Our Honor Defend

While the men’s team prepare for the California Golden Bears in the second phase of Operation: I Need to Buy A Postseason Championship T-shirt of Some Kind, Dammit (TM), I turn my attention to the women’s team as the 6th seeded Lady Bucks take on the 11th seeded Seminoles tomorrow in first round action in Des Moines, IA in the first phase of Operation: I Need to Buy A Postseason Championship T-shirt of Some Kind, Dammit, and I’m Looking In Your Direction Too, Ladies (TM).

The 4 time Big Ten champion Buckeyes will need to rebound from the early exit as the no. 1 seed to 9th seeded Illinois in the Big Ten tournament. Interior play was excellent, with Tamarah Riley and Jantel Lavender both going 6/8 from the floor and tallying 12 rebounds each. However, poor shooting from the guards was the story here with Ashlee Trebilcock really struggling with her shot. Though she finished about 3 points underneath her season average (7 versus 9.8 on the season), her percentage from the floor for the game was sorry (3-13 for a 23% shooting clip). Marscilla Packer didn’t fare much better compared to her season average, going for 6/16 from the floor including 2/7 from 3pt territory. By contrast, the 9th seeded Illini shot 40 percent from deep with guard Rebecca Harris lighting up the nets for 22 points.

Sadly, for the lady Buckeyes, tournament struggles are not just limited to conference play this year. While Jim Foster’s resume at Vandy includes 4 Elite Eights and a Final Four in 11 years with the Commodores, the Buckeyes have only once made the Sweet 16 under his direction (2004-05). And with so many high seeds and Big Ten titles under his direction, a few of these losses have been crushing disappointments. In 2006, the top-seed Buckeyes were bounced in the second round by 8th seed Boston College. Last year, the 4th-seeded Buckeyes were ousted in the first round by Marist in Jessica Davenport’s senior campaign. This year, the Lady Bucks rely very much on a freshman at center (Lavender) and feature two relatively inexperienced guards in heavy rotation (Moeller, a sophomore, and Trebilcock, a junior transfer from UCLA). Initial prognosis for the Buckeyes, this year as now a 6 seed: not good.

But there is room for some optimism. Aforementioned freshman center Jantel Lavender is a beast in the paint, leading the Buckeyes with 17.5ppg and 9.9rpg. Senior guard Marscilla Packer is usually dependable, averaging 15.2ppg while averaging 41% from 3pt country. The return of forward Star Allen should give the Bucks an all-around boost, as she averaged 8.6ppg and 7.1rpg before sitting out the final 18 games due to academic ineligibility.

I’m not overly optimistic, still, as no Jim Foster-led Buckeye team has advanced past the Sweet 16 under his direction even with the wealth of talent he’s had with him. But that won’t stop me from watching, nor should it stop you. The Lady Bucks tip off against the Seminoles at 10pm/9pm et/ct Saturday, on ESPN 2. You all must watch and support the Buckeyes in anything, especially if it’s on national television.

Our honor defend, ladies. Go Bucks!