No. 6/8 Ohio State Resumes Big Ten Play at Penn State – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/9/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 9, 2007
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THE TIP
The No. 6/8 Buckeyes (13-1, 2-0 Big Ten) get back into Big Ten play at Penn State (8-9, 1-3 Big Ten) at 8 p.m. Thursday in State College, Pa. The Buckeyes swept the Lady Lions in three meetings last year. Comcast SportsNet Chicago will broadcast the game live.
NO. 6/8 OHIO STATE (13-1, 2-0 Big Ten))
at
PENN STATE (8-9, 1-3 Big Ten)
8 p.m. EST – Thursday, Jan. 11 – Bryce Jordan Center (15,261) – State College, Pa.
RADIO/INTERNET – WOSU 820-AM/www.wosu.org
Play-by-Play: Marty Bannister, Analyst: Kristin Watt
LIVE TELEVISION – CSN CHICAGO
Play-by-Play: Dave Loane, Analyst: Suzie McConnell Serio
SERIES INFORMATION
Series Record: PSU leads 30-12
BUCKEYES OFF TO BEST START SINCE 1992-93 SEASON
Ohio State’s 13-1 start to the 2006-07 season is the program’s best since the 1992-93 Buckeyes began their run to the NCAA championship game at 13-1. Ohio State started the 1972-73 campaign winning their first 14 games en route to a 15-1 overall mark. OSU claimed victory in 17 of its first 18 in 1973-74 before finishing 18-2.
DAVENPORT OVERTAKES NO. 2 SPOT IN OHIO STATE ALL-TIME SCORING
Jessica Davenport became Ohio State’s No. 2 all-time leading scorer Jan. 4 vs. Minnesota. With her 16th point of the game at the 9:02 mark of the second half, Davenport took over the No. 2 spot all-time from Tracey Hall, who had 1,912 points from 1985-88. Davenport currently has 1,944 career points and trails only Katie Smith, who scored 2,578 in her OSU career from 1993-96.
LAST GAME: BUCKEYES HOLD OFF KENTUCKY
Marscilla Packer knocked down a 12-foot jump shot with 16 seconds to play to break a 51-51 tie and send No. 7/8 Ohio State (13-1) to its 22nd consecutive home victory Jan. 6 over Kentucky (12-4) in Value City Arena. Jessica Davenport recorded the 41st double-double of her career, leading all scorers with 24 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
Both teams came out to a sluggish start. Ohio State held Kentucky to just 19 percent shooting (6-32) in the first half, but committed nine turnovers en route to just a 24-15 lead into intermission. The Buckeyes extended their lead to 14 points, 33-19, coming out of the locker room as Hoskins converted a 3-point play of her own with 17:17 left. Kentucky trimmed its deficit to 43-41 on a Jenny Pfeiffer 3-pointer with 9:37 to go. Davenport answered with back-to-back lay-ins to build the Buckeye lead back to six at 46-41 at the 9:00 mark.
Jenn’e Jackson brought UK back to within 49-47 with less that five minutes to go on a put back, but another basket by Davenport, who accounted for all of Ohio State’s 10 points from 12:57 to 3:33, put the Buckeyes back up by four at 51-47. Kentucky knotted the game for the third time on jumpers from Samantha Mahoney and Sarah Elliott to set up a 51-51 tie with less than a minute to play. Ohio State, which retained possession after a missed attempt by Davenport with 28 seconds left, took a time out and set up Packer’s game-winner. Her shot, from the left elbow, sent the Buckeyes to their 29th win in their last 30 regular-season games.
Overall, the Buckeyes held Kentucky to 32.1 percent FG (21-65) shooting and outrebounded the Wildcats by a 40-38 margin. Ohio State controlled the paint by a 34-26 count and used 11 points off nine UK turnovers to pocket the win.
HOME WIN STREAK HITS 22
The win Saturday vs. Kentucky was Ohio State’s 22nd in a row at home and 20th consecutive at VCA. The Buckeyes’ streak ranks third in the nation.
Last season, Ohio State reeled off 12 consecutive wins at home after suffering a loss to No. 3/3 LSU Dec. 15. The Buckeyes are 10-0 at home this season. Dating back to the 2004-05 season, Ohio State has won 37 of its last 38 games played in Columbus.
TV x 3
The game Thursday at Penn State will be broadcast live by Comcast SportsNet Chicago. It will be the third consecutive game Ohio State has appeared on television. The first two games were played in front of national audiences against Minnesota Jan. 4 on College Sports Television and Jan. 6 vs. Kentucky on CBS.
DAVENPORT LANDS SECOND CONSECUTIVE BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD
Jessica Davenport was named Big Ten Player of the Week Monday in an announcement made by the conference office. The Columbus native also won the honor Jan. 2. She recorded the 40th and 41st double-doubles of her career in victories over Minnesota Thursday and Kentucky Saturday.
