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LGHL Revisiting Ohio State’s 2004 Alamo Bowl win over Oklahoma State
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Revisiting Ohio State’s 2004 Alamo Bowl win over Oklahoma State
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Even though they were without quarterback Troy Smith, the Buckeyes overwhelmed the Cowboys in San Antonio.
While we’ll have plenty of content this offseason about the upcoming Ohio State football team, I figured it would be fun to pay some respect to Buckeye teams of the past. A great way to do that would be to look back on random Ohio State bowl game wins.
The Buckeyes are 30-29 in bowl games over the years, so there are more than enough bowl game victories to pick away at each week. Before you know it it’ll be late August and it’ll be time to turn our full attention to the season opener against the Texas Longhorns!
The 2004 season felt like a good place to start since it was a bit of a transitional year for Ohio State. The Buckeyes were coming off two phenomenal seasons, beating Miami to win the BCS National Championship at the end of the 2002 season, followed by an 11-2 season and a win in the Fiesta Bowl over Kansas State in 2003.
2004 wasn’t quite as smooth since quarterback Craig Krenzel had exhausted his eligibility, meaning there was going to be a new starting quarterback in Columbus.
Highly touted recruit Justin Zwick got the first crack at trying to fill Krenzel’s shoes. Early on things went well, as the Buckeyes got off to a 3-0 start with wins over Cincinnati, Marshall, and NC State. Ohio State hit a rough patch in October, dropping three straight games to Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Iowa.
To make matters even worse at the time, Zwick was injured in the Iowa game, leaving Troy Smith to take the snaps at quarterback.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25917474/51770516.jpg "Michigan v Ohio State")
Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images
Even though you’re never rooting for a player to get injured, Smith replacing Zwick due to injury might have been a bit of a blessing considering what Smith would do in the 2005 and 2006 seasons. The future Heisman Trophy winner would go on to win four of five starts to close out the regular season, including a 37-21 victory over rival Michigan in Columbus.
With the victory over the Wolverines, Ohio State would finish the regular season with a 7-4 record.
After accepting a bid to the Alamo Bowl to play Oklahoma State, Jim Tressel announced they would be without Smith in San Antonio after the quarterback was suspended for an unspecified team rules violation. The suspension would eventually be extended to the first game of the 2005 season when it was revealed Smith accepted $500 from a booster.
With Smith unavailable to play, Zwick would get another chance to state his case to be the team’s starting quarterback in the second game of the 2005 season when the Buckeyes would host the Texas Longhorns.
The opponent for Ohio State would be Les Miles and the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Like the Buckeyes, the Cowboys entered the Alamo Bowl with a 7-4 record. Oklahoma State started off the season strong, beating UCLA at the Rose Bowl on their way to five straight wins to open 2004.
Unfortunately for the Cowboys, they would lose four of their last six regular season games. Oklahoma State almost created some waves in the BCS when they narrowly lost to Oklahoma in Stillwater, falling to the rival Sooners 38-35 in Bedlam.
Quarterbacking the Oklahoma State offense was Donovan Woods, but the bread and butter of the offense was their running game with Vernand Morency, who ran for 1,474 yards and 12 touchdowns. Woods added 10 scores on the ground, while throwing for 13 touchdowns.
D’Juan Woods was the top threat for the Cowboys at wide receiver, with Prentiss Elliott and Billy Bajema proving to be reliable options when Woods decided to throw the ball.
The suspension of Smith was a big storyline heading into the Alamo Bowl, but there was also talk of head coach Les Miles leaving Stillwater for greener pastures. Early on it became obvious that the Buckeyes were the more focused team in San Antonio, jumping out to a 7-0 lead when Zwick found Anthony Gonzalez for a 23-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
Ohio State would slowly extend the lead throughout the first half, using three Mike Nugent field goals and a Lydell Ross touchdown to take a 23-0 lead into halftime.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25917468/53359451.jpg "MasterCard Alamo Bowl")
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
With such a big lead, the Buckeyes were essentially on cruise control the rest of the game. Ted Ginn Jr. ran for a touchdown and Nugent kicked his fourth field goal of the game before the Cowboys were able to avoid being shut out when they scored a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter.
The victory would be Ohio State’s third straight bowl victory. Ross rushed for 99 yards in the game, but the big story was Ginn. The speedster caught six passes for 78 yards, and added 51 yards rushing.
