The largest home crowd of the season showed up to watch the Ohio State women’s basketball team take on Kentucky, and junior guard Marscilla Packer made sure Buckeye fans went home happy.
Packer hit a short jumper with 16 seconds remaining, and OSU defeated UK (12-4, 1-0 SEC) 53-51 in the final non-conference game of the season Saturday at the Schottenstein Center.
“It was crazy,” Packer said. “It came just like a drill we do in practice everyday. I took it in for a two-dribble jumper, stayed with my follow through and stuck it.”
With the win, the Buckeyes (13-1, 2-0 Big Ten) snapped the Wildcats’ eight-game winning streak and extended their home winning streak to 22 games.
Senior center Jessica Davenport finished with her 41st career double-double, scoring a team-high 24 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
“(Davenport) has grown to the point that she can score over either shoulder,” OSU coach Jim Foster said. “She can reverse and use the glass. There’s not many new looks you can throw at her at this point in her senior year.”
Senior guard Brandie Hoskins scored 15 points and dished out a team-high five assists.
“Brandie is good at dribbling and creating for other players,” Davenport said.
The Wildcats got a strong performance from junior center Sarah Elliott. She scored a team-high 18 points on 8-of-16 shooting, despite playing just six minutes in the first half because of foul trouble.
“Sarah Elliott was able to play in the second half,” UK coach Mickie DeMoss said. “We were going inside to her, and I thought she did a very nice job of finishing.”
Both teams struggled during the first seven minutes of the game. Kentucky connected on only one of its first 12 shots, but the Buckeyes could not capitalize. OSU gave up five offensive rebounds and committed four turnovers, including a shot clock violation.
“There was one thing that hurt us on a consistent basis, and that was the weak side rebounding,” Foster said. “If you look at the stat sheet that was the one thing that was glaring, and we will get better at that.”
Neither offense could find any consistency during a low-scoring first half, but the Buckeyes took a 24-15 lead into the locker room on the strength of an 11-1 run.
The Buckeye offense found its stride in the second half, and OSU led by as many as 14 points. UK battled back throughout the half and finally tied the game at 51 with a 1:08 remaining on a basket by Elliott.
“I was just very proud of the way we fought,” DeMoss said. “We could have really dropped our heads in that first half and really got discouraged. I think it says something about the character of this team.”
OSU responded, and Packer hit the game-winning shot off an inbound play.
“What separates being a good team from being a great team is keeping your poise,” Hoskins said.
UK junior guard Samantha Mahoney missed a potential game-tying shot as time expired.
“We got a pretty good look at the basket, and it just didn’t fall,” DeMoss said.
The Buckeyes return to conference play against Penn State (8-8, 1-2 Big Ten) Thursday in Happy Valley.