In the second half Thursday against Minnesota, Davenport became the program’s No. 2 all-time leading scorer. She made 6-of-7 FG and converted a season-best 10 free throws for 22 points in a 75-62 victory over the Golden Gophers. She also added 15 rebounds and blocked four shots. Sunday, Davenport scored 10 consecutive points for Ohio State as it held on in the second half for a win over Kentucky, 53-51. She finished with 24 points, 12 rebounds and a pair of steals.
For the two games, Davenport poured in 23.0 points, grabbed 13.5 rebounds and connected at a 68 percent FG clip (17-25). The weekly award was Davenport’s third honor of the season and 12th of her career, which is second all-time behind Penn State’s Kelly Mazzante and her 17 weekly awards.
BUCKEYES FLOURISH IN NON-LEAGUE SCHEDULE, WINNERS IN 21 OF LAST 23
The Buckeyes are 21-2 in their last 23 non-conference regular season games. OSU completed its 2006-07 non-conference schedule Jan. 6 with a win over Kentucky and an 11-1 record. Ohio State was 10-1 outside league play in 2005-06. The only defeats have come against LSU, a Final Four qualifier the last two seasons.
At home since the 2002-03 season, Ohio State has won 39 of its last 40 games vs. non-conference opponents during the regular season in Value City Arena. The LSU defeat last season snapped the Buckeyes’ 28-game home win streak against non-league foes.
OHIO STATE AGAIN AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS IN FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE
This season, Ohio State again stands atop the national FG percentage rankings. As of Jan. 8, Ohio State rated No. 2 nationally at 51.8 percent (410-792). In 2004-05, Ohio State successfully defended its title as best-shooting team in the land. In 2003-04, the Buckeyes converted 51 percent (800-1570) of their field goals to rank No. 1 nationally. Ohio State finished the 2005-06 season connecting on a .492 clip (966-1,901) to place No. 4.
In the last six complete seasons, head coach Jim Foster’s teams have posted the top field goal percentage in the nation four times and have ranked in the Top 5 in each year. In his final two seasons at Vanderbilt, Foster’s teams shot .521 in 2001-02 and .545 in 2000-01.
BUCKEYES EXTEND BIG TEN WIN STREAK
The win over Minnesota Jan. 4 upped Ohio State’s Big Ten win streak to 19 in a row. After losing to Purdue Jan. 1, 2006, the Buckeyes won 14 consecutive games to close the 2006 regular season and added three wins en route to the 2006 Big Ten Tournament title. At home, Ohio State has won its last 21 games vs. league foes. The last loss was a 70-64 defeat by Penn State Jan. 25, 2004.
OHIO STATE PULLING OUT TIGHT GAMES
With their 53-51 win over Kentucky Jan. 6, Ohio State moved to 5-0 this season in games decided by eight points or less. The Buckeyes have won their last 11 games decided by eight or less. The last Ohio State loss in such a game came Jan. 1, 2006 at Purdue, a 61-59 defeat. The Buckeyes were 7-1 last season in games decided by eight or less. Under Jim Foster, Ohio State is 19-19 in games decided by eight or less.
BUCKEYES IN BIG TEN HOME OPENERS
With the victory over Minnesota Jan. 4, Ohio State has won its last four Big Ten home openers. The Buckeyes knocked off Northwestern, 82-49, Dec. 31, 2002, defeated Wisconsin, 65-46, Jan. 2, 2004 and scored a 74-53 victory vs. Penn State, Dec. 28, 2006.
BUCKEYES OPEN BIG TEN PLAY WITH WIN FOR FOURTH TIME IN FOSTER’S FIVE SEASONS
With the victory Dec. 31 at Iowa, the Buckeyes have won seven of their last 10 Big Ten season openers and hold a 4-1 mark in league starters during the Jim Foster era.
CLUBS 1,900 AND 900
With 22 points Jan. 4 vs. Minnesota, Jessica Davenport became the third Buckeye all-time to top 1,900 career points. Davenport reached point No. 1,900 with her first basket Thursday at the 9:40 mark of the first half.
Former Buckeye Tracey Hall had 1,912 points from 1985-88 and Katie Smith scored 2,578 to top the Ohio State list. Davenport’s 11 rebounds at Iowa Dec. 31 boosted her past 900 for her career. Davenport joins Hall (1985-88) as the only Buckeye to have 1,900 points and 900 career rebounds. Davenport ranks third all-time at Ohio State.
DOUBLE-TIME
Jessica Davenport has recorded double-doubles in points and rebounds in 10 of 14 games this season. She now has 41 double-doubles in her career. Davenport finished the 2006 season with 13 double-doubles after totaling 14 in the 2005 campaign. In 2004, she had four double-doubles.
