No. 20/22 Ohio State Women’s Basketball Continues Big Ten Play at Northwestern – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/10/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 10, 2004
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THE TIP
The No. 20/22 Ohio State women’s basketball team (9-4; 1-1 Big Ten) travels to face the Wildcats of Northwestern (7-6; 0-2 Big Ten) at 3 p.m. EST at Welsh-Ryan Arena (8,117) in Evanston, Ill.
This is the first meeting of the season for Northwestern and Ohio State. The two will meet again at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, in historic St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The Wildcat-Buckeye contest will be the second meeting this season for Ohio State in St. John Arena, which will serve as host to the 2004 NCAA Women’s Basketball First and Second Rounds March 19-22.
The Buckeyes lead the overall series 25-15 and swept the Wildcats last season. Ohio State is on a seven-game win streak vs. Northwestern, dating back to Feb. 13, 2000. In Evanston, the Buckeyes edge Northwestern 10-8 overall.
SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN
Northwestern is 7-6 overall and has lost both of its Big Ten games this season. The Wildcats opened the conference portion of their schedule vs. Michigan and lost 62-43. NU played host to Minnesota Jan. 8. The Golden Gophers blew past NU, 70-42.
Non-conference wins have come vs. Creighton (59-41), at Dayton (49-47), vs. Drexel (56-52), at West Virginia (60-57), at Illinois-Chicago (78-77, 3 OT), at Southern Illinois (56-41) and vs. Hampton (58-45). The Wildcats fell at Kentucky (67-60), vs. DePaul (82-57), vs. Eastern Michigan (70-61) and at Loyola-Marymount (63-45). The Wildcats are led by Samantha McComb and Ifeoma Okonkwo, who score 12.1 and 10.9 points per game, respectively. Okonkwo is the squad’s leading rebounder with 6.3 rebounds per game. Sarah Kwasinski, an honorable mention all-conference pick last season, is averaging 8.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots per game.
NORTHWESTERN’S JUNE OLKOWSKI
June Olkowski is in her fifth season at the helm of the Wildcat program and her 15th season as a head coach. She entered the season with an 86-138 mark at Northwestern University and a 239-226 overall record. Olkowski began her career at Arizona, where she spent four seasons, and was the head coach at Butler for six seasons beginning in 1994. Her Butler teams earned three 20+ win season, including a 25-6 mark and a first-place Midwestern Collegiate Conference finish in 1998 As a student-athlete, the Philadelphia native starred for Theresa Grentz, who now coaches at Illinois, at Rutgers from 1978-82 and led the Scarlet Knights to the AIAW National Championship in her senior season. The former All-American and Wade Trophy finalist became the first woman in Rutgers University history to have her jersey retired. In 1999, Olkowski was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.
LAST TIME OUT AT ILLINOIS
Despite coming back from an 18-point deficit and holding the Fighting Illini without a field goal in the final 5:48 of the game, the Ohio State women’s basketball team (9-4; 1-1 Big Ten) could not get a shot off in the final 6.2 seconds and fell, 52-51, at Illinois (7-6; 1-1 Big Ten) Jan. 8 in Champaign, Ill. Senior LaToya Turner led the Buckeyes with 12 points, nine boards and four blocked shots.
Freshman Stephanie Blanton sank two free throws with 55 seconds left to bring Ohio State within one point, 52-51, which was the closest the squad had been since Illinois opened the game with a field goal and took a 2-0 lead. The Buckeyes defended the basket, but kicked the ball twice on the next possession and restarted the 30-second shot clock each time, which took valuable time off the clock. With only 6.2 seconds remaining, the Buckeyes pushed the ball up the court, but did not get a shot and fell at Illinois for the sixth consecutive time since 1997.
Ohio State was held scoreless the first four minutes of the game and struggled offensively in the first 20 minutes, with Illinois outscoring the Buckeyes 17-7 the first nine minutes. Senior Emily Haynam hit a baseline jumper with 5:04 left in the half and brought her squad to within nine points, 22-13. Illinois responded by making five consecutive layups to close the half and outscored OSU, 10-2, which gave the Fighting Illini a 32-15 halftime advantage.
