Feb. 21, 2008
Tonight’s 69-56 win puts Ohio State (11-4) in first place by a half game over Iowa (11-5). The loss drops the Hawkeyes into second place, one game ahead of third-place Purdue (10-6).
Ohio State has now won 10 straight over the Hawkeyes and 11 of the last 12. The Buckeyes have won all eight meetings against Iowa at Value City Arena.
Ohio State has won 75-consecutive contests over non-ranked opponents at Value City Arena.
Junior Megan Skouby, who is a native of Mentor, OH, scored her 1,000th point of her career on a short four-foot baseline jumper at the 8:29 mark of the second half. She reached 1,000 points in only 82 games. Skouby finished the contest with six points.
Iowa’s leading scorer, Kristi Smith, didn’t score her first point until making a pair of free throws at the 17:14 mark of the second half. Smith would score 11-straight points for the Hawkeyes midway through the second half. The junior finished with 17 points, bolstered by 4-9 shooting from behind the arc. She also collected eight rebounds and five assists. The eight rebounds was a team high. All of Smith’s points came in the final 20 minutes.
Iowa trailed by 19 points (56-37) midway through the second half, but went on a 12-2 run to cut the deficit to nine (58-49). Iowa was unable to trim the deficit to nine points four times in the second half, but couldn’t get any closer.
Iowa made nine 3-pointers tonight, marking the fourth time in six games the Hawkeyes have made nine or more in a game. The Black and Gold were 9-25 (.360) from long distance tonight.
Ohio State went on a 10-0 scoring run early in the first half to claim a 16-5 advantage with 12:47 left. Wendy Ausdemore scored Iowa’s first five points the first 7:30 of the contest. Iowa trailed by as many as 16 points in the first stanza.
Wendy Ausdemore and Johanna Solverson combined for 21 of Iowa’s 25 first-half points. Solverson finished with 10 points, scoring all points in the first half. Ausdemore netted 11 of her 13 points in the first stanza.
Johanna Solverson made two 3-pointers tonight. She has made two triples or more 12 times this season, including four of the last five games. Solverson’s two treys tonight moves her past Crystal Smith and into a sixth-place with 117 career 3-pointers at Iowa.
Wendy Ausdemore sank three triples tonight, marking the 12th time this season she has made three or more 3-pointers in a contest.
All 10 Iowa first-half field goals were assisted on. Johanna Solverson and Kristi Smith each had three first-half assists. For the game, the Hawkeyes assisted on all but one field goal (19 of 20).
Ohio State scored 18 points off 17 Hawkeye turnovers tonight. After recording 13 first-half turnovers, Iowa had only four in the second half. Additionally, the Buckeyes out-scored the Hawkeyes 38-10 in the paint.
Iowa did not attempt a free throw in the first half, but converted 7-8 (.875) from the foul line in the second half.
Iowa’s two largest halftime deficits this season came against Ohio State (14 tonight and 17 on Jan. 6).
Iowa falls to 0-4 against ranked opponents this season.
Iowa will return to action one week from tonight when it hosts Northwestern at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The game will be the Hawkeyes’ home finale and will be “Senior Night” for five student-athletes.