who had been experiencing pain in her left foot for nearly a week was also diagnosed Dec. 11 with a broken left foot.%^$
%^$Both join two more Buckeyes who are working their way back to the playing roster. Co-captain Tanya McClure (Gahanna, Ohio/Gahanna-Lincoln) underwent left lateral ankle reconstruction Oct. 17. Sophomore guard Caity Matter (Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) fractured the third metatarsal in her left foot Nov. 11 in practice. At the time of their injuries, each was anticipated back in six to 12 weeks.%^$
%^$Teamwork
%^$The concept of teamwork has taken on a whole new meaning for the Buckeyes. With the absence of the Buckeyes’ career assists leader (Jamie Lewis) this season, steering the offense has become a uniform effort. Tying her career-high nine assists vs. Michigan (Jan. 10), guard Lauren Shenk paces the field, averaging 4.4 apg. Guard Tomeka Brown is contributing 2.6 apg., and forward DiDi Reynolds 2.4.%^$
%^$Read All About Her
%^$Forward Courtney Coleman is the featured Buckeye on the Big Ten Conference website and “Dream Big” profile. Read all about her at www.bigten.org/dreambig.%^$
%^$Brown Lends Hand In Undefeated Run
%^$Senior Tomeka Brown enjoyed an undefeated run this past summer as a member of the Big Ten Foreign Tour Team. The squad, playing in Switzerland and France, marched through five games posting a scoring margin of 38.4 points. Brown averaged 8.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in the run.%^$
%^$Burns Signs Top Guards
%^$Head coach Beth Burns has enlisted two talented guards to the 2002 roster, signing%^$
%^$Candace Dark and Kim Wilburn to national letters of intent in November. Dark, 5-11, and Wilburn, 5-6, are both finalists for the coveted “Ms. Basketball” title in their respective states of Indiana and Michigan.%^$
%^$Dark heralds from Fountain Central in Veedersburg. Averaging 21.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, five steals and five assists in her junior campaign, Dark guided her squad to its first Class 2A Sectional and Regional championships and a 21-4 finish.%^$
%^$Wilburn is a known product out of Detroit Country Day in Beverly Hills, Michigan. She steered Country Day to two Class B state championship titles in 1998 and 1999, and runner-up finishes in her final two campaigns. As a junior, Wilburn averaged 15.0 points, 6.0 assists and 5.2 steals per game.%^$