Ohio State’s Beth Howe sank a 3-pointer with 14:15 left, which spurred a 12-1 Buckeye scoring run and brought Ohio State to within four, 43-39, with 8:46 to play. Illinois’ Angelina Williams and Aminata Yanni combined for six of the Fighting Illini’s next eight points, which gave UI a nine-point lead (51-42) with 5:48 to go. Blanton responded with a trey and junior Caity Matter converted on a fast-break layup to quickly get the game back within reach, 51-47, at the 4:49 mark.
Over the next two minutes, Illinois missed three-of-four free throws attempted and Ohio State sophomore Candace Dark, who started in her first collegiate game, hit a fast-break layup, which brought it to 52-49 at 2:10. Blanton’s final two free throws followed and Illinois held on to earn its first Big Ten victory.
Dark, Blanton, Kim Wilburn and Howe added eight, seven, six and five points, respectively. Matter and Michelle Muoz ended the night with four and three points, respectively, while Jessica Davenport, Haynam and Brandie Hoskins added two points each. Davenport also accounted for three rejected shots.
Illinois was led by Williams, who scored 15 points, Yanni with 12 and Tiffanie Guthrie, who scored 10.
LAST YEAR VS. NORTHWESTERN
Ohio State won both games vs. the Wildcats last season. The Buckeyes opened Big Ten conference play by beating Northwestern, 82-49, Dec. 31, 2002 at Value City Arena. Ohio State tied its season-low mark of 12 turnovers and were led by then-senior Courtney Coleman and then-sophomores Caity Matter and Ashley Allen, who scored 20, 18 and 10 points, respectively. Coleman also grabbed a game-high seven rebounds.
Initially, Northwestern’s Suzanne Morris hit two shots to send NU up by one point, 7-6, with 15:13 left in the first half and the Wildcats tied the game once again at nine points with 14:06 left in the first period. However, the Buckeyes proceeded to pound away at the Wildcats, led mainly by Matter and Coleman, who each scored 10 points for the Buckeyes in the first 20 minutes. Ohio State led by a season-high 25 points over the Wildcats midway through the contest.
Game two resulted in the Buckeyes’ second conference road win when they beat Northwestern, 63-42, in Evanston, Ill., Jan. 19, 2003. Then-sophomore Caity Matter led an offensive charge in the second period, after the Buckeyes were held to 21 first-half points (which tied their season-low mark), by hitting five 3-pointers. The Bluffton, Ohio, native ended the afternoon with a game-high 23 points.
After a slow first half and the Buckeyes up by seven points (21-14), Matter, who scored four points in the first period against the Wildcats, opened the second period with a lay-up and a 3-pointer, followed by an Ashley Allen trey to pull Ohio State out to an 11-point lead over NU. A jumper by Northwestern’s Suzanne Morrison brought the Ohio State lead to under 10 points, but Matter drained another 3-pointer and the Buckeyes went on a 30-12 scoring run over the next eleven minutes to take their largest lead (27 points) of the game with 3:56 remaining. Ohio State outscored Northwestern, 42-28, in the final 20 minutes.
DEFENDING DOWNTOWN
The Buckeyes have not allowed a Big Ten opponent to make a 3-pointer this season. The Badgers were 0-for-10 in the Buckeyes’ conference opener Jan. 4 and Illinois was 0-for-6 in Champaign Jan. 8.
FIRST COMEBACK OF THE SEASON
The Buckeyes fought back hard against Illinois Jan. 8 and cut the 18-point deficit to two points in the second half. That was only the second time Ohio State had trailed by more than 10 points this season – the first was at UCLA – and despite not winning the game vs. the Fighting Illini, it was the first time the Buckeyes were able to fight back and regain control after being down more than 10 points this season.
TURNER CONTINUES CONSISTENCY
Senior LaToya Turner has been very consistent this season and has scored in double figures every game except two – 13 vs. IUPUI, 16 vs. Nebraska, 10 vs. Wright State, 10 vs. Penn, 16 vs. UCSB, 14 vs. Wisconsin, 15 vs. Rutgers and 12 at Illinois. Against the Fighting Illini, she tallied 11 of her 12 total points in the second half, which helped Ohio State cut an 18-point deficit at Illinois, grabbed nine rebounds, blocked four shots and shot 6-of-8 from the charity stripe. Turner returned to the lineup against IUPUI Dec. 1 after missing the first three games of the year due to an injury suffered in preseason. The 2000 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Turner is averaging 11.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots per outing.
