Ohio State beat Indiana behind a combined 43 points from Samantha Prahalis and Jantel Lavender in a sloppy contest Sunday at the Schottenstein Center.
Although the Buckeyes won 81-64, they recorded 23 turnovers to Indiana’s 17 which created a problem for the Buckeyes, who did not seal the win until late in the second half.
“We had way too many turnovers,” forward Sarah Schulze said. “That’s something to work on, something to tighten up. That needs to go away.”
Guard Samantha Prahalis led the team in points with 23. However, the main offensive catalyst for the Buckeyes also led the team in turnovers with eight, many of them being wild passes.
Indiana’s inability to capitalize on those turnovers and grab rebounds was ultimately the difference in the game as they shot only 37.5 percent from the field. Also, Indiana only had 27 rebounds during the game to OSU’s 49.
Center Jantel Lavender had an impressive double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds in only 31 minutes of play.
Most of Lavender’s absence was due to an ankle injury in the second half that required her to go to the locker room and have it re-taped.
In Lavender’s absence, senior center Andrea Walker took over the paint with her 6-foot, five-inch frame grabbing rebounds and scoring a couple baskets. She finished with four points and 11 rebounds.
“[Walker] played aggressively,” coach Jim Foster said. “The Big Ten is a physical league and when she plays aggressively, big things happen.”
Lavender’s injury is something to keep an eye on, but with Prahalis averaging 26.3 PPG over the last three contests, it would not be the end of the season if Lavender is forced to miss some time.
“With Jantel, it’s easy to go inside,” said Prahalis. “I feel comfortable when she’s in the game, but it’s really not that different from the other post players. I feel comfortable with them all.”
