Early blitz propels Ohio State women

The Buckeyes’ early 22-0 burst carried them to a 70-50 win over Michigan.

COLUMBUS (AP) — Ohio State coach Jim Foster saw his team’s 22-0 first-half burst as an example of what women’s basketball can be.

Jantel Lavender scored 26 points, including nine during that big surge, to lead No. 18 Ohio State past Michigan 70-50 on Sunday.

“It was a fun game to be involved with at that point in time because it was up and down, and it was what you would like to think that this game is going to evolve into,” Foster said of the early blitz.

He added, “Those 42-35 mud-wrestling games don’t bring people back into the bleachers.”

It was the conference opener for both teams.

The Buckeyes are trying to become the first team to win five straight Big Ten titles since Ohio State did it from 1983-87.

Ashlee Trebilcock scored 16 points and Samantha Prahalis had 10 points and seven assists for the Buckeyes (10-2), who have won four in a row. They scored 31 points off of Michigan’s 22 turnovers.

“We set the tempo,” Lavender said. “We let teams [know] that we’re not just coming out lackadaisical just because we’ve won four consecutive Big Ten titles. We just came out and we played hard. I think that sent the message out to all the other Big Ten schools.”

Asked what he told his team after the loss, a frustrated Michigan coach Kevin Borseth said, “One game doesn’t make a season. We have a chance to play them one, maybe two, more times. We’ve got no place to go but up.”

Ohio State trailed 4-0 early but then reeled off 22 straight points as the Wolverines went scoreless for almost 81‚Ñ2 minutes.

“It is a big deal to come out and make a statement the first game, especially against a good Michigan team,” Trebilcock said.

Ohio State has won the last 11 games with Michigan and leads the series 44-6.

Prahalis scored five points and had four assists in the 22-0 run, with Lavender hitting four field goals and a free throw for nine points.

Shavelle Little, the defensive player of the year in the Big Ten a year ago, harassed Michigan’s guards while making two steals and forcing several other turnovers.

“When we pressuring them out on top, Shavelle did a very good job of pressuring the ball-handlers. No one really wanted to take it up against her,” Prahalis said. “We kept getting deflections and we just had a lot of momentum and everyone was really into it.”

Foster and his players have vowed that they will be more athletic, quicker and more aggressive this season after early knockouts from the NCAA tournament each of the last three years.

“We have verbalized that we’re going to be different,” Foster said. “Being verbal is one thing, [but] doing what you say you’re going to do is another. This team is starting to understand what they’re capable of and what we would like.”