Turner earned her ninth career and second season double-double vs. UCSB with 16 points and 11 boards. Her first double-double of the season was against Penn Dec. 21 with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
WILBURN CLOCKING THE PT
Sophomore Kim Wilburn clocked 40 minutes at Illinois Jan. 8. It was her second 40-minute outing of the season – the first was at Nebraska – and the seventh of her career. Wilburn, who is averaging a Buckeye-best 32.1 minutes an outing, led the team last season as a freshman with 34.8 minutes per game, including five 40-minute contests, three of which came in the final four games of the year.
DAVENPORT AND TURNER – A FORCE TO RECKON WITH
Senior LaToya Turner and rookie Jessica Davenport, who stand at 6-feet-3-inches and 6-feet-5-inches, respectively, create quite a defensive force in the lane for Ohio State. Against Illinois, the pair teamed up for seven blocked shots and for the season, Turner is averaging 2.0 blocked shots per outing (third in the Big Ten) and Davenport is rejecting 1.8 shots per game (fourth in the league).. The two have combined for 43 of Ohio State’s 45 blocked shots. Davenport is on pace to break Mary Sivak’s record of 51 blocked shots as a freshman. Currently, she has racked up 23 blocks as a Buckeye.
DARK STARTS IN FIRST GAME
Ohio State sophomore Candace Dark earned her first collegiate start at Illinois Jan. 8. The shooting guard form Kingman, Ind., scored eight points off a 3-of-5 night from the field (2-of-4 from 3PT) and had two rebounds, one steal and one assist in 16 minutes of action. Dark has made quite an impact recently for Ohio State. As a freshman, Dark only played in 16 games and averaged 0.5 points per game. She is currently notching 14.5 minutes and scoring 5.2 points an outing. She tallied a career-best 12 points in 14 minutes during the Buckeyes’ win over UCSB Dec. 28. Dark was 4-for-7 from the field, 2-for-5 from downtown and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line.
COLUMBUS SECOND TO NONE
Ohio State is currently ranked second in the country with 24 games for the longest home winning streak in the country behind Texas’ 26 wins in Austin. The current Buckeye win streak of 24 consecutive games dates back to the final two games of the 2001-02 season. Ohio State’s streak ranks second in Ohio State women’s basketball history. The longest home winning streak is 26 games, which began in the January of the 1987 season and lasted until December of 1988. Under Jim Foster, Ohio State is 22-0 in Columbus dating back to the beginning of the 2002-03 season.
THE BENCH IS KEY
Ohio State is relying on the bench this season in a big way. Ten-of-11 available players for head coach Jim Foster are averaging over 10 minutes per game. The squad’s third-leading scorer, Jessica Davenport with 11.2 points per game, comes off the bench, and Ohio State has outscored opponents 304-151 with bench points.
SCORING BIG BETTERS BUCKEYES
Scoring and scoring big has helped the Buckeyes this season. When Ohio State scores 60 or more points, Jim Foster’s team is 9-0, however when they are held to 59 points or fewer, they are 0-4. In all four of the team’s losses, OSU has scored between 51 and 56 points (51 at Illinois; 53 vs. Rutgers; 55 vs. Nebraska and 56 vs. UCLA). The Buckeyes have scored 80 or more points four times this season – 96 vs. IUPUI, 95 points vs. Penn, 88 vs. Wright State and 83 vs. Ohio.
SHARING SCORING DUTIES THE BEST FORMULA
It is no secret Ohio State has been relying on myriad of players to score and score big this season. And for the Buckeyes, that seems to be the best formula. In games when four or more players score in double digits, Ohio State is 4-0. When three players score in double digits, OSU is 3-1 and if two or fewer Buckeyes score 10 or more points, Jim Foster’s group is 2-3.
During the championship game of the Buckeye Classic vs. Penn Dec. 21, five Ohio State players scored in double digits for the first time this season. Brandie Hoskins netted 22, Jessica Davenport swished 20, Caity Matter scored 12 and LaToya Turner and Kim Wilburn each sank 10.
Additionally, against UCSB, Ohio and IUPUI, four Buckeye players scored in double digits. Against the Gauchos, Matter, Turner, Candace Dark and Wilburn scored 19, 16, 12 and 10 points, respectively. In the Bobcat contest, Davenport, Hoskins, Matter and Wilburn tallied 15, 13, 17 and 15 points, respectively. Against IUPUI, Matter scored 26, Hoskins scored a career-high 17, Turner tallied 13 and Davenport scored 10 points.
