The Ohio State women’s basketball team started the 2012 Big Ten tournament with a 57-48 victory against rival Michigan Friday.
OSU, the No. 2 seed in the tournament behind Penn State, had a first round bye before meeting the No. 7 seed Wolverines in the quarterfinal matchup. The win puts the Buckeyes into the semifinals where they will face the winner of the Iowa-Nebraska game.
In the first half, neither team held a definitive lead, with the biggest point differential being 5 points. OSU jumped out to an early 7-2 lead before Michigan regained it, 14-9, at 12:00 in the half. The seesaw battled continue for the remainder of the half, as the Buckeyes entered the locker room with a, 25-22, lead.
The second half saw the Buckeyes take full control of the lead. With 11:44 in the game, junior guard Tayler Hill scored on a fast break layup to put OSU ahead 43-29. Hill’s bucket was part of a 6-0 run for the Buckeyes. The lead was shortlived, however, and the Wolverines mounted there own offensive. Michigan senior Courtney Boylan hit a 3-point shot to bring with Wolverines within five points with 1:03 left in the game, but it was too little too late, as the Buckeyes held on for the 57-48 victory.
In the win, OSU senior guard Samantha Prahalis over took Northwestern’s Nancy Kennelly to become the all-time assist leader in the Big Ten. She only needed three more for title, but her five assists in Friday’s game surpassed Kennelly’s 892, who set the record from 1989-1993.
OSU was led in scoring by Hill, who had 19 points, while redshirt junior guard Amber Stokes followed with 12. The Wolverines were led by senior Carmen Reynolds with 14 points.
OSU’s next game is Saturday. Tip is set for 5 p.m.
