LGHL Visiting Locker Room: Onward Sports on Ashley Owusu, Ohio State women’s basketball vs. Penn State

[ThomasCostello]

Visiting Locker Room: Onward Sports on Ashley Owusu, Ohio State women’s basketball vs. Penn State
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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The Buckeyes and Nittany Lions face off for the second time this season, and it’s hard to tell which Penn State team will show up in Rec Hall

Ohio State women’s basketball returns to the court Thursday night for the first time since Feb. 14. The eight days of rest ends in Happy Valley, where the Buckeyes take on a side that took the Scarlet and Gray to overtime in December: The Penn State Nittany Lions.

The blue and white of Penn State is a different side than that Dec. 10 afternoon in Columbus. It added an All-American off the injury report, went on a six-game winning streak and put itself back into the conversation for a spot in March Madness.

Then things changed.

To talk about the Penn State Buckeye fans can expect, Land-Grant Holy Land talked with Michael Siroty of Onward State. Siroty discusses Owusu’s impact, where things are going wrong and playing in Rec Hall for the first time in 28 years.

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Land-Grant Holy Land: For the first half of the season, the question was, “when will Ashley Owusu play?” Now that Owusu is on the court, how is she contributing?

Onward Sports: There were a lot of questions surrounding Owusu and when she would make her Penn State debut, which ended up happening on Jan. 14. With Owusu in the lineup, Penn State has become much more versatile offensively, as she adds another level of three-level scoring and facilitating.

Owusu has been credited by many of her teammates with setting them up for easy buckets by dropping passes right into their hands from all over the court. With her dribbling skills, Owusu is also extremely effective in creating space from defenders, giving the team a newfound ability to space the floor.

LGHL: After Owusu became active, the Nittany Lions sent on a six-game winning streak and Penn State looked like a team destined for NCAA postseason basketball. Since then, it’s been a five-game losing streak where Penn State is losing by an average of 11.6 points. What’s happened to the Nittany Lions?

OS: The last time the Lady Lions won was Jan. 31 against Minnesota, which was the same game in which guard Tay Valladay tore her meniscus and ACL. Despite not jumping out as a star player, Valladay was an important factor in Penn State’s midseason success, providing a spark defensively and on the glass.

Since Valladay went out with the injury, the team has lacked effort and toughness, and in the last five losses, their opponents have simply wanted it more. Penn State is giving up far too many easy layups down low, and is being careless on the offensive end with soft passes and poor communication.

LGHL: Penn State hasn’t been in the NCAA Tournament in 10 years. What does the side have to do to make it there this season, with the Nittany Lions projected right now hanging on to a spot in the bubble?

OS: In my eyes, Penn State has to win out and make a solid run in the Big Ten tournament to make the NCAA Tournament. Head coach Carolyn Kieger has been talking about making the tournament all season, and before the five-game skid, it looked like the Lady Lions would get there. However, this losing streak has severely lowered their chances of making the tournament.

Obviously, it starts with Ohio State, and beating the No. 2 team in the nation would be a massive resume builder this late in the season. After that, Penn State plays two teams it has already beat this year in Purdue and Minnesota, so this game against Ohio State is a make or break. If they don’t beat the Buckeyes, it might have to be an automatic qualifier that gets the Lady Lions into the tournament.

LGHL: Thursday’s game is special because it’s the first game for the team in Rec Hall in 28 years. What’s the team’s reaction to the change in venue, and do you think it can lift Penn State to pull off a shocking upset of the No. 2 Buckeyes?

OS: Earlier in the season, Kieger said Penn State is a very good team that deserved a higher attendance than it had been getting. This game being played at Rec Hall gives the team its best chance yet to play in front of a crowd that will energize the team. Rec Hall is a small atmosphere, and the sound will reflect directly onto the court, making it a very tough atmosphere to play in, especially against a rival.

As for pulling off an upset, it will take more than the crowd for Penn State to do so. If the Lady Lions play the way they have been over the last couple weeks, Ohio State will have no issue with the crowd. Despite that, I believe Kieger will have her team ready to bring more energy than it has been, and will make this a close game. In the end, though, I don’t see an upset happening.

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