Three Buckeye players scored in double digits vs. Florida A&M, at Nebraska, vs. Wright State and against Wisconsin. Matter, Davenport and Hoskins tallied 21, 23, and 10 points, respectively, vs. the Lady Rattlers and against the Cornhuskers, Turner (16), Matter (14) and Davenport (10) scored in double digits. Davenport notched a career-best 25 points, Stephanie Blanton earned a personal-best 12 points and Turner scored 10 vs. Wright State. Turner scored 14 and Davenport and Hoskins scored 13 each in the conference opener vs. Wisconsin Jan. 2.
Four times this season two or fewer players scored in double digits for the Buckeyes – against Illinois (L), Rutgers (L), UNC Wilmington (W), St. John’s (W) and UCLA (L).
REBOUNDING A TEAM EFFORT
Ohio State is not relying solely on the forwards and centers to clear the boards. Seven Buckeye players are contributing to the effort. Senior LaToya Turner is notching a team-best 6.6 caroms per contest (ninth in the Big Ten) and freshmen Jessica Davenport and Stephanie Blanton are averaging 4.2 and 4.1 rebounds per game, respectively. Sophomore point guard Kim Wilburn is pulling down 3.8 rebounds an outing. Rookie Brandie Hoskins and sophomore Michelle Muoz are tallying 3.3 boards each and junior Caity Matter is bringing down 3.2 boards per game, respectively.
5-6 WILBURN PULLING HER OWN
The Buckeyes are asking everyone to crash the boards hard this season. Sophomore point guard Kim Wilburn, who stand at 5-feet-6-inches and is the second shortest Buckeye in front of 5-feet-4-inch Tanya McClure, has been pulling her weight the last few games when it comes to the boards. Wilburn notched season-best marks of seven rebounds against both Wisconsin Jan. 2 and at Rutgers Jan. 4 and collected six rebounds at Illinois. She is averaging 3.8 rebounds on the season.
THREE LEADING SCORERS
A senior, a junior and a freshmen are averaging double digits for Ohio State. Junior Caity Matter is leading all scorers with 14.2 points per game. Senior LaToya Turner is averaging 11.7 points an outing and freshman Jessica Davenport is notching 11.2 points per game.
TOUGH BIG TEN
The Big Ten conference is no joke – competition will be tight and every win counts. The conference is ranked No. 1 in the latest RPI poll followed by the Big XII, which holds the second spot. Five Big Ten teams are ranked in the Top 25 and three are ranked in the Top 10.
BIG TEN OPENER
Since 1982-83, the first official season of Big Ten competition, Ohio State is 15-7 overall in Big Ten openers. The Buckeyes opened 2003-04 league play Jan. 2 with a 65-46 win over the Badgers of Wisconsin. It was the first time Ohio State had ever opened conference play against Wisconsin. Second-year head coach Jim Foster is 2-0 in Big Ten openers. Last season, the Buckeyes beat Northwestern 82-49 Dec. 31 in Columbus to open conference competition.
SEASON-HIGH MARK VS. UW
The Ohio State vs. Wisconsin attendance from the Jan. 2 game was a season-high mark of 3,401. The Buckeyes are averaging 2,097 people at all games and 2,178 in Columbus.
ALLEN OUT AGAIN
Ohio State women’s basketball player Ashley Allen suffered a knee injury in the Dec. 20 St. John’s game and will not return for the remainder of the season. Allen, who missed the opening game vs. Ohio and returned to the court vs. Florida A&M after suffering a similar injury last January at Illinois, was averaging 5.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and was shooting .417 from the field and .500 from 3-point land.
BUCKEYES 1-0 VS. TOP 25
Ohio State is 1-0 vs. the Top 25 this season. The Buckeyes faced the first ranked squad this year at UC Santa Barbara Dec. 28 and won, 73-59.
BETTER THAN HALF
The Buckeyes have shot better than .500 in 8-of-13 games this year. Ohio State is 7-1 this season when they shoot .500 or more and 2-3 when they shoot less than .500.
MATTER POINTS LEADER
Caity Matter has been the leading scorer for Ohio State in five games this year and is averaging a team-best 14.2 points per outing. Matter has also been the scoring leader for both squads in four games, including the two contests in California vs. UCSB Dec. 28 (19 points) and at UCLA Dec. 30 (21 points).
