University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Ohio State
WBB: Gophers Upset Buckeyes to Advance to Big Ten Final
3/6/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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No. 15/15 Minnesota defeated No. 3/6 Ohio State, 66-63 in overtime, to advance to the Monday's Big Ten Tournament championship game. The Golden Gophers will face No. 8/7 Michigan State at 7 p.m. (6 p.m. Central) with the game televised live on ESPN2.
Sophomore Jamie Broback led the Gophers with 24 points, hitting on 10-of-14 shots from the field. Janel McCarville tallied a double-double with 21 points and 15 rebounds. The double-double is McCarville's 13th of the season and 46th of her career.
"I'm very, very proud of my team for coming out and playing like champions," said Golden Gopher head coach Pam Borton. "I thought our defense was key to this game. This was a great win over a great basketball team."
Regulation ended with the score knotted at 56-all. April Calhoun had a shot to win the game with two seconds left. The baseline jumper was blocked and the game headed to overtime.
Ohio State's Brandie Hoskins scored the first basket of the extra period but Broback quickly answered. Hoskins gave the Buckeyes a one-point lead with a free throw at the 3:49 mark. It would turn out to be Ohio State's final lead.
McCarville gathered her own miss and put in the rebound to give the Gophers a 60-59 lead. Ohio State would miss the first of three consecutive shots while a Broback layup and two free throws by McCarville would give the Gophers their biggest lead of the game at 64-59 with 1:147 remaining.
Ohio State (28-4) scored on their next two possessions to cut the Gophers' lead to one point with 47 ticks left on the clock. The Gophers milked the clock and got the ball inside to McCarville. McCarville's jumper bounced off the rim and after a scramble, Shannon Bolden came away with the biggest rebound of the game. Kelly Roysland was fouled and hit two free throws with 12 seconds remaining.
Jessica Davenport took a last-second three-pointer that rimmed off. Davenport, who torched the Gophers for 35 points in an Ohio State win in Columbus earlier this season, took only the desperation three-point field goal attempt in overtime.
McCarville held Davenport to 12 points in the game. The Buckeyes' center hit her final basket with 15:42 minutes left in the second half and finished the game going 5-13 from the field.
The Buckeyes had an early 10-point lead at 18-8 with 12:48 left in the first half. The Gophers answered with a 17-7 run to tie the score at 25-25. Ohio State owned a 30-27 lead at halftime.
A McCarville three-point play three minutes into the second half gave Minnesota its first lead of the ballgame at 34-33. Ohio State rebounded to take a six-point lead three times in the half, the last on a layup by Marscilla Packer with 3:37 remaining. Minnesota needed an 8-2 run to force overtime.
Minnesota shot an impressive 51.9 percent from the field on the Big Ten's top-rated defense. The Gophers out-rebounded the Buckeyes by a 36-28 margin and committed just 13 turnovers. After hitting just 6-13 free throws in regulation, the Gophers converted on a perfect 4-for-4 in the overtime period.
Monday's championship matchup with Michigan State in the first title-game appearance is for both schools. Michigan State defeated Penn State, 83-76, in the other semifinal.
