Lavender leads Ohio State women past Purdue
AP / John Terhune, Journal & Courier
Ohio State's Sarah Schulze (43) and Shavelle Little (20) box out Purdue's Alex Guyton during a college basketball game Sunday in West Lafayette, Ind. Ohio State beat Purdue 71-60.
The Associated Press
Posted Jan 25, 2009 @ 10:32 PM
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. ?
Ohio State?s defense dominated the first half, then the 19th-ranked Buckeyes held on to beat Purdue 71-60 today and move into sole possession of first place in the Big Ten.
Purdue made just one field goal in the first nine minutes. The Buckeyes led 35-16 at halftime as Purdue barely missed producing its lowest-scoring half in school history.
Jantel Lavender, who led the Buckeyes with 21 points, said Shavelle Little?s defensive pressure against Purdue?s guards got the Buckeyes going.
?I think that kind of got their guards out of synch,? Lavender said. ?I think her being at the top playing so aggressively was the major start of our defense. Everybody was really intense today, the wings were denying. I think that flowed to everyone on the floor.?
Ohio State (16-3, 7-1 Big Ten) held Purdue to 5-for-18 shooting in the first half and forced 14 turnovers.
Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton, Purdue?s leading scorer, played just eight minutes in the first half because of foul trouble. She scored all 16 of her points in the second half, but she was disappointed that she couldn?t help the Boilermakers through their early struggles.
?I let myself down, let my team down getting in foul trouble early. Dumb fouls. I need to be out there on the court for my team.?
Purdue coach Sharon Versyp credited Ohio State?s defense, but also said her guards played tentatively and her posts didn?t finish.
?We had shots, we had layups down low, we had open looks, and you?ve got to knock, not all of them, but a couple of them down, and then it kind of elevates you a little bit.?
Samantha Prahalis had 13 points and six assists and Ashlee Trebilcock added 12 points for the Buckeyes.
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