COLUMBUS, OHIO - After trailing by 15 at the half, the Marist women's basketball team got to within two of #16 Ohio State with less than two minutes to go, before falling to the Buckeyes 63-57. Sophomore
Lynzee Johnson (Bellbrook, Ohio) and freshman
Erica Allenspach (Miamisburg, Ohio) led the Red Foxes with career-highs of 12 points each.
After Marist (0-1) scored the first basket of the game, Ohio State went on a 12-0 run behind guard Marscilla Packer and freshman center Jantel Lavender. The Red Foxes would get back to within six with 11:57 to go in the first half on a Rachele Fitz (Seven Hills, Ohio) layup, putting the score at 16-10. Just as they did earlier in the half, Ohio State would go on another run to get to their biggest lead of the game at 34-16 on a pair of Lavender free throws. At the half, the Red Foxes trailed 34-19.
After shooting 36% from the field in the first half, Marist started the second half strong. Nikki Flores (Montvale, N.J.) got the Red Foxes started on the right foot by scoring their first six points of the half to get to 36-25 and force an Ohio State timeout. Marist would then get hot from long-distance, as Julianne Viani (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) and Sarah Smrdel (Mentor, Ohio) connected on three-pointers to get the Red Foxes within six at 39-33 with 14 minutes to go.
The Buckeyes would go up by 10, 45-35, three minutes later, but the Red Foxes would put on one final charge. Marist would score 15 of the next 26 points, and get to within three points twice. A Smrdel three-pointer got Marist to 50-47 with 7:20 to go, and a Flores three-pointer would put Marist 55-52 with 3:44 to go. During this run, Johnson and Allenspach would combine for 12 points. After a Star Allen free-throw put Ohio State up 56-52, Viani would hit a running jumper in the lane to get the Red Foxes to within two at 56-54 with 1:46 to go.
Ohio State would answer back. Lavender would hit a layup for her thirteenth point of the game to get the Buckeyes up by four, and a Packer three would put Ohio State up by seven, 61-54, with 36 seconds to go. Forced to foul to keep time on the clock, Flores fouled Packer with 15 seconds left. Packer would hit both free throws to put Ohio State up nine, 63-54. On the ensuing possession, Meg Dahlman (Spencerport, N.Y.) hit a deep-three to get Marist within six at 63-57 with nine seconds remaining. After forcing a Lavender turnover on the inbounds, a Johnson layup would be blocked by Star Allen and Ohio State would come away with a 63-57 win.
The Red Foxes shot 48.1% from the field in the game, including a 59.3% clip in the second half. Flores ended the game with eight points, three rebounds, and two assists. Dahlman added seven points and eight rebounds, with frontcourt teammate Fitz finishing with six points, five assists, and three rebounds.
Ohio State (1-0) was led by Packer's 26 points, with Lavender adding 13 points and a game high 14 rebounds.
Marist returns to action Wednesday as they travel to Fordham. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.
