Lady Bucks Basketball Thread

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

OSU-Syracuse preview

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 3:05 AM




OHIO STATE VS. SYRACUSE

7 tonight
? Where: Value City Arena
? TV: None
? Radio: WOSU-AM (820)
? Records: Ohio State 2-0; Syracuse 2-0.
? Matchup to watch: Keep an eye on the perimeter. Syracuse plays zone defense, and Ohio State has yet to find a consistent three-point threat. Freshman Samantha Prahalis has hit 3 of 4 from beyond the arc. The rest of the team is 3 of 17. Crisp ball movement and a three-pointer mixed in occasionally would make life easier on the block for center Jantel Lavender.

Continued............

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Women's basketball: Buckeyes move into the fast lane
Foster sees the key to great teams: getting up and down the court
Wednesday, November 19, 2008 3:14 AM
By Jim Massie


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

COURTNEY HERGESHEIMER Dispatch
Alison Jackson, right, is part of Ohio State coach Jim Foster's emphasis on speed in his recent recruiting classes.




The reshaping of the Ohio State women's basketball team really began in earnest two years ago with the recruiting class of Jantel Lavender, Alison Jackson, Brittany Johnson and Sarah Schulze.
After dominating the Big Ten for three seasons behind All-American center Jessica Davenport and all-conference guard Brandie Hoskins, coach Jim Foster wanted a quicker team that could run like the elite programs in the Southeastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference and Big East.
"I think the whole Big Ten is in need of more speed and quickness if it is going to change," Foster said. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to look around at some of these other leagues to see what is different about them."

Continued.............

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

OSU women: Keys to the season

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 3:14 AM
By Jim Massie


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Courtney Hergesheimer | Dispatch
Sophomore Jantel Lavender will carry much of the weight of Ohio State expectations for a fifth straight Big Ten regular-season title.


Key offensive player

The offense runs through sophomore center Jantel Lavender, so every Ohio State opponent will throw the kitchen sink, stove, refrigerator and dishwasher at her defensively. The first-ever Big Ten Freshman and Player of the Year in the same season, Lavender looks prepared for the challenge. She has added some muscle to her 6-foot-4 frame to go with a three-point shot. The Buckeyes will need every bit of the 17.9 points and 9.9 rebounds she averaged last season to stay atop the conference standings.

Continued...........

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

OSU women: New faces

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 3:14 AM
By Jim Massies


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH



Samantha Prahalis

Freshman guard

A McDonald's All-American her senior season at Commack (N.Y.) High School, Prahalis also was the Gatorade player of the year in the state. She averaged 30.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 7.2 steals as a senior. She finished her prep career with 2,372 points. Over the summer, the 5-foot-7 Prahalis played for the USA Basketball gold-medal team in the FIBA Under-18 Americas Championships. Bret McCormick of All Star Girls Report touts Prahalis as the best passer in the incoming freshman class.

Continued............

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Small world, Syracuse vs. Ohio State

Ohio State freshman point guard Sammy Prahalis, a native New Yorker, is well acquainted with the Syracuse team that plays the Buckeyes at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Value City Arena.
Prahalis played club ball in New York City with Orange players Erica Morrow, Shakeya Leary and Tasha Harris. She considers them friends. She also knows Nicola Michael. Prahalis expects a challenge along the lines posed by Butler in the season opener.
"They're athletic," she said. "The girls on Butler were pretty athletic so they're like them. And they can shoot the ball. That is basically it."


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[Padraig]

Man! I wish they'd start showing the Lady Bucks on T.V. I'd love to see them play, but I don't have the internet at home.

 

[Best Buckeye]

Lavenders double double Leads the lady BUckeyes to a 78 - 71 win tonight over Syracuse.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Jantel Lavender had 22 points and 10 rebounds, Samantha Prahalis added 17 points and Brittany Johnson scored 15 to lead Ohio State (No. 18 ESPN/USA Today, No. 17 AP) to a 78-71 victory over Syracuse on Wednesday night.

ESPN

Great Job by the Ladies .
Go Buckeyes
Go Buckeyes
Go Buckeyes

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Getting to know Sammy Prahalis

I covered a major league baseball pitcher one season in Cincinnati, who shall remain nameless. He seemed to never make a mistake in a loss. The umpire that night squeezed the strike zone or another one missed a call on the bases. A batter or two somehow hit a seeing-eye single on a good pitch. Somebody made an error behind him.
Another pitcher on the team, his name is Paul Wilson, would lose a 1-0 game and greet reporters with an apology. "I didn't do my job tonight," he'd say. Told he had no run support, he would shake his head. "I had to hold them to no runs," he'd reply. Wilson's teammates loved him. The other guy not so much.


Continued................

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

No. 17 Ohio State 78 Syracuse 71
Buckeyes show some true grit in physical win
Ohio State answers call after Syracuse turns up the heat in second half
Thursday, November 20, 2008 3:25 AM
By Jim Massie


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Chris Russell Dispatch
Jantel Lavender, right, of Ohio State and Troya Berry of Syracuse tumble to the court to get a loose ball.