UCSB WINNING STREAK COMES TO A HALT
Ohio State’s 73-59 victory at UCSB Dec. 28 snapped the Gauchos’ 27 consecutive game winning streak at home, a mark that ranked second in the country behind Connecticut’s 63 wins in Storrs, Conn. as of Dec. 28.
Additionally, the Buckeyes shot .529 for the game, including a .654 stroke in the second half. Prior to the contest, UCSB had held the last 111 opponents to less than .500 shooting dating back to the final game of the 1999-00 season.
MVP’S ALL AROUND
While freshman Brandie Hoskins was named the MVP of The 2003 Wonder/Hostess Buckeye Classic, look no further than the current Ohio State bench for the last MVP of the event. Student assistant and two-time Ohio State All-American Katie Smith was named the most valuable player of the 1994 Buckeye Classic.
FEELING IT IN THE FIRST
Freshman Brandie Hoskins has wasted no time feeling comfortable in a scarlet and gray uniform this year. Actually, she has seemed most comfortable in the first 20 minutes of each game this season. For the year, Hoskins has put up impressive numbers in the first 20 minutes. She is 34-of-57 from the field and 4-of-11 from downtown overall in first halves this season.
In the game vs. the Quakers of Penn Dec. 21, Hoskins broke her career-best mark with 18 points off an 8-of-10 stroke and ended the game with 22 points. She recorded a .833 field goal percentage (10-of-12) to tie for 10th place in Ohio State history for the highest field-goal percentage in a game. Hoskins’ mark tied those of former Buckeyes Courtney Coleman and Katie Smith.
Speaking of strong first-half performances, fellow rookie Jessica Davenport scored 16 points in the first half vs. Penn. Her previous high in a first half was nine points vs. Florida A&M Nov. 23. She was 7-of-8 from the field in the first half and ended the afternoon vs. the Quakers with 20 total points off a 9-of-10 mark from the field – a stroke which ties Davenport for third place on the all-time individual single-game percentage list with former Buckeyes D’wan Shackleford and Stacie Bruce.
LUCKY SIX
Junior guard Beth Howe has scored six points – her season-best mark – four consecutive games vs. IUPUI, Wright State, St. John’s and Penn.
BLANTON STARTS; SETS CAREER-HIGH
Freshman Stephanie Blanton returned to the starting lineup for the Ohio State vs. Wright State contest. Blanton, who previously started vs. UNC Wilmington and IUPUI and started in both Buckeye Classic contests, scored a personal-best 12 points off a 4-for-4 night with four boards and three assists in 21 minutes Dec. 18 vs. the Raiders.
THREE’S STREAK ENDS AT 36
Junior shooting guard Caity Matter, had made a 3-pointer in 36 consecutive games until she went scoreless from behind the arc at Illinois Jan. 8. Her streak dated back to Dec. 20, 2002 vs. Youngstown State.
SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE
Ohio State is leading the Big Ten with a 19.2 assists-per-game average while holding opponents to only 12.9 assists per game. Leading the way is sophomore point guard Kim Wilburn and freshman Brandie Hoskins. Wilburn is second in the Big Ten with 6.3 and Hoskins holds the No. 10 spot with 3.5 assists per game.
Additionally, the Buckeyes are tied with Penn State as the top team in the league with a 1.14 assist-to-turnover ratio. Wilburn is No. 4 and Hoskins is No. 7 on the assist-to-turnover ratio list with 1.7 and 1.6 marks, respectively.
KEEPING OPPONENTS DOWN
The Buckeyes are holding opponents to 53.2 points per game and holds opponents to .363 field-goal percentage – both marks lead the Big Ten. Ohio State also comes in second among league leaders with a +17.8 scoring margin.
HOT SHOTS
Ohio State is ranked second among Big Ten leaders with a .527 mark from the field and the team is ranked first with a .405 average from downtown. Jim Foster’s team is one of only two teams that make over half the shots attempted. Penn State leads the conference with a .534 stroke.
Freshman Jessica Davenport, senior LaToya Turner and rookie Brandie Hoskins are shooting lights out with .647, .568 and .558 marks, respectively. Turner, Davenport and Hoskins score 11.7, 11.2 and 9.7 points per outing, respectively.
