2010-2011 Lady Buckeyes Basketball (Big Ten Tournament Champions)

[LitlBuck]

Ohio State 74 Virginia 46

When the game ended, the Ohio State women's basketball team had earned the deep-sigh kind of satisfaction that comes from finishing a hard day at the office.

The reason showed, at least partially, on the scoreboard. The sixth-ranked Buckeyes defeated Virginia 74-46 in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge last night in St. John Arena.

The bruises said the rest because the artistry of the evening hardly resembled a landscape painting. It seemed more like putting two coats on four sides of a sizeable barn.

"I think it was really important for us to win this challenge," senior center Jantel Lavender said. "The ACC has a tendency to think that the teams in the Big Ten can't contend with them. I think we played physical and were able to do that."

Lavender led the Buckeyes (6-0) to their first win in four tries in the Challenge with 23 points and 13 rebounds. Her eighth rebound allowed her to pass Tracey Hall's career record of 1,115.

She heard the applause and smiled at halftime, but shrugged off the accomplishment.

"I just rebound," Lavender said.

She also had help. Samantha Prahalis contributed 14 points and eight assists, and Tayler Hill finished with 12 points and nine rebounds. Amber Stokes came off the bench late in the first half to help fuel a 12-2 run that lifted Ohio State to a 40-26 lead.

more
http://www.dispatch.com/live/conten...te-shows-its-up-to-the-challenge.html?sid=101

 

[Bestbuck36]

Great resiliency by the LadyBucks. Losing a player like Sam usually leads to a couple of L's regardless of the reasons.

Tough road wins and holding serve at home. Just what they needed. If they gel properly and continue to play hard, they have a very high ceiling this year.

 

[MolGenBuckeye]

Another great win tonight for the ladies, 95-84 over 11th ranked Oklahoma. This was a really fun game to see in person - pretty high level of play from both teams, and the game was within 5 points most of the way.

Jantel Lavender had 32 points, but still got outscored by a freshman from Oklahoma, who had 34. She fouled out with a few minutes left, and I found this quote from their coach:

"Yeah, they were glad she wasn't playing anymore," Coale cracked. "I don't think it was for the right reasons. Maybe. We'll give them the benefit of the doubt -- it is the holiday season."

Link

Gotta disagree with you there, coach. The crowd was very classy in giving her an appreciative round of applause...the tone was definitely different from the other two Oklahoma players who fouled out.

 

[Fungo Squiggly]

That was my take from watching on television, too. Definitely felt like an appreciative round of applause for a great performance.

Outstanding win. Lavender was fantastic. :)

 

[gbasketball]

Jantel Lavender had 32 points, but still got outscored by a freshman from Oklahoma, who had 34. She fouled out with a few minutes left, and I found this quote from their coach:



Good game Jantel - she kept OSU in the game. No need for the negative tone that she got outscored by a freshman:(. Wow!!!

Great game ladies keep up the good work!!!

 

[LitlBuck]

That was my take from watching on television, too. Definitely felt like an appreciative round of applause for a great performance.

Outstanding win. Lavender was fantastic. :)

Thought the same thing watching it on TV. I Thought the majority of the crowd got up and gave her a pretty good ovation. I wonder if she is always that good or had one of those can't miss games.

Our perimeter defense is going to have to get much better in order to stay with some of the upcoming opponents especially UConn.

 

[MolGenBuckeye]

Good game Jantel - she kept OSU in the game. No need for the negative tone that she got outscored by a freshman:(. Wow!!!

Great game ladies keep up the good work!!!

