Women's Basketball
Buckeyes Open Season with 91-68 Win in Preseason NIT
By John PorentasIt was like buying a sporty new car after driving a station wagon for years. The first drive you find out what the thing can do, but you really aren't exactly sure of yourself yet so you don't drive it anywhere near full throttle.
Jim Foster took his newest rendition of the Buckeyes out for their first spin yesterday against Eastern Illinois in the first round of the preseason NIT. Foster's lineup is loaded with thoroughbreds this year, more so this season than in any other year in the Foster era, but the first time out of the garage and on the street, the Buckeyes didn't really get things going the way they might later in the year, especially early in the game.
"I think our team learned what we have to work on," said junior center Jantel Lavender.
"I think it was a first game and there was a lot of jitters. I think we realize what we have to get better at,"
OSU's performance may have been a bit reserved - by their standards- but it was good enough that the game was never really in doubt. The Buckeyes opened up 27-8 lead to start the game, but then faltered a little, particularly when Foster subbed and got some of his newest faces their first playing time of not only the season, but of their careers. Freshmen Emilee Harmon and Amber Stokes were in the first wave of substitutes, and at times the youngsters were a bit ragged. Eastern Illinois was able to close to within five at 29-24, but a three pointer by Tayler Hill put OSU up 32-24, and the Buckeyes just kind of pulled away the rest of the game.
One newcomer who was not ragged was freshman guard Tayler Hill who got the start along with veterans Sarah Schultze, Jantel Lavender, Samantha Prahalis and Brittany Johnson. Hill just missed a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds. Schultze came close too with a career-high 19 points and nine rebounds. Lavender actually did register the double-double with a game-high 24 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
The Buckeyes may not have been at their very best, but they were still very, very good. Eastern Illinois Head Coach Brad Sallee left St. John Arena where the game was played an impressed man.
"We saw why Ohio State is the third-ranked team in the country tonight," said Sallee.
"I think they do have the pieces, and one of the biggest pieces they have is that guy on the sideline. He's been there and knows what it takes.
"I told them all after the game 'I expect to see you in San Antonio.'
"I think they have the pieces. I'm excited to watch their run and if we can say we kicked it off and maybe they got a little bit better by playing us, then we'll take it," Sallee said.
Sallee's team tried it's best to take Lavender out of the game. They sometime double her with players who sagged off other Buckeyes. They managed to slow Lavender some, but not stop her. They also left other Buckeyes open to achieve those marginal defensive results against Lavender, particularly Schultze, who took full advantage and banged down three of six three pointers for half the points she put on the board.
"Defensively that's one of our calling cards. We work very hard to try and keep the ball out of the block. We work very hard to not let you beat us from the paint. Clearly Ohio State did, they're that good," said Sallee.
"You've got to pick your poison there. We knew how good she (Schultze) was. There was no question about it, but we had to come off somebody a lot to try to keep Lavender from having three thousand points, and she was the recipient of that a little bit."
In the end, OSU's overall scoring balance was too much.
"I felt good that we could keep Lavender from going coo-coo. I felt like I had a point guard that could contain Prahalis and not let her go crazy, but it's all those other kids that we were going to have to come off of to make that happen that just make you not be able to sleep coming into a game like this," said Sallee.
OSU led by 10 at the half then pulled away in the second half by outscoring Eastern Illinois 51-38 in the second half.
"We rushed in the first half, put Jantel in bad position sometime by throwing her the ball in traffic," said Foster.
"The second half I thought we let her get set and then got her the ball. She's a more effective player that way."
Despite some balky moments, Foster likes the looks of his team after its first outing.
"I think first game, no film, not knowing what, we got better at some things and we've got some things we've got to work on," he said.
"These games early are very difficult, especially if the other team is coming in with a new series of players. You don't know who to key on, who to send what way."
Game Notes:
* After missing last season with a shoulder injury, Amber Stokes made her OSU debut. She scored 5 points and grabbed 5 points in 14 minutes. She also showed considerable speed and quickness at both ends of the floor.
"Amber if very, very athletic and disruptive," said Foster.
"She attacks the glass, she's a high-energy player, and I think having high-energy players coming off the bench is a really good thing."
* The game was played in venerable old St. John Arena because the Schottenstein Center was occupied with an OSU hockey game. Many of the fans enjoyed being in the venue. The players...not so much.
They had six offensive rebounds. That's part of defense, make the first shot difficult and then don't let them have a second shot, and from that point of view we did a very good job.
"I personally don't like playing here," said Schultze
"I don't know why really. I'm biased toward the Schott."
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