Chris Russell Dispatch
Ohio State's Andrea Walker is closely guarded by Syracuse's Chandrea Jones while trying to move the ball up the court.




A tough, well-coached Syracuse women's basketball team came into Value City Arena last night with some questions for 17th-ranked Ohio State.
What followed was a Big East/Big Ten slugfest that was no place for the timid. OSU sophomore guard Alison Jackson needed a standing eight count after a second-half tumble under the basket.
Orange forward Nicole Michael took a harder fall later in the game when Buckeyes sophomore center Jantel Lavender ripped a rebound away from her. Michael left the game with 3:50 remaining, but her teammates never stopped attacking until the buzzer showed OSU with a 78-71 edge and answer.

Continued..............

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Scout.com (Free)

Johnson Helps Shoot Buckeyes Past Syracuse.............by Marcus Hartman.

:scum4:

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

OSU women top Syracuse

Posted by [URL="http://blog.cleveland.com/sports/about.html"]From wire reports[/URL] November 20, 2008 08:17AM

AP Photo/Paul VernonOhio State's Jantel Lavender, left, knocks Syracuse's Nicole Michael to the floor as they fight for a ball during the second half of a NCAA college basketball game at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2008. Ohio State won 78-71.


The learning curve continues for No. 17 Ohio State. Jantel Lavender had 22 points and 10 rebounds, Samantha Prahalis added 17 points and Brittany Johnson scored 15 to lead the Buckeyes (3-0) to a 78-71 victory over Syracuse (2-1) on Wednesday night in Columbus.
"Tonight was about learning," coach Jim Foster said. "This was a good team that knew what they were doing."
Lavender, a Cleveland Central Catholic grad and last year's freshman and player of the year
in the Big Ten, hit 9 of 10 shots from the field.

Continued...............

 

[MolGenBuckeye]

Got to go see the women for the first time last night, along with what looked like about 500 other fans. You know it's bad when the usher tells you to sit wherever you want. :)

We may be in for a year of growth, if that game was an indicator. Lots of sloppy passes, and some pretty soft interior defense at times. Star Allen got in foul trouble early, which might have hurt inside.

Prahalis was fun to watch. Lots of energy, looked like a good outside shot, and one sick behind the back pass on a break. She also threw some ill-advised no-look passes in traffic, but hopefully those will go away with experience.

Edit - Also hope their girl is okay who took a hard fall late in the game. Lavender tied her up, and essentially threw her to the floor by pulling the ball. She was on the ground for probably 5 minutes before they helped her off. Maybe a concussion? We could hear her hit the ground from the other end of the arena. :(

 

[LitlBuck]

Got to go see the women for the first time last night, along with what looked like about 500 other fans. You know it's bad when the usher tells you to sit wherever you want. :)

We may be in for a year of growth, if that game was an indicator. Lots of sloppy passes, and some pretty soft interior defense at times. Star Allen got in foul trouble early, which might have hurt inside.

Prahalis was fun to watch. Lots of energy, looked like a good outside shot, and one sick behind the back pass on a break. She also threw some ill-advised no-look passes in traffic, but hopefully those will go away with experience.

Edit - Also hope their girl is okay who took a hard fall late in the game. Lavender tied her up, and essentially threw her to the floor by pulling the ball. She was on the ground for probably 5 minutes before they helped her off. Maybe a concussion? We could hear her hit the ground from the other end of the arena. :(

I listened to the game on radio while watching a football game and it sounded like they were pretty sloppy put Syracuse is supposed to be a pretty good team and the Buckeyes are still pretty young usually having 1 freshman and 3 sophomores on the floor.

The announcers almost came through the radio when Sam through that behind the back pass to Lavender on that fast break.

They were also pretty shocked that no Syracuse trainers came to the assistance of the Syracuse player who bounced her face on the floor. From what I heard, the coach didn't even come to her aid.

 

[MolGenBuckeye]

The announcers almost came through the radio when Sam through that behind the back pass to Lavender on that fast break.

As well they should have. :)

They were also pretty shocked that no Syracuse trainers came to the assistance of the Syracuse player who bounced her face on the floor. From what I heard, the coach didn't even come to her aid.

Yeah, it was weird! She tried to get up, but fell down again, and then was just on her hands and knees. The trainers eventually came out, but never had her lie down or anything. I didn't happen to see if the coach came out. Then the buzzer sounded to end the timeout, as if they were just going to play around her.

Also, FWIW, I'm not so sure about the new scoreboard/lighting system in the Schott. It's a little too "pro-style" for me, with spotlights on the players as they get introduced and all.

 

[LitlBuck]

Also, FWIW, I'm not so sure about the new scoreboard/lighting system in the Schott. It's a little too "pro-style" for me, with spotlights on the players as they get introduced and all.

I am pretty sure, but not positive, that they use spotlights during the men's introductions last year. I know what you mean about the scoreboard. Those things can almost take away from the "college" atmosphere.