No harm done, but I think either I misspoke or you took my tone wrong! :( Trust me, I was far from meaning to sound negative - we attend almost all the ladies bball games, and are big Jantel fans. Her hook shots from the right block were ridiculous in the second half especially, and her long two late in the game was an absolute dagger! I was just commenting on what an amazing game #3 played for Oklahoma as well, and how out of the ordinary it was for

1. A true freshman to play that way, and
2. A tremendous 32 point performance to get one-upped (or two-upped, as it were)

Anyway, I think we're in agreement at the end of the day. Here's to another great season for the ladies! :cheers:

 

[gbasketball]

No harm done, but I think either I misspoke or you took my tone wrong! :( Trust me, I was far from meaning to sound negative - we attend almost all the ladies bball games, and are big Jantel fans. Her hook shots from the right block were ridiculous in the second half especially, and her long two late in the game was an absolute dagger! I was just commenting on what an amazing game #3 played for Oklahoma as well, and how out of the ordinary it was for

1. A true freshman to play that way, and
2. A tremendous 32 point performance to get one-upped (or two-upped, as it were)

Anyway, I think we're in agreement at the end of the day. Here's to another great season for the ladies! :cheers:

We are truly in agreement at the end of the day. They are playing basketball and I hope they go deep into the NCAA tourney this year.

GO LADY BUCKS!!!

Oh and the guys are doing a GREAT job right now as well!!!

 

[Buckskin86]

Ohio State spotlight: Aleksandra Dobranic
Friday, December 10, 2010
By Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

BAD WHEEL: Because of a fractured bone in her right foot, sophomore center Aleksandra Dobranic could only sit and watch as her Ohio State teammates played Oklahoma last Sunday in Value City Arena. (Neal C. Lauron | Dispatch)

Sport: Women's basketball

Vitals: 6 feet 4, sophomore

Hometown: Novi Sad, Serbia

Major: Business

The sounds of basketball lately have surrounded Aleksandra "Sasha" Dobranic in the practice gym at the Schottenstein Center in the tantalizing way of a parade passing a classroom during exam week.

While her Ohio State teammates surged up and down the court, Dobranic sat in a chair with her back to the action and worked on form shooting.

A stress fracture in her right foot already has ended the season for Dobranic, a 6-foot-4 sophomore center from Novi Sad, Serbia.

Coach Jim Foster plans to redshirt her even though she probably will return to practice next month. The decision means that Dobranic will have three seasons of eligibility remaining beginning in 2011-12.

"Which I really like," said Foster, watching a laughing Dobranic roll across the floor on her wheeled office chair. "A big player takes longer to develop. When she came over here last year, it was obvious that she had size. And I saw enough of her on film to know she had a touch. You can't teach size and you can't teach touch."

A coach also can only hope that a player fits within the program.

"She's a terrific kid," Foster said. "She's a very good person and she obviously has given up a lot to be here. She wants to be good."

Cont...

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/buckeyextra/stories/gameday/2010/week15/spotlight_buckeye.html

 

[lord vegas]

tOSU Women reflect on loss

Dispatch Article

 

[LitlBuck]

They play Connecticut on Sunday and I believe it is a nationally televised game. I sure hope that they show up better than they did against Syracuse or it will be pretty embarrassing. They have to start hitting from the outside against quality opponents or they are going to start getting. If the other team has someone that can neutralize Lavender, this team must hit their outside shots to be effective.

 

[Buckskin86]

Meet a Buckeye: Sarah Schulze
Friday, December 24, 2010
By Jim Massie
The Columbus Dispatch

Sarah Schulze, a two-year starter for the Ohio State women's basketball team, will earn a bachelor's degree in comparative studies after spring quarter. She recently recalled a special Christmas gift that she gave her father and brother five years ago at the family farm in Anna, Ohio:

Q: What was the Christmas surprise that you gave your family while you were being recruited?

A: I actually told my dad (Mark) and my brother (James) that I was leaning toward Penn State, because it was between Vanderbilt, Penn State and Ohio State. I told them that I didn't want to go to Ohio State. Secretly, I was talking to the coaches here. I even came on a visit with my mom (Jill) and didn't tell my dad and my brother. I took a picture with the coaches, put it in a frame and gave it to my dad and brother along with Ohio State T-shirts for Christmas. They were like, 'What is this?' I said, 'I committed to Ohio State.' They went crazy. They were so excited because they had always been Buckeye fans.