DAVENPORT SCORES 11TH CAREER BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD
Jessica Davenport was named Big Ten Player of the Week in an announcement made by the conference office Jan. 2. The 6-5 center from Columbus Independence High School scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in Ohio State’s Big Ten opening win at Iowa (73-67) Sunday. Davenport, the two-time defending Big Ten Player of the Year, was 9-of-13 shooting from the field and made six of her seven free throw attempts. She helped seal the win by scoring 16 of her 24 points in the second half on 6-of-7 FG shooting. She added three assists and a pair of blocks in the Buckeyes’ 11th victory of the season.
OKLAHOMA WIN RANKS HIGH IN OSU HISTORY
With the win over third-ranked Oklahoma Dec. 20, Ohio State recorded a victory over its highest ranked opponent since defeating then-No. 2 (AP) Iowa, 72-60, March 7, 1993 in Columbus. Ohio State’s last win over the No. 3 team in the country was a 78-63 victory over Penn State (No. 3 AP) Dec. 28, 1994 in Columbus. The last time the Buckeyes defeated a Top 5 team was a 52-50 victory over then-No. 4 (AP) Rutgers in Columbus Jan. 16, 2005.
The victory over No. 3 Oklahoma moved Ohio State’s record vs. ranked opponents to 29-18 in the Jim Foster era (2002-present). This season, the Buckeyes now are 3-1 vs. ranked opponents, defeating No. 3 Oklahoma (74-67, Dec. 20), then-No. 22 Boston College (80-72 2ot, Nov. 21) and then-No. 19 USC (77-58, Nov. 19). The Buckeyes lost at No. 9 LSU Dec. 10.
DAVENPORT, HOSKINS BIG TEN’S TOP 1-2 PUNCH
Jessica Davenport and Brandie Hoskins stand among the Top 4 in individual scoring in the Big Ten. Davenport is pouring in 20.0 points per game to lead the league and Hoskins has accounted for 16.1 per contest to rate fourth. Davenport also heads the conference in field goal percentage at .688, converting 106 of her 154 attempts from the field. She is followed by teammate Star Allen, who is hitting .564 of her FG attempts (44-78) to rank fourth. Davenport also rates No. 1 in rebounds at 10.4 per game and third in blocked shots at 3.1. Hoskins also stands first the league in assists per game at 4.4 and her 1.84-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks second. Marscilla Packer stands third in 3-point FG percentage at .397 (27-68). Freshman Maria Moeller ranks in the Top 10 with 2.3 steals per contest.
BUCKEYES RETURN FAVOR
Ohio State’s win over Oklahoma snapped the Sooners’ 23-game regular-season win streak, which was the longest in the nation. Oklahoma’s string dated back to its loss at Ohio State, 75-71, Jan. 9, 2005. Prior to Oklahoma, the Buckeyes held the nation’s longest regular-season win streak at 23 games. Ohio State’s run was stopped at LSU Dec. 10.
DROP IT LIKE IT’S HOSKINS
Brandie Hoskins has scored double figures in 13 of 14 games this season and has had at least 14 points in 11 of her last 13 outings. She led the Buckeyes with 20 points in the win Nov. 21 over Boston College, posted a season-high 23 in the victory over Washington Dec. 3 and led all scorers with 18 vs. Alabama A&M Dec. 16.
Hoskins has ignited the Buckeye offense as well, standing among the Big Ten leaders with a 4.4 assists per game average. She has had seven or more assists in four games this season and has had at least five assists in eight outings. She notched career assist No. 400 against Washington Dec. 3.
Hoskins has shown no ill-affects from her ruptured Achilles’ tendon injury she suffered in the loss to BC in the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
DAVENPORT MOVES INTO NO. 1 SPOT ALL-TIME IN FG PERCENTAGE AT OSU
Jessica Davenport connected at a .618 (241-390) field goal percentage clip in 2005-06, which ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten and has been good enough to slip past former Buckeye Courtney Coleman into the No. 1 spot all-time at OSU.
For her career, Davenport has made 759-of-1,230 FG tries for a .617 percentage. Coleman made 596 of 988 attempts from 2000-03 for a mark of .603. Marita Porter holds the all-time single-season record of .667 (72-108) set in 1996-97.
OHIO STATE OWNING THE FREE THROW LINE
The Buckeyes are controlling the free throw line this season by making more free throws than their opponents have attempted. Ohio State has made 194 FT in 283 FTA (.686), while its opponents have just 108 makes in 166 tries (.651). Against Minnesota Jan. 4, Ohio State nailed a season-best 28-of-39 (.718) from the line.