The win over Oklahoma State set high expectations for the Buckeyes in 2005. Not only would Smith be available after the first game of the season, also in the mix were Ted Ginn Jr., leading receiver Santonio Holmes, and a trio of outstanding linebackers led by A.J. Hawk, who registered 141 tackles in 2004.
Ohio State would unfortunately lose hotly contested games to Texas and Penn State, but they would beat Michigan and go on to defeat Notre Dame 34-20 in the Fiesta Bowl. Smith would go on to win the Heisman Trophy in 2006, leading the Buckeyes to the BCS National Championship Game against Florida.
Just five days after losing to Ohio State in the Alamo Bowl, Les Miles would agree to take the LSU job. Taking over for Miles was offensive coordinator Mike Gundy, who is still the head coach of the Cowboys. In his first season as head coach in 2005, Gundy’s Oklahoma State squad would go just 4-7, which would end up being their last losing season before posting a 3-9 record in 2024.
Miles would get his revenge on Tressel and Ohio State when he led LSU to a win in the 2008 BCS National Championship Game.
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Even though they were without quarterback Troy Smith, the Buckeyes overwhelmed the Cowboys in San Antonio.
While we’ll have plenty of content this offseason about the upcoming Ohio State football team, I figured it would be fun to pay some respect to Buckeye teams of the past. A great way to do that would be to look back on random Ohio State bowl game wins.
The Buckeyes are 30-29 in bowl games over the years, so there are more than enough bowl game victories to pick away at each week. Before you know it it’ll be late August and it’ll be time to turn our full attention to the season opener against the Texas Longhorns!
The 2004 season felt like a good place to start since it was a bit of a transitional year for Ohio State. The Buckeyes were coming off two phenomenal seasons, beating Miami to win the BCS National Championship at the end of the 2002 season, followed by an 11-2 season and a win in the Fiesta Bowl over Kansas State in 2003.
2004 wasn’t quite as smooth since quarterback Craig Krenzel had exhausted his eligibility, meaning there was going to be a new starting quarterback in Columbus.
Highly touted recruit Justin Zwick got the first crack at trying to fill Krenzel’s shoes. Early on things went well, as the Buckeyes got off to a 3-0 start with wins over Cincinnati, Marshall, and NC State. Ohio State hit a rough patch in October, dropping three straight games to Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Iowa.
To make matters even worse at the time, Zwick was injured in the Iowa game, leaving Troy Smith to take the snaps at quarterback.
Even though you’re never rooting for a player to get injured, Smith replacing Zwick due to injury might have been a bit of a blessing considering what Smith would do in the 2005 and 2006 seasons. The future Heisman Trophy winner would go on to win four of five starts to close out the regular season, including a 37-21 victory over rival Michigan in Columbus.
With the victory over the Wolverines, Ohio State would finish the regular season with a 7-4 record.
After accepting a bid to the Alamo Bowl to play Oklahoma State, Jim Tressel announced they would be without Smith in San Antonio after the quarterback was suspended for an unspecified team rules violation. The suspension would eventually be extended to the first game of the 2005 season when it was revealed Smith accepted $500 from a booster.
With Smith unavailable to play, Zwick would get another chance to state his case to be the team’s starting quarterback in the second game of the 2005 season when the Buckeyes would host the Texas Longhorns.
The opponent for Ohio State would be Les Miles and the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Like the Buckeyes, the Cowboys entered the Alamo Bowl with a 7-4 record. Oklahoma State started off the season strong, beating UCLA at the Rose Bowl on their way to five straight wins to open 2004.
Unfortunately for the Cowboys, they would lose four of their last six regular season games. Oklahoma State almost created some waves in the BCS when they narrowly lost to Oklahoma in Stillwater, falling to the rival Sooners 38-35 in Bedlam.
Quarterbacking the Oklahoma State offense was Donovan Woods, but the bread and butter of the offense was their running game with Vernand Morency, who ran for 1,474 yards and 12 touchdowns. Woods added 10 scores on the ground, while throwing for 13 touchdowns.
D’Juan Woods was the top threat for the Cowboys at wide receiver, with Prentiss Elliott and Billy Bajema proving to be reliable options when Woods decided to throw the ball.
