Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Fall To No. 7 Buckeyes, 60-50
1/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 19, 2006
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Debbie Merrill had nine points and 10 rebounds and patrolled the inside on defense to lead No. 7 Ohio State to a 60-50 victory over Indiana on Thursday night.
Brandie Hoskins scored 12 points and Marscilla Packer had 11 for the Buckeyes (14-2, 5-1 Big Ten), who won their fifth straight and eighth in last nine games.
Merrill also had four blocked shots and three assists in an all-around effort that stood out in a defensive struggle.
It was an off night offensively and defensively for Ohio State's Jessica Davenport, the reigning player of the week in the conference. She sat out long stretches of the second half, although she finished with 10 points and nine rebounds. Just a week earlier, she had 34 points, 16 rebounds, a personal-best six assists and three blocked shots in a 72-62 win at Iowa.
Cyndi Valentin scored 18 points and Whitney Thomas had 12 points and 13 rebounds for Indiana (9-8, 3-3), which won its last two conference road games.
The Hoosiers have not beaten a ranked opponent since upsetting No. 7 Purdue 55-41 in the 2002 Big Ten tournament.
The Buckeyes matched their season average on defense. They came in ranked second in the nation in points allowed per game at 50.3.
In an up-and-down first half, Ohio State broke out to a 7-0 lead before missing seven shots in a row as Indiana used a 10-0 run to take a 14-12 lead. The Buckeyes then recovered to permit the Hoosiers only one field goal over the final 5 1/2 minutes of the half to take a 29-20 lead.
Despite the three quick baskets to open the game, the Buckeyes didn't play well in the first half for the fourth time in their six conference games.
Merrill dominated inside in the final minutes of the half as Ohio State scored eight of the final 10 points of the half. During that span, she blocked three consecutive shots by the Hoosiers.
Indiana never got closer than six points in the second half.
The Hoosiers trailed 44-37 on Valentin's fast-break layup with 8 minutes left but the Buckeyes built the lead back to 53-41 on a baseline drive by Hoskins and a three-point play by Packer with 4:41 left.
Kim Wilburn had a steal early in the second half to set the Ohio State career mark with her 327th steal.