N0. 7/8 BUCKEYES CONTINUE STREAKS IN AP AND USA TODAY/WBCA/ESPN RANKINGS
Ohio State now stands at No. 6 in the Jan. 9 AP poll and No. 8 in the Jan. 9 WBCA rankings. Ohio State has been ranked in the WBCA Top 10 for the last 48 weeks and has been in the AP Top 25 for 53 consecutive weeks.
Ranked No. 7 in the preseason releases of the 2006-07 USA Today/WBCA/ESPN and AP polls Nov. 1 and 8, respectively, the Buckeyes moved up to No. 6 in the Nov. 14 WBCA poll and jumped to No. 6 in the AP rankings Nov. 2. Ohio State peaked at No. 5 in the AP poll Dec. 5.
Ohio State finished the 2005-06 season rated eighth and peaked at No. 2 in the March 6 and 13 polls.
OSU AND THE RPI
Ohio State is ranked No. 5 in the latest RPI listings released Monday at collegerpi.com. The Buckeyes’ strength of schedule rates 10th nationally. Tennessee is No. 1 in the RPI with a 14-1 record. The Big Ten rates No. 1 in the release Monday, ahead of No. 2 ranked Southeastern Conference.
OSU – PSU: THE SERIES
Penn State holds a decided edge in the series with Ohio State, 30-12, but the Buckeyes have won the last four meetings, including a three-game sweep last season. Ohio State has won just three times in State College in 19 trips.
LADY LIONS AT A GLANCE
Despite losing four of its last six contests, Penn State has won all six of its home games this season, including an 85-53 victory over Northwestern in its lone Big Ten home game this season Jan. 4.
The Lady Lions dropped a 55-41 contest at Michigan Jan. 7. Kam Gissendander led all scorers in the game with 23 points. Senior Amanda Brown, a preseason All-Big Ten pick, leads the team in scoring at 13.8 points per game and is connecting at a 57 percent FG rate.
Rene Portland is in the middle of her 27th year as head coach at Penn State. She is just one win shy of her 600th career victory as Lady Lions head coach.
LAST MEETING: BUCKEYES ADVANCE PAST PENN STATE IN BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
Despite getting just six points from Jessica Davenport, Ohio State advanced past Penn State, 64-46, in the quarterfinals of the 2006 Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. While Davenport sat with foul trouble, several Buckeyes combined to more than pick up the slack. Brandie Hoskins finished with 14 points and Marscilla Packer added 10 as Ohio State controlled the game from the start. The Buckeyes turned 21 Penn State turnovers into 20 points to pull away in the second half. The teams were meeting for the second-consecutive game. The two teams closed the regular season in State College, with Ohio State nipping the Lady Lions, 61-59, on a last second putback by Packer.
OHIO STATE SETS HOME ARENA ASSIST RECORD
The Buckeyes had 33 assists vs. Howard Dec. 17 to mark a season high and finish one shy of tying the Ohio State record for assists in a game at 34, set in 1985 vs. Purdue (Jan. 27). The 33 assists serve as a Value City Arena single game record, surpassing the previous mark of 30 set Dec. 15, 2001 vs. Xavier. Ohio State totaled 61 assists on the weekend with 28 dished out Dec. 16 against Alabama A&M.
STARTING FIVE POSTS BIG NUMBERS
The Ohio State starting five of Star Allen, Jessica Davenport, Brandie Hoskins, Maria Moeller and Marscilla Packer went 26-for-38 (.684) from the floor in the win at Iowa Dec. 31. Hoskins (2-2) and Packer (5-9) combined to make 7-of-11 tries from 3-point land.
The Buckeye first five was 24-36 (.667) from the field and dished out 20 assists vs. Howard Dec. 17. The same starting unit was 23-31 FG and had 20 assists Dec. 16 vs. Alabama A&M. For the two games, the quintet combined to convert 47-of-67 FG, a 70 percent clip.
OSU 3-SPREE
In the two wins over Alabama A&M and Howard (Dec. 16-17), Ohio State, which ranked near the bottom of the Big Ten in 3-point shooting several weeks ago, buried 14-of-17 3-point FG tries for a scorching 82.4 percent clip. After knocking down 7-of-11 3-point tries at Iowa, the Buckeyes lead the conference, connecting at a 39 percent rate (52-133).
TREBILCOCK CLOCKS IN
Sophomore guard Ashlee Trebilcock played in her first game for the Buckeyes at LSU Dec. 10. After sitting out the first seven games this season to meet NCAA transfer regulations, Trebilcock entered the game at 14:41 in the first half. She scored her first Ohio State points with a 3-point field goal with 11:40 to play in the first period.
The game at LSU was Trebilcock’s first since Nov. 26, 2005, when she played her last game for UCLA vs. Charlotte. Trebilcock was the first Buckeye off the bench at LSU and totaled 28 minutes. She made her home debut vs. Alabama A&M Dec. 16 and set a career-high with 10 points in her second home outing vs Howard Dec. 17.
