OSU can claim outright title
Linnae Harper wanted to make the distinction. She was rooting for the outcome, not the team that produced that outcome.
It takes a lot for an Ohio State athlete to thank any Michigan team, even when the Wolverines inadvertently do the Buckeyes a favor. That was the case Thursday when Michigan upset Maryland.
The Terrapins’ loss — that sounds better to Ohio State than “the Michigan victory” — clinched a share of the Big Ten regular-season title for the Buckeyes (23-6, 12-3). Ohio State can win the championship outright Sunday by beating Penn State (15-13, 6-9) in State College.
The Buckeyes were gathered at coach Kevin McGuff’s house for dinner when they watched the Wolverines win.
“I don’t know if I would say rooting for them,” Harper said. “(We were) just rooting for the win, the outcome. It was a great time to be around each other.”
McGuff was in another room during the game. He heard the celebration, but he also delivered a message afterward.
“After the game, everyone was really excited, but coach was like, ‘We didn’t come this far to share something,’” senior Stephanie Mavunga said.
The Buckeyes trounced Penn State on Jan. 31 by 30 points, but Ohio State expects a real challenge from the Nittany Lions on their Senior Day.
“They have some of the best guard play in the Big Ten,” McGuff said. “They can really get going and score and can be difficult to guard.”
The Buckeyes defense hasn’t been consistent this season, and they know that must change as the postseason approaches. McGuff was even critical about lapses in an 88-54 rout of Northwestern on Wednesday despite yielding a season-low in points.
“We sometimes lose focus,” he said. “We let our offense affect our defense. The biggest key for us down the stretch is to be consistently good on defense and with our rebounding, regardless of circumstances.”
Though the Buckeyes will have at least a share of the Big Ten title, their players agree that they haven’t put it all together yet. Mavunga said the team has excelled only in GAME PREVIEW
No. 14 Ohio State vs. Penn State
Noon today
Where: Bryce Jordan Center, State College, Pa.
TV: ESPN2
Radio: WBNS-AM (1460)
Records: Ohio State (23-6, 12-3 Big Ten); Penn State (15-13, 6-9) Notable: Ohio State has clinched a share of the Big Ten title and can win its first outright regularseason championship since 2010 with a victory or Maryland loss to Nebraska. … Penn State leads the all-time series between the teams 36-27, but the Buckeyes have won the last six games. Ohio State won 94-64 in Columbus on Jan. 31.
PROJECTED STARTERS
OHIO STATE
G Kelsey Mitchell, 5-8, Sr., 24.5 G Sierra Calhoun, 6-0, Jr., 11.7 G Linnae Harper, 5-8, Sr., 15.0 G Asia Doss, 5-7, Sr., 8.2 F Stephanie Mavunga, 6-3, Sr., 16.0
Key reserves: F Hart, 6-3, Sr., 4.8; F Waterman, 6-2, Jr., 3.0
PENN STATE
G Teniya Page, 5-7, Jr., 18.0 G Amari Carter, 5-8, Soph., 14.7 G Jaida Travascio-Green, 6-2, Soph., 11.6
G Siyeh Frazier, 5-9, Soph., 7.8 F De’Janae Boykin, 6-2, Soph., 6.0
Key reserves: G McDaniel, 5-10, Fr., 5.0; F Smith, 6-3, Fr., 4.7; F Williams, 6-3, Jr., 4.5 spurts.
“We haven’t played our best basketball the whole way through (conference play),” she said.
That can be a good sign. They’ve flourished despite not playing to their potential. Or it can be a warning. Inconsistency and erratic defense can doom them against elite postseason competition. The Buckeyes got the help they needed from their hated rival. No more will be forthcoming.
“Other teams’ winning isn’t going to help us from now on,” Mavunga said.
They are determined to take care of business for themselves.
“It’s very important for us,” Harper said. “We’ve been working so hard for this throughout the ups and downs.”