The suspension of Smith was a big storyline heading into the Alamo Bowl, but there was also talk of head coach Les Miles leaving Stillwater for greener pastures. Early on it became obvious that the Buckeyes were the more focused team in San Antonio, jumping out to a 7-0 lead when Zwick found Anthony Gonzalez for a 23-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
Ohio State would slowly extend the lead throughout the first half, using three Mike Nugent field goals and a Lydell Ross touchdown to take a 23-0 lead into halftime.
With such a big lead, the Buckeyes were essentially on cruise control the rest of the game. Ted Ginn Jr. ran for a touchdown and Nugent kicked his fourth field goal of the game before the Cowboys were able to avoid being shut out when they scored a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter.
The victory would be Ohio State’s third straight bowl victory. Ross rushed for 99 yards in the game, but the big story was Ginn. The speedster caught six passes for 78 yards, and added 51 yards rushing.
Aftermath
The win over Oklahoma State set high expectations for the Buckeyes in 2005. Not only would Smith be available after the first game of the season, also in the mix were Ted Ginn Jr., leading receiver Santonio Holmes, and a trio of outstanding linebackers led by A.J. Hawk, who registered 141 tackles in 2004.
Ohio State would unfortunately lose hotly contested games to Texas and Penn State, but they would beat Michigan and go on to defeat Notre Dame 34-20 in the Fiesta Bowl. Smith would go on to win the Heisman Trophy in 2006, leading the Buckeyes to the BCS National Championship Game against Florida.
Just five days after losing to Ohio State in the Alamo Bowl, Les Miles would agree to take the LSU job. Taking over for Miles was offensive coordinator Mike Gundy, who is still the head coach of the Cowboys. In his first season as head coach in 2005, Gundy’s Oklahoma State squad would go just 4-7, which would end up being their last losing season before posting a 3-9 record in 2024.
Miles would get his revenge on Tressel and Ohio State when he led LSU to a win in the 2008 BCS National Championship Game.
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LGHL Ohio State Women’s March Madness Memories: Buckeyes ground Hawkeyes in Final Four overtime
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Ohio State Women’s March Madness Memories: Buckeyes ground Hawkeyes in Final Four overtime
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Harry Baumert/Register File Photo
Ohio State beat Iowa in 1993 thanks in part to the public address announcer in Atlanta, Georgia.
Coaches will do anything to get a competitive advantage. Watch during a game and they are just as much a lobbyist with the referees as they are giving instruction to the five players on the court.
In 1993, Iowa women’s basketball head coach C. Vivian Stringer thought there were heinous intentions when Ohio State women’s basketball floor announcer Wendy Craver earned the same job at the NCAA Tournament Final Four.
“It bothers me a great deal. The NCAA says that it’s supposed to be fair, that everyone should have equal opportunity,” said Stringer. “Even though I’m sure this lady is a great professional, I think that if there’s any slight hint of a comfort zone for any particular team, then that should be taken away.”
“I haven’t officially filed a protest yet,” said Stringer. “But we are looking into it.
The Iowa coach did not pursue any protest, going on to say it was not going to impact her team. Maybe it was because, oddly enough, the Buckeyes’ locker room in Atlanta’s Omni Center was painted pink, exactly like the Hawkeyes’ visiting locker room.
At that point in the season, Iowa was looking for help against the Buckeyes, especially in the Final Four where both sides were the first Big Ten teams to make it that far in the 10-year old NCAA women’s basketball tournament.
Ohio State lost seven games in a row against Iowa before March 7, 1993. That is when guard Katie Smith propelled the Buckeyes to a win that not only snapped the streak, but put the program back into the conversation for the Big Ten regular season title.
Smith scored 25 points with eight rebounds, including seven points in the latter parts of the second half, to upset the No. 2 Hawkeyes at St. John Arena.
The victory cut Iowa’s one and a half game lead down to one half, and Ohio State had one more game left in the season than the Hawkeyes. Both teams won out and for the third time in the first 11 years of the Big Ten sponsoring women’s basketball, Iowa and Ohio State shared the regular season crown.
At this point in the postseason, the regular season was a distant memory. Ohio State and Iowa were focused on the Final Four, with the winner being the first Big Ten team to make the National Championship game.
“All I know is that this game is not for the Big Ten championship,” said Ohio State head coach Nancy Darsch. “This is for Ohio State to play for the national championship.”