HALFTIME ADVANTAGE LEADS TO WINS
Ohio State has won 66 of its last 68 games when holding a lead at the break. The Buckeyes last dropped a game when leading at the half Jan. 1, 2006 at Purdue. Ohio State held a 33-24 advantage at intermission, but dropped a 61-59 decision.
BUCKEYE 90
Ohio State set a season-high with 98 points vs. Alabama A&M (Dec. 16) and followed with 97 in the win over Howard (Dec. 17). The last time the Buckeyes scored 90 points in consecutive games was in 2000, when they won 95-49 Dec. 12 at Bowling Green and 94-32 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Ohio State has reached the 90-point mark more than once in a season for the first time since 2003-04 when they scored 90-plus points three times.
SWEET 60
Ohio State made a season-best 67.9 percent (36-53) of its FG tries vs. Alabama A&M Dec. 16 and backed that with a 66.7 percent clip (42-63) against Howard (Dec. 17).
USA BASKETBALL TEAMMATES REUNITED
Ohio State guard Marscilla Packer was reunited with USA Basketball teammate Courtney Paris of Oklahoma Dec. 20. The pair helped the Team USA Under 20 squad set several program records en route to winning the 2006 U20 FIBA Americas Challenge last August in Mexico City. Paris led the team with averages of 14.2 points and 8.0 rebounds a game. Packer was Team USA’s top outside threat, netting 20-of-29 3-point FG (.690) and pouring in 13.6 points a game.
Earlier this season, several Buckeyes were reunited with USA Basketball teammates vs. LSU. Jessica Davenport and LSU’s Sylvia Fowles have played together for Team USA on two occasions since entering collegiate ball. The two centers combined to help the U.S. Senior team win the 2006 Opals World Challenge in Australia in April. In 2005, Davenport and Fowles were on the Team USA squad that won gold at the World University Games (WUG) in Izmir, Turkey.
Davenport and Fowles also have had the opportunity to be joined by teammates with USA Basketball. Ohio State’s Brandie Hoskins accompanied the pair of centers in the WUG, while two-time Wade Trophy winner Seimone Augustus was on both the Opals and WUG squads.
NATION’S LONGEST REGULAR SEASON WIN STREAK SNAPPED AT 23 GAMES BY LSU
Heading into the game at LSU Dec. 10, Ohio State carried the nation’s longest regular season win streak. The loss to the Lady Tigers snapped that run at 23 games. The streak started with Ohio State’s 82-54 win at Northwestern Jan. 5, 2006. From there, the Buckeyes closed the 2005-06 regular season on a 16-game win streak.
WIN THE LANE, WIN THE GAME
Ohio State outscored Kentucky, 34-26, in the paint Jan. 4. This season, Ohio State has outscored its opponents in the paint 590-352 and has outscored 11 of 14 opponents in the lane this season. Ohio State has won 35 consecutive games when outscoring opponents in the lane.
DAVENPORT NAMED PRESEASON CANDIDATE FOR NAISMITH PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Jessica Davenport is one of 50 of the country’s top collegiate women’s basketball players named preseason candidates for the Naismith Trophy presented by Cingular Wireless, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Dec.11. The Top 50 list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country. The board based its preseason criteria on player performances from last season and expectations for 2006-07.
MAGIC NUMBERS: 50 AND 60
Ohio State converted better than 65 percent of its field goal attempts vs. Alabama A&M and Howard Dec. 16-17. The Buckeyes have shot better than 50 percent in nine of 14 games this season to rank in then nation’s Top 10. Ohio State has won 26 consecutive games when it makes at least half its FG tries.
Ohio State has won 41 of its last 42 games when scoring at least 60 points. In the 2005-06 season, Ohio State went 29-1 when scoring 60 or more points, losing only to Boston College, 79-69, in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
At LSU, Ohio State failed to score 60 points (51) for just the third time in a span of 41 games.
NOVEMBER REIGN
With the win Nov. 30 over Longwood, Ohio State completed its second-consecutive undefeated November. The Buckeyes won all six games played in November this season and were 4-0 last November. With the win, Ohio State moved to 21-2 in games played in November in the four-plus seasons under head coach Jim Foster.
Overall, the Buckeyes have won their last 12 games played in the 11th month. The two losses came on the road at Notre Dame, 66-62, in the Preseason WNIT Nov. 20, 2004 and at Villanova, 58-51, Nov. 29, 2002.
BUCKEYE CLASSIC MVPx3
Jessica Davenport was named 2006 Buckeye Classic Most Valuable Player Nov. 26. The award was her third Buckeye Classic MVP in the last three seasons. She is the first player to be named Buckeye Classic MVP three times in a career. Katie Smith (1993-96) and Tracey Hall (1985-88) each won a pair of Buckeye Classic MVP honors.
