By Shawn Myrick. Photos by Nathan A. Smith.
UNIVERSITY PARK — A first-half run would not be enough to hold off the steady 3-point shooting of the No. 8 Buckeyes.
The Lady Lions (15-8, 7-6), who lead by as much as 15 points in the first half, would lose to the Buckeyes (23-3, 11-2) 86-73 in the BJC today. The once 23rd-ranked Lady Lions are now on a four-game losing streak.
“We have to get back to having a defensive focus and mindset,” said Penn State head coach Coquese Washington. “The first 19 games of the season, we were a much tougher defensive team than we have been the past two weeks.”
Ohio State, which went into this game first in Big Ten in 3-point percentage, shot 65.4 percent, 17-26, from behind the arc. Sophomore Samantha Prahalis and junior Brittany Johnson would combine for nine 3-pointers.
“When you play with us you have to pick your poison,” said Ohio State head coach Jim Foster. “We have some really good 3-point shooters.”
A 3-point shot by senior Tyra Grant at 15:43 in the first half gave the Lions an 11-8 lead. With the help of 18 Ohio State turnovers the Lions were able to hold the lead throughout the half and go into the locker room up 48-37.
“We played a great first half,” said Washington. “The intensity that we were playing with the first 30 minutes of the game, it is hard to sustain.”
Ohio State’s ability in the second half to shoot 69.2 percent from the 3-point line helped it to wear away at Penn State’s lead. A 3-pointer by senior Maria Moeller with 5:36 left would make the score 70-69 and give Ohio State its first second-half lead.
“We kind of ran out of gas the last eight minutes of the game,” said Washington “(We) did not have the energy to make the plays we needed to make.”
The Buckeyes outscored the Lions 16-2 and shot 75 percent from the field in the last five minutes of the game.
“They shot the ball great today,” said Grant. “We failed to execute on offense. We did not finish.”
Prahalis scored seven points in the last three minutes of the game helping the Buckeyes to pull away. The sophomore guard turned the ball over eight times in the first half, but was able to limit her turnovers to one in the second.
“You forget that she is so young,” said Foster. “What I like about her is she is a pretty quick study.”
Penn State’s Alex Bentley, who averages 11.5 points per game, scored 16 points in the first half. The freshman guard slowed down in the second half and only scored four more points.
“Maybe she is hitting that freshman wall,” said Washington. “I do not think (Shavelle) Little disrupted her. I think she ran out of gas.”
The Lions went into this game third in the Big Ten, but dropped to fifth after the loss. The Lions’ next game will be against Minnesota in the Bryce Jordan Center on Thursday.
Washington is disappointed in the team’s defensive performance in the last four games, but is positive about the team’s future.
“We have to dig down and find the grit and determination,” said Washington. “Night in and night out we show up and we fight.
“I am definitely optimistic that we will continue to fight for the rest of the season.”