Distracting from the game itself was another accolade for Smith. In the days leading up to the April 4th matchup against the Hawkeyes, Smith earned a spot on the All-American team, becoming the fourth freshman to do it alongside USC Trojan Cheryl Miller, UCLA Bruin Ann Meyers and Kansas Jayhawk Lynette Woodard.
That meant Smith was pulled in every which way to do interviews with the media, ranging from the usual sports outlets to even MTV, when the channel still played music videos.
“This week has been worse than any time in my life,” said Smith. “It’s really been hard to actually focus with all this going on.”
When the going got tough for Smith, the Lancaster, Ohio native fell back on the team. All season, regardless of the class year of the athlete, the Buckeyes pushed each other. When they were not competing in practice or against opponents, sophomore bench point guard Alysiah Bond wrote and performed raps for the team to keep her teammates loose.
“I’d love to please everybody, but it just can’t happen,” said Smith. “But as long as we’ve been winning and everyone’s happy playing team ball, that has really made things a lot more fun for me.”
Call it compliments, or call it increasing the pressure on a freshman, but coach Stringer laid on the praise for Smith thick.
“I was just telling my team that the difference in Ohio State last year and this year is just tremendous. They have really played with a lot more confidence than in the past. But that confidence begins with Katie Smith,” said Stringer. “She is one of those players that are capable of making others around her so much better, because she’s able to do so many things, inside and out. She can post you down low. She’s got a tremendously strong body and if she gets a half-foot in front of you, there’s no way you’re going to stay with her because her body is so strong.”
When it finally came to play the National Semifinal, the wear on Smith was clear and Iowa defended the freshman well. Fortunately for Ohio State, Smith’s teammates made the game a lot more fun.
In front of 16,141 attendees in Atlanta, guard Averrill Roberts led the team like a senior. The Buckeyes forced 25 turnovers in the game, with a career high eight steals from Roberts, including a team high 16 points.
“I honestly have not played well against the Hawkeyes,” said Roberts. “But today the situation was do or die.”
During the regular season, Roberts shot 6-of-18 from the floor when facing the Hawkeyes. In two games, the guard averaged nine points. Despite the tough performances, Stringer was not surprised.
“My biggest concern has always been Averrill [Roberts],” said Stringer. “I’ve seen a lot of their tapes and I know what she can do.”
Senior forward Nikki Keyton, who averaged six rebounds per game in her final season, had a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds, six of which came on the offensive end of the court.
Ohio State took a four-point lead into halftime, an advantage the Buckeyes extended to eight in the second half, but Stringer’s side was not letting up. The Hawkeyes cut the lead, and went ahead, thanks to play inside the paint. Iowa attacked the basket and made the best of their opportunities inside. Junior forward Tia Jackson hurt the Buckeyes the most, going 10-of-17 from the floor (all from two-point range) and grabbed 10 rebounds, with four on the offensive boards.
With 1:28 remaining, guard Laurie Aaron drove to the basket and put the Hawkeyes up 61-59. Although Smith had a quiet game to her standards with 11 points and five rebounds, the freshman stepped up and confirmed all of Stringer’s words with a game-tying layup with 10 seconds remaining.
“I didn’t know how many seconds were left,” said Smith.
“On certain plays they [Ohio State coaches] want me to post up,” said Smith. “I knew there were people around me, but I thought I had the best opportunity to score.”
Smith got the ball to the baseline, faked to one side and then split a pair of Iowa defenders to put the two teams even at the end of regulation.
In overtime, Keyton put the game away from the free throw line. The Buckeyes, normally a good free throw shooting team, struggled against the Virginia Cavaliers in the Elite Eight and also against Iowa in the Final Four. Ohio State shot 10-of-18 from the line in regular, but went 3-of-5 in overtime.
Aaron got the ball again with the final possession and the Buckeyes up 73-72 but the guard tripped on her own teammate’s foot when trying to move around a screen. With the ball loose, Roberts jumped onto the ball and held on with 2.5 seconds left, the last possession of the game that sealed the win for the Buckeyes.
That game was the first, and only, Final Four appearance and victory for the Scarlet and Gray in what is now 29 times playing in the NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes moved on to face phenom Sheryl Swoopes and the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the championship game where Swoopes scored a record 47 points in a tournament final.
