VIDEO: Ohio State Blows Away Wisconsin

From: BigTenNetwork.com -

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State busted out of the gates Sunday and never looked back in an 80-47 win over Wisconsin Sunday at Value City Arena, sending a message that the Buckeyes will be a team to be reckoned with this postseason.

Playing in their final games at Value City Arena, Jantel Lavender, Sarah Schulze, Brittany Johnson and Alison Jackson combined to score 36 points, led by Lavender’s 20. The senior from Cleveland, Ohio, who recorded a double-double in her very first collegiate game at VCA in 2007, closed out her career with a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

After Wisconsin opened the game on a 4-0 run, the Buckeyes answered with a 17-0 run over a 5-minute span to take a 17-4 lead as the route was on. The Buckeyes eventually led 39-14 at the half, holding the Badgers to 16.1 percent from the field (5-of-31) as Wisconsin missed 19 in a row at one point. Ohio State, meanwhile, shot 51.7 percent in the first 20 minutes and were led by Lavender’s 16 points and three blocks.

The Badgers never got closer then 21 points in the second half. Leading 39-18 at the 18:04 mark, Ohio State used blew the game wide open with a 14-2 run over the next 3 1/2 minutes, highlighted by two three pointers from Johnson, to extend its lead to 53-20.

Defensively, Ohio State held Wisconsin’s top two scorers, Alyssa Karel (15.0 ppg) and Lin Zastrow (13.9 ppg), to just nine and four points, respectively, on a combined 4-of-30 from the field.

Samantha Prahalis was on her game early Sunday afternoon, scoring 15 points and dishing out seven assists with just one turnover. Tayler Hill chipped in with 12 points and five boards and Ashley Adams turned in another solid all-around game with eight points, seven boards and four blocks. Johnson finished with nine on three 3-pointers.

The Buckeyes head to Indianapolis next week for the 2011 Big Ten Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse. The complete tournament seedings and bracket will be announced later Sunday evening.