The return of co-captain Tanya McClure and a victory against No. 25 Minnesota Friday night has given the Ohio State women’s basketball team a spark of confidence going into tonight’s match-up against Indiana.
It took nearly 15 months, but McClure returned to the court Friday night to score 12 points, going 4-of-5 from beyond the arc to lead the Buckeyes to a season-high 10 three-pointers, establishing a Schottenstein Center record for treys.
“I am just excited to be back,” McClure said. “I waited a long time to get back out there, and I am just excited that I am able to contribute.”
Coach Beth Burns was pleased with how McClure played and said if it was not for her three-point shooting, the team may not have beaten the Gophers.
“You don’t have that kind of performance if you don’t have her focus,” Burns said. “I think it’s a tribute to her teammates. You know basketball is a team game, and I think they responded to her, helped her and talked her through things.”
Friday also proved to be a record night for the Buckeyes (10-10, 5-4 Big Ten) as a team. They set an arena record for free throw percentage, shooting 92.3 percent.
Burns hopes the same intensity and performance will give her team its second straight victory tonight against Indiana (9-11, 3-6 Big Ten).
The Hoosiers are a physical team that has a lot to bring to the table, including Jill Chapman, a 6-foot-5-inch center and the Big Ten’s reigning Player of the Week.
Chapman scored 30 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in Indiana’s game against Wisconsin last Thursday. This is her first Player of the Week honor this season, but the fourth in her career.
Chapman and senior guard Heather Cassidy lead the Hoosiers in nearly every statistical category. Chapman is the conference leading rebounder, averaging 9.4 per game and ranks sixth in the conference scoring column, averaging 17.4 points per game. Cassidy is also one of the best in the Big Ten, averaging 12.6 points per outing. Her 79.6 shooting percentage from the charity stripe ranks eighth in the league.
Junior forward D’wan Shackleford said OSU is expecting to win tonight in front of a great crowd. The Buckeyes played for an enthusiastic crowd Friday night, drawing 7,256 people.
Shackleford is also looking forward to playing another game with McClure. Before Friday, Shackleford had not played with McClure since her freshman year.
“She has brought back our energy level to the team,” Shackleford said. “When Tanya’s in there, she is always quick on the floor and quick to the ball.”
The Buckeyes are also awaiting the return of senior guard Tomeka Brown, who is expected to dress tonight after suffering an injury earlier this season against Northwestern on Jan. 6.
“I would love to have Tomeka back and playing, but I think just to see her in uniform would be good,” Shackleford said. “But you know Tomeka, she’s not going to want to just sit there in uniform. I think she will make her way in the game if she has anything to do with it.”
