While the snow was busy outside burying the streets of Columbus, the Ohio State women’s basketball team was busy inside burying Illinois.
Four starters scored in double figures, and the Buckeyes defeated the Illini (13-5, 3-3 Big Ten) 62-52 Sunday at the Schottenstein Center.
Led by senior center Jessica Davenport and sophomore forward Star Allen, the Buckeyes outscored Illinois 30-16 in the paint.
OSU set the tone early with a 7-0 run to open the game and took a 20-6 lead on a back-door layup by junior guard Marscilla Packer. The Buckeyes were in a giving mood throughout the first half, tallying 11 assists on 15 field goals.
With the win, the Buckeyes (17-1, 6-0 Big Ten) extended their conference winning streak to 23 games. OSU’s 17-1 record ties the 1973-74 squad for the best start in team history.
“We took our time and got ball reversals,” said OSU coach Jim Foster. “We have to be aggressive on offense.”
Davenport finished the game with a team-high 22 points and connected on 12-of-14 free throws.
“We were defending (Davenport) how we wanted to,” said Illinois coach Theresa Grentz. “She made key buckets and hit her free throws. That’s why she is who she is.”
Davenport now has 2,017 points for her career, making her the second Buckeye and 11th player in conference history to score more than 2,000 points.
“It’s a nice accomplishment, but that’s not my focus right now,” Davenport said. “Winning games is my focus.”
Allen finished with 11 points and eight rebounds while shooting 5-for-6 from the field.
Senior guard Brandie Hoskins delivered a solid all-around performance, finishing with 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Packer also scored 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers.
Junior forward Danyel Crutcher and freshman center Jenna Smith led Illinois with 12 points each, but as a team the Illini shot just 30.2 percent from the field. The lone bright spot was their 10-for-10 performance from the foul line.
“Defensively, you have to like what we did,” Foster said. “When a team shoots 30 percent, you did you job.”
The Buckeye defense was impressive, holding Illinois to 7-of-25 shooting including 1-for-8 from 3-point land. The Illini finished the first half with more turnovers than field goals.
“We weren’t moving,” Grentz said. “We weren’t passing. Not to take anything away from Ohio State.”
The Buckeyes slowed their pace in the second half, allowing the Illini to dictate the style of play.
“We got lulled into their tempo at times,” Hoskins said.
A basket by Crutcher cut the Buckeye lead to nine with four minutes remaining, but six straight points by Davenport ended any hope of an Illini comeback.
“We came back,” Grentz said. “We did a better job of competing in the second half.”
The Buckeye return to action against Indiana (13-6, 2-4 Big Ten) Thursday at the Schott.
Brian Polking can be reached at [email protected].
