Buckeye guard shoots down Huskers
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By the Lincoln Journal Star
You can spot Ohio State’s fabulous freshman center Jantel Lavender 21 points and still feel like you’ve got a chance to beat the Buckeyes’ basketball team.
It’s when senior guard Marscilla Packer erupts for 23 — on a day when she was questionable with a knee injury — that you’re asking for trouble.
That’s exactly what Nebraska got in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday afternoon, as Packer caught fire from the perimeter in the second half to allow Ohio State to break open a close game and post a 86-74 victory.
The outcome was the 18th-ranked Buckeyes’ 48th triumph in their last 50 games at Value City Arena and ended the Huskers’ six-game winning streak.
“You hear before the game Packer’s not going to play, and all of a sudden she plays and gets them 23 points,” said an incredulous Connie Yori on her postgame radio show. “A couple of times we were right on her. We had hands in her face and she was right over the top.”
Packer, who played with a brace on her left knee, sank 8 of 11 shots and went 5-for-8 from three-point range.
“They spread us out, penitrated and kicked back to her, and she was money from the left side,” Nebraska guard Tay Hester said.
A third-team All-Big Ten Conference pick last season, Packer buried three three-pointers as Ohio State (9-2) hit eight of its first 10 shots of the second half while building a 37-36 lead to 56-49.
Nebraska, which fell behind by as many as 11 points in the early stages of the second half, scrapped back to 71-66 on a pair of free throws by Dominique Kelley. But Packer answered with her fifth three to start a game-clinching 9-2 spurt.
Packer’s hot hand helped Ohio State, which got 13 second-half points from Tamarah Riley, to hit 33 of 60 shots. The Buckeyes limited the Huskers to 28-for-67.
NU did hit a season-high nine three-pointers and got 16 points from senior forward Danielle Page, and 14 apiece from Hester and sophomore forward Cory Montgomery. But Page and Montgomery went a combined 12-for-34 from the field.
The Huskers, who held a 25-18 lead before giving up a 17-6 run, played without All-Big 12 forward Kelsey Griffin (cracked rib) and guard Kala Kuhlmann (sprained knee). Guard Nicole Neals also was limited because of an ankle sprain.
“We battled,” Yori said. “We have those (two) kids, we probably win this game.”
Now 9-3, Nebraska will take a short holiday break before returning to action with a home contest against Denver on Dec. 30.
“Injuries are a part of the game, but we sure would like to be a little healthier,” Yori said. “It’s a good time for a break.”
— Curt McKeever
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