Q: Isn't your younger sister (Sam) a ball girl at home games this season?

A: Yeah, she loves it. She's 10 years younger than me. She is probably my No.1 fan. I think everyone in my family would claim that position, but I think Sam is.

Q: Does she play basketball?

A: She tries to. Right now she has a broken foot, so she is out for the season. Most of the stuff is on Sundays and we have games here, so she is always at my games. It's hindering her playing a little.

Q: What was it like growing up on a farm?

A: It's more like a mini-farm. When I was younger, my dad had a separate farm and a house. I took pigs to the fair. My dad would have some steers. We had a milk cow. We would do the milking and squirt milk at the cats. It was cool. It wasn't something to support our family. Now I have a horse. We make hay. My dad has two cows with calves (and) he gets steers in there now and then. So it's a hobby thing for my dad - he works at Honda. My mom works for a payroll company.

Q: What are you studying?

A: I specialize in religious studies; I learn about the world's religions. I just took a class this semester on the religions of India. It was learning about Hinduism and Islam. It's all sorts of stuff.

Q: What are you going to do with your degree?

A: That's up in the air right now. I know that I'm moving home after I graduate, and I want to do some mission work this summer. After that, I don't know. I might get a teaching certificate and teach at a Catholic school somewhere. I'm going wherever God takes me.

Q: What kind of mission work would you like to do?

A: I would like to work with children and orphanages. I have a good friend who goes to Haiti a lot. I would like to go a couple of times to Haiti. But I'm thinking a youth ministry.

Q: Are you happy you chose Ohio State?

A: It's sweet to be a Buckeye. Everywhere I go there are Ohio State people. It's just cool being part of something so much bigger than yourself.

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/buckeyextra/stories/gameday/2010/week17/meet.html

 

[leroyjenkins]

Ummm the Lady Buckeyes lost tonight 71-67 to Duquesne. I read that Foster didn't start Prahalis, but I'm not sure if she got in later in the game.

 

[buckeyeintn]

She was in at the end. They were up 7 late in the game and just couldn't hold the lead.

 

[LitlBuck]

Get embarrassed by UConn in the Garden and now get beat by Duquesne at home. I thought we were supposed to be better this year

By Jim Massie
Columbus Dispatch

There are different ways to be lost, ranging from a simple wrong turn to the sudden realization that the path in the pristine forest has led to an ocean of brambles with no exit in sight.

The Ohio State women's basketball team felt like it had wandered into the deepest, darkest set of woods imaginable last night after blowing an eight-point lead in the final 5:04 of the game and dropping a 71-67 decision to Duquesne in Value City Arena.

The 13th-ranked and plummeting Buckeyes (8-3) head into Big Ten play Thursday night at Michigan with a two-game losing streak and three beatings in their past four games. The Brothers Grimm never wrote a scarier story.
All-America center Jantel Lavender couldn't find the words to describe the feeling.

"I don't know," she said. "I don't know. I'm sorry."

Duquesne (10-3) trailed 63-55 after Lavender hit two free throws. The game, which had started sluggishly for the Buckeyes, finally looked headed toward the win column.

"I definitely thought we were going to pull it out," said Lavender, who finished with 21 points and nine rebounds. "We've been in games like that at LSU. I never thought we'd lose."

But the once-upon-a-time aspect of the final few minutes had a familiar feel to coach Jim Foster.

"Bad shots," he said. "We got into a good rhythm to get that lead as a result of good movement and some timely offensive rebounds. Then we took two or three quick shots (with) 24 seconds left on the shot clock instead of using ball movement."

Foster then turned the spotlight on himself.

"I've got to do a better job," he said. "Players aren't hearing what I'm saying. I think every player has to look at themselves and understand how coachable they are. No one individual is going to make us better."

More

He certainly does need to do a better job and if it's not coaching how about recruiting.