Jessica Davenport scored five of her 14 points during a late 16-0 run to lead No. 9 Ohio State to a 68-54 victory over No. 6 Michigan State last night in Columbus, Ohio.
Brandie Hoskins led the Buckeyes (13-2, 2-1 Big Ten) with 17 points. Caity Matter added 12 points, and Stephanie Blanton had 10.
The game was billed as an early showdown between the Big Ten's top teams. Ohio State came in leading the conference in scoring, field-goal percentage, three-point percentage and free-throw shooting. Michigan State was first in steals and rebounds.
Liz Shimek scored 17 points and Kristin Haynie had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Spartans (12-2, 1-1), who had an eight-game winning streak end.
The Spartans came in 5-0 on the road.
• MINNESOTA 74, WISCONSIN 49: Janel McCarville became the 10th player in Big Ten history to surpass 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in her career, and the No. 11 Gophers beat the host Badgers. McCarville, a Wisconsin native, had 15 points, 17 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 blocked shots for Minnesota (12-2, 3-0 Big Ten). She now has 1,523 points and 1,008 rebounds.
• NORTH CAROLINA ST. 65, VANDERBILT 64: Rachel Stockdale scored 14 of her 16 points in the second half to help the Wolfpack beat the No. 16 Commodores in Nashville. Khadijah Whittington finished with 11 points, and Ashley Key had 10 for the Wolfpack (12-2). Dee Davis led Vanderbilt (11-2) with 13 points.
• PENN ST. 77, IOWA 71: In Iowa City, Jess Strom helped the Lady Lions settle down just in time to end the Hawkeyes' brief stint as the nation's only unbeaten team.
Strom scored nine of her career-high 29 points in the final 2 minutes 18 seconds and Penn State held on after blowing most of a 20-point lead to beat No. 18 Iowa.
Iowa (13-1, 2-1 Big Ten) had been the nation's only unbeaten Division I team after top-ranked LSU lost at Rutgers on Wednesday. Tanisha Wright and Jennifer Harris each scored 18 points for Penn State (7-6, 2-0).
• NORTH CAROLINA 79, WINTHROP 20: Erlana Larkins scored 15 points and the fifth-ranked Tar Heels broke the school record for fewest points allowed in a victory in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Tar Heels (12-1) led by 40 at halftime in their final tuneup before opening ACC play at No. 21 Maryland on Sunday. North Carolina broke the school record for fewest points allowed, 31, set against Davidson in February 1975.
• GEORGIA 78, MISSISSIPPI 51: Cori Chambers made two three-pointers during a 12-2 run and the No. 17 Lady Bulldogs overcame a slow start by scoring leader Tasha Humphrey to win in Athens, Ga. Georgia (12-3, 2-0 SEC) won its seventh straight and ended Ole Miss's six-game winning streak.
• PURDUE 54, INDIANA 31: Emily Heikes and Katie Gearlds each scored 11 points, and the No. 24 Boilermakers used an overwhelming advantage at the free throw line and stifling defense to beat the visiting Hoosiers. The Boilermakers (9-4, 2-1 Big Ten) went more than eight minutes in the first half and more than nine minutes in the second without a field goal, but got to the foul line often enough to hold off the pesky Hoosiers (7-6, 0-3), who set a school record for fewest points in a game.