Smith had 28 points and 11 rebounds in the 84-82 loss. The Buckeyes would not play another NCAA Tournament game for three years, ending in the Second Round in a lopsided 97-65 defeat to the Tennessee Volunteers led by Darsch’s former boss Pat Summitt.
Even so, the victory for Ohio State against Iowa is a game that brings up fond memories for Buckeye fans. Now, after a successful playing and coaching career in the ABL and WNBA, Smith sits on the Ohio State bench as an assistant coach. In nearly every game, fans come up to her before games to talk and take pictures.
The local phenom stayed close to home, and to this day Smith shows fans what could still be with Ohio State women’s basketball.
All quotes and game details from the Columbus Dispatch and Lantern historical databases. Statistics from College Basketball Reference and ESPN.
Catch up on all the March Madness memories as Land-Grant Holy Land gets you ready for Ohio State women’s basketball and the 2025 NCAA Tournament:
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Harry Baumert/Register File Photo
Ohio State beat Iowa in 1993 thanks in part to the public address announcer in Atlanta, Georgia.
Coaches will do anything to get a competitive advantage. Watch during a game and they are just as much a lobbyist with the referees as they are giving instruction to the five players on the court.
In 1993, Iowa women’s basketball head coach C. Vivian Stringer thought there were heinous intentions when Ohio State women’s basketball floor announcer Wendy Craver earned the same job at the NCAA Tournament Final Four.
“It bothers me a great deal. The NCAA says that it’s supposed to be fair, that everyone should have equal opportunity,” said Stringer. “Even though I’m sure this lady is a great professional, I think that if there’s any slight hint of a comfort zone for any particular team, then that should be taken away.”
“I haven’t officially filed a protest yet,” said Stringer. “But we are looking into it.
The Iowa coach did not pursue any protest, going on to say it was not going to impact her team. Maybe it was because, oddly enough, the Buckeyes’ locker room in Atlanta’s Omni Center was painted pink, exactly like the Hawkeyes’ visiting locker room.
At that point in the season, Iowa was looking for help against the Buckeyes, especially in the Final Four where both sides were the first Big Ten teams to make it that far in the 10-year old NCAA women’s basketball tournament.
Ohio State lost seven games in a row against Iowa before March 7, 1993. That is when guard Katie Smith propelled the Buckeyes to a win that not only snapped the streak, but put the program back into the conversation for the Big Ten regular season title.
Smith scored 25 points with eight rebounds, including seven points in the latter parts of the second half, to upset the No. 2 Hawkeyes at St. John Arena.
The victory cut Iowa’s one and a half game lead down to one half, and Ohio State had one more game left in the season than the Hawkeyes. Both teams won out and for the third time in the first 11 years of the Big Ten sponsoring women’s basketball, Iowa and Ohio State shared the regular season crown.
At this point in the postseason, the regular season was a distant memory. Ohio State and Iowa were focused on the Final Four, with the winner being the first Big Ten team to make the National Championship game.
“All I know is that this game is not for the Big Ten championship,” said Ohio State head coach Nancy Darsch. “This is for Ohio State to play for the national championship.”
Distracting from the game itself was another accolade for Smith. In the days leading up to the April 4th matchup against the Hawkeyes, Smith earned a spot on the All-American team, becoming the fourth freshman to do it alongside USC Trojan Cheryl Miller, UCLA Bruin Ann Meyers and Kansas Jayhawk Lynette Woodard.
That meant Smith was pulled in every which way to do interviews with the media, ranging from the usual sports outlets to even MTV, when the channel still played music videos.
“This week has been worse than any time in my life,” said Smith. “It’s really been hard to actually focus with all this going on.”
When the going got tough for Smith, the Lancaster, Ohio native fell back on the team. All season, regardless of the class year of the athlete, the Buckeyes pushed each other. When they were not competing in practice or against opponents, sophomore bench point guard Alysiah Bond wrote and performed raps for the team to keep her teammates loose.
“I’d love to please everybody, but it just can’t happen,” said Smith. “But as long as we’ve been winning and everyone’s happy playing team ball, that has really made things a lot more fun for me.”
Call it compliments, or call it increasing the pressure on a freshman, but coach Stringer laid on the praise for Smith thick.
