It will take a lot, and then some, to top the highly contested Ladies Championship Final played recently at Conseco Fieldhouse between Ohio State and Purdue, and as the Men invade Indianapolis to begin their Conference Tournament, they will undoubtedly find that the Ladies have set the bar sky high in terms of playing the game with both skill and determination.
Many teams that lose a close contest often see red afterwards, but in this case, the Lady Boilermakers of Purdue were seeing Lavender, as in Ohio State’s Jantel Lavender, who capped off an impressive run through the Big Ten Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse with a superb performance to lead Ohio State to a 67-66 victory, in a game that had all the drama and excitement you could hope for in a championship match up.
The impressive sophomore posted 25 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to power the Lady Buckeyes to their second Big Ten Tourney title in four years, and provide Ohio State with the coveted automatic bid to the NCAA Tourney in the process. Lavender, who was the obvious choice for tournament MVP, was calm and collected afterward as she discussed how she felt about hitting the winning free throw and what her team had accomplished in the process.
“I just wanted to come out and play hard and I was not thinking about anything else” said the soft spoken center from Cleveland, Ohio. “I think this shows what type of team we can be in the NCAA Tourney as well.”
The talented center had great support from senior forward Star Allen from Columbus, Ohio who added 13 points and five rebounds to go along with her physical demeanor in the post. Freshman point guard Samantha Prahalis was the floor general for Ohio State, as she passed out five assists and played spirited defense throughout the game as well.
Ohio State Coach Jim Foster, while elated, was quick to give Purdue credit for their resilient performance.
“We defeated an excellent basketball team today and I really think Purdue will do well in the NCAA Tourney” stated the seventh year coach of the Lady Buckeyes. “I think you can look for all the Big Ten teams to do well as we move forward.”
The Lady Boilermakers were not without their own standouts on this day as freshman guard Brittany Rayburn from Attica, IN. hit for 20 points, while senior forward Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton of Naperville, Ill. added 15 points and five rebounds. Senior forward Lakisha Freeman from Saginaw, Mich. had 10 points to round out the scoring for Purdue, who undoubtedly will receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tourney.
Both teams displayed unbelievable hustle and spirit through out the contest, and totally dispelled the myth that women’s hoops are less athletic and not as exciting as their male counterparts.
I witnessed a phenomenal display of fundamentally-sound basketball and would challenge anyone in attendance to question the effort these young ladies gave for 40 minutes. The ticket buying public no doubt went away feeling they received their money worth and a whole lot more. Hats off to both teams for providing basketball memories that will be savored by purists for some time to come. Again, the men have a tough act to follow.
Notes: The NCAA Hall of Champions has now reopened to the public and has something for every collegiate sporting fan with state -of -the -art exhibits that include high tech interactive displays, a high definition theater, as well as a terrific selection of artifacts and memorabilia. The 30,000 square foot facility is nothing less than spectacular and also offers meeting space for business and civic events. Admission to this jewel of a facility is just $5 for adults and $3 for ages six to 18, as well as for students, and seniors 65 and older.
Children under six years of age are admitted free of charge. Additional info can be obtained at hocmail@ncaa.org or by phoning (317) 916-4255.
Hats off to Valerie Todryk of the Big Ten Conference as she and her staff provided fantastic support to the media covering the Women’s Tourney. Kudos for a job well done.
Danny Bridges can be reached at (317) 578-1780 or at Bridgeshd@aol.com.