In the two-game tournament, Davenport made 18-of-21 field goal attempts, grabbed 21 rebounds and blocked a Buckeye Classic record 10 shots. She also had five assists, including a season-best four helpers in the championship game win over Montana. Davenport also converted 10-of-11 tries at the free throw line.
DAVENPORT SCORES 10TH CAREER BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOR
Jessica Davenport was named Big Ten Player of the Week Nov. 27 by the conference office. Davenport turned in three consecutive double-double performances in victories over No. 22 Boston College, Cornell and Montana (Nov. 21-26). Davenport averaged 21.6 points per game and 10.3 rebounds in the three outings. She also blocked 12 shots and made 72 percent of her FG attempts (24-34).
The weekly award was Davenport’s 10th of her career, which is second all-time behind the 17 of Penn State’s Kelly Mazzante.
THE FULL 50
Maria Moeller became the first Buckeye to play 50 minutes in a game played at Value City Arena vs. No. 22 Boston College Nov. 21. She had a game and career-high seven steals vs. BC and also set a career-best with five rebounds.
STAR SHINES IN SECOND HALF VS. BC
Sophomore forward Star Allen played a career-best 31 minutes against Boston College Nov. 21. Twenty-three of those minutes came in the second half, when Allen scored 11 of her 16 points and pulled down five rebounds. Allen connected on two decisive field goals in the overtime periods. She drew the Buckeyes back to within two with a bucket in the lane with a minute to play in the first OT. Her 3-point play in the second extra session sent the Buckeyes to the win, putting Ohio State up 77-72 with a minute to go.
BY THE HUNDREDS, DAVENPORT REACHES CAREER MILESTONES
Playing in her 100th career game vs. USC Nov. 19, Jessica Davenport reached several career milestones. Davenport recorded her 300th career block at the 15:30 mark of the second half. She is just the second player in Big Ten history to block 300 shots in her career. Trish Andrew had 367 blocks for Michigan from 1989-93. Davenport also surpassed 800 rebounds for her career vs. USC. She is the fifth Buckeye all-time to record 800 career rebounds. With 26 points vs. USC, Davenport also surpassed 1,700 for her career. She has scored 1,944 career points to rank second in OSU history.
With the 10 field goals vs. Washington Dec. 3, Davenport became the fifth Buckeye to record 700 career field goals. Davenport had 11 rebounds at Iowa Dec. 31 to become the third Buckeye to pull down 900 career rebounds.
BUCKEYE DEBUTS
Sophomore Star Allen and freshman Maria Moeller made their first starts as Buckeyes at Army Nov. 12. Fellow freshmen Cherise Daniel, Shavelle Little, Lesslee Mason-Cox and Andrea Walker also made their Ohio State debuts vs. the Black Knights. Ashlee Trebilcock, who sat out the first seven games this season to meet NCAA transfer rules, made her OSU debut at LSU Dec. 10.
The game at Iowa Dec. 31 served as the Big Ten debut for sophomore Ashlee Trebilcock and freshmen Shavelle Little, Maria Moeller and Andrea Walker.
MOELLER IN RARE COMPANY
Maria Moeller started at point guard for the Buckeyes at Army Nov. 12. She is one of a handful of freshman starting point guards in the NCAA this season.
Of the 324 schools in Division I, only nine teams started a freshman at the point in their first game of the season.
True Freshman Starting Point Guards
Maria Moeller – Ohio State
Kristen Dalton – Lehigh
Nikki Davis – Alabama
Quenese Davis – San Diego State
Allison Holiday – UNLV
Carla Jacobs – Cincinnati
Monique Jefferson – Centenary College
Rae Lin D’alie – Wisconsin
FahKara Malone – Purdue
FORMER BUCKEYES HONORED
Former Buckeye captain and current Washington head coach June (Brewer) Daugherty was recognized prior to the Buckeyes and Huskies game Dec. 3 in Value City Arena. Daugherty was a captain on the 1978 and ’79 OSU squads and was a Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame Inductee in 2000. Daugherty and Jessica Davenport share the Ohio State single-game record for blocked shots with 12.
Mike Daugherty, June’s husband, is an assistant coach at UW. He is a former Buckeye basketball standout and lettered for Ohio State in 1976-77.
Nancy Darsch, Ohio State head coach from 1985-97, returned to Columbus Nov. 21 as an assistant coach with Boston College and was honored prior to tip off. The Buckeyes all-time leader in victories (234), Darsch guided Ohio State to four Big Ten championships and a national runner-up in 1993.
DAVENPORT TABBED BIG TEN PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jessica Davenport was named 2006-07 Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year Oct. 29 at conference media day. Davenport was honored in a vote by both media and league coaches. The 6-5 center from Columbus Independence was named preseason P.O.Y last season as well.