“I was just telling my team that the difference in Ohio State last year and this year is just tremendous. They have really played with a lot more confidence than in the past. But that confidence begins with Katie Smith,” said Stringer. “She is one of those players that are capable of making others around her so much better, because she’s able to do so many things, inside and out. She can post you down low. She’s got a tremendously strong body and if she gets a half-foot in front of you, there’s no way you’re going to stay with her because her body is so strong.”
When it finally came to play the National Semifinal, the wear on Smith was clear and Iowa defended the freshman well. Fortunately for Ohio State, Smith’s teammates made the game a lot more fun.
In front of 16,141 attendees in Atlanta, guard Averrill Roberts led the team like a senior. The Buckeyes forced 25 turnovers in the game, with a career high eight steals from Roberts, including a team high 16 points.
“I honestly have not played well against the Hawkeyes,” said Roberts. “But today the situation was do or die.”
During the regular season, Roberts shot 6-of-18 from the floor when facing the Hawkeyes. In two games, the guard averaged nine points. Despite the tough performances, Stringer was not surprised.
“My biggest concern has always been Averrill [Roberts],” said Stringer. “I’ve seen a lot of their tapes and I know what she can do.”
Senior forward Nikki Keyton, who averaged six rebounds per game in her final season, had a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds, six of which came on the offensive end of the court.
Ohio State took a four-point lead into halftime, an advantage the Buckeyes extended to eight in the second half, but Stringer’s side was not letting up. The Hawkeyes cut the lead, and went ahead, thanks to play inside the paint. Iowa attacked the basket and made the best of their opportunities inside. Junior forward Tia Jackson hurt the Buckeyes the most, going 10-of-17 from the floor (all from two-point range) and grabbed 10 rebounds, with four on the offensive boards.
With 1:28 remaining, guard Laurie Aaron drove to the basket and put the Hawkeyes up 61-59. Although Smith had a quiet game to her standards with 11 points and five rebounds, the freshman stepped up and confirmed all of Stringer’s words with a game-tying layup with 10 seconds remaining.
“I didn’t know how many seconds were left,” said Smith.
“On certain plays they [Ohio State coaches] want me to post up,” said Smith. “I knew there were people around me, but I thought I had the best opportunity to score.”
Smith got the ball to the baseline, faked to one side and then split a pair of Iowa defenders to put the two teams even at the end of regulation.
In overtime, Keyton put the game away from the free throw line. The Buckeyes, normally a good free throw shooting team, struggled against the Virginia Cavaliers in the Elite Eight and also against Iowa in the Final Four. Ohio State shot 10-of-18 from the line in regular, but went 3-of-5 in overtime.
Aaron got the ball again with the final possession and the Buckeyes up 73-72 but the guard tripped on her own teammate’s foot when trying to move around a screen. With the ball loose, Roberts jumped onto the ball and held on with 2.5 seconds left, the last possession of the game that sealed the win for the Buckeyes.
That game was the first, and only, Final Four appearance and victory for the Scarlet and Gray in what is now 29 times playing in the NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes moved on to face phenom Sheryl Swoopes and the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the championship game where Swoopes scored a record 47 points in a tournament final.
Smith had 28 points and 11 rebounds in the 84-82 loss. The Buckeyes would not play another NCAA Tournament game for three years, ending in the Second Round in a lopsided 97-65 defeat to the Tennessee Volunteers led by Darsch’s former boss Pat Summitt.
Even so, the victory for Ohio State against Iowa is a game that brings up fond memories for Buckeye fans. Now, after a successful playing and coaching career in the ABL and WNBA, Smith sits on the Ohio State bench as an assistant coach. In nearly every game, fans come up to her before games to talk and take pictures.
The local phenom stayed close to home, and to this day Smith shows fans what could still be with Ohio State women’s basketball.
All quotes and game details from the Columbus Dispatch and Lantern historical databases. Statistics from College Basketball Reference and ESPN.
Catch up on all the March Madness memories as Land-Grant Holy Land gets you ready for Ohio State women’s basketball and the 2025 NCAA Tournament:
- Kelsey Mitchell’s 45-point game
- Francine ‘The Machine’ Lewis, Buckeyes’ first tournament wins
- Jessica Davenport’s perfect day
- Ohio State takes down UConn
- Tracey Hall leads Buckeyes in California
- “I’m glad I didn’t go to Virginia”
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