Led by an impressive all-around performance from senior guard Brandie Hoskins, the No. 5 Ohio State women’s basketball team defeated a pesky Indiana team (13-8, 2-6 Big Ten) 72-62 Thursday at the Schottenstein Center.
“You can’t stop all the parts of a well-oiled machine,” Indiana coach Felisha Legette-Jack said. “We had to pick our poison, and Brandie Hoskins hurt us tonight. She is an outstanding player.”
Hoskins finished the game with 19 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals. She also made a pair of clutch jumpers in the games final minutes to hold off a late run by the Hoosiers.
“That’s part of being a senior,” Hoskins said. “I have to step up and handle the pressure.”
Along the way, Hoskins became the 14th player in team history to score more than 1,400 career points and moved into fifth place on the career assists list.
With the win, the Buckeyes (18-1, 7-0 Big Ten) are off to the best start in program history, besting the 17-1 start by the 1973-74 squad.
“We’ve worked hard to try to take this program to another level,” said senior center Jessica Davenport. “It’s nice to be part of history.”
Davenport had a rare off-night offensively, scoring just 12 points on 3-of-10 shooting and committing five turnovers.
Sophomore forward Star Allen and freshman point guard Maria Moeller picked up the slack.
“Jessica knows that we don’t have to depend on her every night,” said OSU coach Jim Foster.
Allen finished with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting, and Moeller scored nine points, including a pair of 3-pointers.
“I have to take open threes when I get them,” Moeller said. “I made them tonight, so that was good.”
OSU started the game on an 8-0 run keyed by 3-pointers from junior guard Marscilla Packer and Moeller, and Indiana responded by applying fullcourt pressure. The Hoosiers quickly abandoned the press after the Buckeyes were able to break it for a pair of easy lay ups.
“We had a couple of mental breakdowns on the press that we play, but give (OSU) credit for handling it,” Legette-Jack said.
Indiana battled back and kept the game close throughout much of the first half thanks to nine offensive rebounds and 10 Buckeye turnovers. The Hoosiers pulled within one with 5:56 remaining on a lay in by senior center Sarah McKay.
A 3-point play by Hoskins sparked a 17-6 Buckeye run to end the half, and OSU took a 37-25 lead into the locker room. Hoskins accounted for 10 points during the run.
Hoskins got things going again in the second half with another 3-point play. The Buckeyes maintained a comfortable double-digit lead throughout most of the half, but the Hoosiers wouldn’t go quietly.
“I thought we played really hard,” Legette-Jack said. “It was cool to see my kids grow up before my eyes.”
IU made a late run and closed within five with 1:46 remaining, but Hoskins came to the rescue again, taking and making the clutch shots down the stretch to secure the Buckeye victory.
The top spot in the conference is on the line when the Buckeyes return to action against No. 12 Purdue (18-3, 7-0 Big Ten) Monday at 7:00 p.m. in West Lafayette, Ind. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
Brian Polking can be reached at [email protected].