Davenport has claimed the last two Big Ten player of the year honors and has led the Buckeyes to back-to-back conference championships. She was a unanimous selection for both the coaches and media preseason All-Big Ten team. Davenport was joined on the first team by Wisconsin’s Jolene Anderson, Penn State’s Amanda Brown, Purdue’s Katie Gearlds and Iowa’s Megan Skouby.
BUCKEYES LAND TOP PRESEASON BIG TEN VOTE
As a unit, Ohio State was voted to successfully defend its two-year claim to the conference crown. Ohio State received all first-place votes from both the coaches and media. The Buckeyes ranked ahead of second-place Purdue and third-place Michigan State.
RANKED OPPOSITION
The Buckeyes 74-67 win at No. 3/3 Oklahoma Dec. 20 moved them to 3-1 this season vs. ranked opponents. Ohio State pocketed its first win over a ranked team this season when it knocked off No. 19/20 USC Nov. 19, 77-58, in Value City Arena. The Buckeyes moved to 2-0 vs. ranked foes with the victory over No. 22 Boston College (80-72, 2ot) Nov. 21, but dropped their next ranked match up at No. 9/10 LSU Dec. 10.
Last season, the Buckeyes were 8-2 vs. ranked opponents. In his four-plus seasons at OSU, coach Jim Foster is 29-18 vs. teams ranked in the AP Top 25.
The Buckeyes were one of three Big Ten squads ranked in the preseason polls. Purdue was slated 11th by AP and 13th by the coaches, ahead of Michigan State’s No. 17 standing in both rankings. In the last AP poll, Purdue stands at No. 13 and MSU is No. 20. Oklahoma is the highest rated Ohio State opponent in 2006. Kentucky was rated preseason 15th in AP and 16th by the coaches. Washington broke into the Top 25 at No. 23 in the Nov. 28 AP poll.
SEVEN NCAA TOURNAMENT TEAMS ON NON-LEAGUE SCHEDULE
In their first three games to start the 2006-07 season, the Buckeyes faced three NCAA tournament squads from a year ago. After the season-opening win at Army, Ohio State returned to Columbus for a win in the home opener vs. USC, an at-large selection from the PAC-10. Nov. 21, the Buckeyes played host to a rematch with Boston College, which ended Ohio State’s postseason in the second round of NCAA play last year (March 21). The Buckeyes topped both USC (77-58, Nov. 19) and BC (80-72 in 2OT, Nov. 21).
The Buckeyes wrapped up their first home stand with Washington Dec.3. The Huskies reached the second round of the NCAA tourney last season before losing to LSU, which is the next NCAA squad on OSU’s 2006-07 schedule. The Lady Tigers were Final Four qualifiers for the third consecutive season. The Buckeyes passed another challenging road match up with a 74-67 win at Oklahoma Dec. 20. The Sooners reached the “Sweet 16” last season.
The non-conference schedule wrapped up Jan. 6 with NCAA tourney squad Kentucky at VCA. Kentucky advanced to the second round in the 2006 NCAA tournament.
DAVENPORT DEEMED WOODEN AWARD CANDIDATE
For the third consecutive season, Jessica Davenport is a preseason candidate for the John R. Wooden Award for national player of the year.
The Wooden Award announced its Top 30 preseason candidates for the 2006-07 Women’s Wooden Award Nov. 2. The list is composed of 30 student-athletes who, based on individual performance last season and team records, are the early frontrunners for the award.
DAVENPORT NAMED TO 2006-07 WBCA WADE TROPHY WATCH LIST
Jessica Davenport is on the WBCA Wade Trophy national player of the year award watch list for the third-consecutive season. The WBCA announced the list Aug. 25. The watch list is comprised of 25 student-athletes who are members of an NCAA Division I institution and are selected based on the following criteria: game and season statistics, leadership, character, effect on their team and overall playing ability. The national awards committee who selects these candidates is comprised of leading basketball coaches, journalists and basketball administrators.
BUCKEYES WELCOME SIX NEWCOMERS IN 2006-07
A deep and highly-touted freshman class joins the Ohio State squad this season. The group features three guards and a pair of front court players. Cherise Daniel, Maria Moeller and Shavelle Little all have seen significant playing time at guard this season. Lesslee Mason-Cox and Andrea Walker play on the block, with Walker spelling Jessica Davenport at center.
SHADES OF SCARLET AND GRAY ON TEAM USA
During the last two offseasons, Ohio State has splashed shades of scarlet and gray on Team USA, helping the Americans claim three gold medals in three events. Most recently, Marscilla Packer connected on a scorching 69 percent (20-29) on 3-point attempts in helping lead the U.S. Under-20 squad to the gold medal in Mexico City. Packer topped all U.S. scorers in the five-game tournament vs. teams from the Americas.