Sharp shooter and OSU’s leading scorer with 14.2 points per game, Caity Matter is averaging 3.00 treys per game, which ranks second in the league. She owns a No. 15 conference ranking of .471 from the field and a No. 7 ranking with a .402 stroke from downtown. As a team, the Buckeyes are ranked second with 6.08 3-pointers per game.
BULLS EYE FOR DAVENPORT
Freshman Jessica Davenport has already placed herself among the Top 10 twice for single-game shooting accuracy (minimum 10 attempts). She was 11-for-13 from the field vs. Wright State and her .846 percentage (11-of-13) from the field is tied for 10th all-time for a single-game mark from the field for a Buckeye. Two games later, Davenport scored 20 points off a 9-of-10 night from the field. Her 9-of-10 accuracy is tied for third place among Buckeye single-game leaders.
BUCKEYES SET STROKE RECORD
The Buckeyes’ .720 effort (36-of-50) from the field vs. Wright State is an all-time high percentage for an Ohio State team in a single game. The next closest mark was a .689 stroke (42-of-61) vs. Central Michigan Dec. 21, 1985. For the season, Ohio State’s next closest shooting prior to the record-setting performance vs. the Raiders was a .632 stroke vs. Penn Dec. 21.
MATTER SETS OSU SINGLE-GAME TREY RECORD VS. IUPUI
Junior shooting guard Caity Matter earned a single-game record with eight 3-pointers made vs. IUPUI Dec. 1. The previous record of seven was set by former two-time All-American and current student assistant Katie Smith vs. Northwestern Jan. 15, 1995. Matter tied the mark with seven makes from downtown Jan. 16, 2003 at Wisconsin.
RECORDS VANISHING AT THE VCA
Ohio State’s 14 3-pointers drained as a team against IUPUI Dec. 1 is a Buckeye Value City Arena record for makes from 3-point land. Foster’s squad rewrote the previous record of 10 during the game vs. UNC Wilmington Nov. 25 with 12 3-pointers nailed as a team.
After opening with .385 and .375 mark from behind the arc vs. Ohio and Florida A&M, respectively, Ohio State shot a season-best .667 (12-of-18) from 3-point land vs. UNCW Nov. 25. That mark gave Ohio State a Buckeye record for 3-point percentage in Value City Arena. The previous record was earned when the Buckeyes shot .615 from behind the arc vs. Pittsburgh Dec. 2, 1998. That 3-point percentage mark has stood since the first year the VCA was used as the home of Ohio State women’s basketball. Ohio State continued the hot shooting from downtown with a .609 (14-for-23) stroke against IUPUI Dec. 1. As a team the Buckeyes are shooting a league-best .529 from the 3-point line.
Freshman Jessica Davenport tied a Value City Arena record (set by Courtney Coleman Jan. 31, 2002) with 14 trips to the free-throw line vs. Florida A&M (Nov. 23).
SWATTING STUFF
Ohio State is averaging 3.5 blocks per game compared to opponents’ 1.5 blocks per game. The team is led by rookie Jessica Davenport, who stands at 6-feet-5-inches tall, has blocked a shot in 10-of-13 contests and is averaging 1.8 blocked shots per outing, and veteran LaToya Turner, who is blocking 2.0 shots per outing and is ranked second among OSU career block leaders. Ohio State has held four teams to zero blocks this season. Turner is ranked third and Davenport’s is ranked fourth in the Big Ten for blocked shots per game..
DAVENPORT EARNS FIRST CAREER DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Freshman Jessica Davenport earned her first double-double as a Buckeye vs. Florida A&M. Davenport tallied 23 points and 12 rebounds and four blocked shots off a 7-of-11 day from the field and an 9-of-14 stroke from the charity stripe. Notably, Davenport’s 14 free throw attempts vs. Florida A&M tied an Ohio State VCA record set by Courtney Coleman vs. Indiana Jan. 31, 2002.
MATTER AND WILBURN INVITED TO U.S. TRIALS
Junior Caity Matter and sophomore Kim Wilburn were invited to the 2003 USA Basketball Women’s National Team Trials last spring at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Buckeye pair was two of 60 athletes from around the country asked to try-out. Matter was selected to join the Young Women Team, which was coached by Jim Foster. The squad went on to tally a 7-1 record and capture the gold medal at the inaugural FIBA World Championships for Young Women in Sibenik, Croatia last summer.