In April, Jessica Davenport contributed to the U.S. Senior Team and joined former Buckeye Katie Smith, an Olympian in 2000 and ’04, in pocketing the gold at the 2006 Opals Challenge in Australia. The Australian tour was the second USA basketball tournament for Davenport in the last two seasons. She linked up with Brandie Hoskins and helped the U.S. Junior Team roll through the 2005 World University Games with a perfect 7-0 record.
BUCKEYE BROADCASTS
The game Nov. 12 at Army served as the first of five national telecasts for Ohio State. The Buckeyes play twice on ESPN2 at Oklahoma Dec. 20 and at Purdue Jan. 29. OSU welcomed Kentucky for a CBS broadcast Jan 6, after playing host to Minnesota Jan. 4 in a game aired on CSTV. The Buckeyes also will appear twice on Comcast SportsNet Chicago Thursday at Penn State and Feb. 18 vs. Michigan State. Ohio State’s game at LSU was aired by Cox Sports South.
LIVE STREAMING BROADCASTS THIS SEASON AT WWW.OHIOSTATEBUCKEYES.COM
This season, a total of 13 Ohio State home games will be available online with streaming broadcasts at www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com. As part of the All-Access pass available through ohiostatebuckeyes.com, fans can watch games live via internet connection.
Games Available at ohiostatebuckeyes.com:
Jan. 14 vs. Northwestern, Jan. 21 vs. Illinois, Jan. 25 vs. Indiana, Feb. 4 vs. Iowa, Feb. 15 vs. Wisconsin, Feb. 22 vs. Penn State
PACKER KEEPING PACE WITH LONG-DISTANCE RECORDS
Marscilla Packer’s .462 percent clip (79-171) from 3-point land in the 2005-06 season established an Ohio State single-season record and narrowly missed the Big Ten single-season mark for highest 3-point FG percentage. Packer’s mark finished ahead of the Ohio State standard Caity Matter set at .451 (105-235) in the 2002-03 campaign. The Big Ten single-season record of .464, posted by Michigan State’s Lindsay Bowen (77-166) was in doubt until the Buckeyes’ final game of the season. Packer ranked fifth nationally in 3-point FG percentage last season.
For her career, Packer now stands at No. 1 all-time at Ohio State with a .420 (126-300) rate from 3-point range. Matter ranks second at .411 (270-657).
DAVENPORT TOP BUCKEYE BLOCKER, CHASING BIG TEN STANDARD
Against Wisconsin Jan. 26, Jessica Davenport became the all-time leader at Ohio State in blocked shots. She swatted four Badger field goal tries to surpass former Buckeye Mary Sivak (1979-82) as the No. 1 career shot blocker in Ohio State history. Davenport swatted the record-setting rejection with 4:30 left in the first half to surpass Sivak’s career total of 241. She led the Big Ten in blocked shots in each of her first three seasons, setting a Buckeye record in 2005-06 with 116 swats. She stands No. 2 all-time in blocks in the Big Ten at 337.
RARE OCCURRENCE
Jessica Davenport fouled out vs. Boston College Nov. 21, marking just the second time in 101 career games Davenport had fouled out. Both instances came against BC in overtime. Davenport was forced out of the game at BC last season in a 66-61 overtime win Dec. 3.
DAVENPORT AMONG BIG TEN’S ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS
Jessica Davenport has 1,944 points so far in her career to lead all Big Ten active scorers. She also tops active players with 337 career blocked shots and a .617 field goal percentage. Overall, Davenport rates second in career blocks to Michigan’s Trish Andrew, who had 367 from 1989-93.
SHARED SCORING
In the last two seasons, the Buckeyes are 14-1 when four players reach double figures in points. The only loss was against Boston College March 21 in the second round of the 2006 NCAA tournament.
BIG TEN TOURNAMENT ALL SESSION TICKETS ON SALE
All-session tickets for the 2007 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament presented by Xbox Live now are on sale to the general public. The 2007 tournament features all 11 Big Ten teams, competing in 10 games over four days of competition to crown the 2007 winner, which will earn the conference’s coveted automatic berth to the NCAA Championship.
The 13th annual women’s event will be back in Indianapolis, March 1, 2, 4 & 5, 2007, where it has been staged in 11 of the 12 previous years. The bracket for the 2007 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, along with information on tickets, travel, lodging, tournament history and more, can be found at both www.bigten.org and www.indianasportscorp.com
All-session tickets for the women’s tournament are $65 and will be available at the Conseco Fieldhouse box office, Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (317) 239-5151. Fans wishing to purchase all-session tickets within their university’s fan block are encouraged to contact their school’s ticket office (614) 431-3600. Single-session tickets will go on sale February 3, 2007.
UP NEXT
The Buckeyes return to Columbus for a home match up against Northwestern at 2 p.m. Sunday in Value City Arena.