FOSTER AND MATTER HONORED BY USA BASKETBALL
Jim Foster, head coach of the 2003 USA Basketball World Championship For Young Women Team last summer, was named the 2003 USA Basketball Developmental Coach of the Year by the USA Basketball Executive Committee. Junior shooting guard Caity Matter, who was selected to the Young Women Team from the USA Basketball Women’s National Team Trials last spring, earned a spot as part of the 2003 USA Basketball Team of the Year, which also was selected by the USA Basketball Executive Committee. Both Foster and Matter (as part of the team) have been nominated by USA Basketball for the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Developmental Coach of the Year and Team of the Year awards, respectively, which will be announced by the USOC at a later date.
Foster’s squad finished with a 7-1 record and collected the inaugural FIBA World Championship For Young Women gold medal in Sibenik, Croatia, last summer.
NEW FACES ON STAFF
WNBA Minnesota Lynx forward Tamika Williams and Erin Wright were named assistant coach and director of basketball operations, respectively, for the Ohio State women’s basketball program over the summer. A student assistant for the Buckeyes last season, Williams’ primary duties will include on-the-floor coaching and recruiting responsibilities and Wright, who served as the director of basketball operations for two seasons at Vanderbilt under Foster, will be managing the day-to-day operations of Buckeye basketball, including travel, camp and schedule coordination.
SMITH NAMED TO 2004 USA BASKETBALL SENIOR NATIONAL TEAM
Katie Smith, a student assistant in the Ohio State women’s basketball office and a former two-time All-American at OSU, is one of the first seven members named to the 2004 USA Basketball Women’s Senior National Team. Smith will be part of the team that is expected to represent the U.S. at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. A Logan, Ohio, native, Smith is also a member of the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx. She is a four-time All-WNBA player and a four-time WNBA All-Star.
THE VOICES OF THE BUCKEYES
Tune to WOSU 820 AM for complete coverage of all Buckeye basketball games this season. Marty Bannister will replace Herb Howenstine, who moved to Texas last summer, as the play-by-play announcer. Color commentary duties will be shared by a trio of former Ohio State players in Alysiah Bond (1992-95), Toni Roesch (1983-86) and Kristin Watt (1982-85).
MEET THE FRESHMEN
Freshmen Stephanie Blanton, Jessica Davenport and Brandie Hoskins will be sporting Scarlet and Gray this year. Stephanie Blanton, the 2003 Dispatch/Agonis Club Co-Player of the Year, averaged 23.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.5 blocks at Lancaster (Ohio) High School. Davenport, a 2003 McDonald’s All-American, averaged 17.1 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.1 blocks, 2.3 assists and shot 64 percent from the field last year at Independence (Columbus) High School. Hoskins, the 2003 Division II All-Ohio Player of the Year, tallied an average of 15.9 points and 6.0 rebounds at Chaminade-Julienne.
WAITING IN THE WINGS
Tia Battle, a junior transfer from Vanderbilt University, also will join the Ohio State women’s basketball team this season. A six-foot guard/forward from Plymouth, Minn., she spent two seasons with the Commodores and started in 16-of-30 games, averaging 5.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 18.5 minutes per game last year. A 2001 Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year and 2000 NIKE All-American, Battle also was a three-time Street & Smith Honorable Mention All-America selection. Battle will sit out the 2003-04 campaign per NCAA transfer requirements, but will have two years of eligibility remaining when she begins competing with the Buckeyes next season.
HISTORIC ST. JOHN ARENA
Two times during the 2002-03 regular season the Buckeyes hosted games in historic St. John Arena and the tradition will continue this season. The Dec. 18 contest against Wright State, which the Buckeyes won 88-45, and the Feb. 19 Northwestern game will both be held in the former long-time home of Buckeye hoops. Additionally, Ohio State and St. John Arena will play host to the 2004 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship First- and Second-Round Games March 20 and 22. Tickets for all women’s basketball games and for all other Ohio State athletics events can be purchased at www.hangonsloopy.com or by calling 1-800-GOBUCKS.
Last season, Ohio State faced then-No. 17/18 Texas Jan. 5 and Big Ten foe Michigan Feb. 27 in St. John. Ohio State beat the Longhorns, 70-66, and wrapped up the regular-season portion of their schedule with a 70-55 victory over the Wolverines.
