Sat, Nov 07 2009
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Published March 03, 2008 04:01 am - COLUMBUS — Tamarah Riley giggled just thinking about it. OSU women top Northwestern Buckeyes earn at least share of fourth straight Big Ten title RUSTY MILLER Associated Press COLUMBUS — Tamarah Riley giggled just thinking about it.
Asked what she’d remember most about the day, she said, “I’d say after the game, all of us getting together and saying, ’Not one, not two, not three, but four!”’ Marscilla Packer scored 17 of her 21 points in the second half and No. 18 Ohio State beat Northwestern 74-50 Sunday to become the first team in 18 years to win at least a share of four straight Big Ten titles. “We’ve been talking about it from the beginning of the season — let’s be four-time champions,” Packer said. “It’s kind of weird: Are we really seniors now? It went so fast.” The Buckeyes (22-7, 13-5) clinched a tie for the championship with Iowa, which won at Wisconsin 87-78 an hour earlier. Only three schools have won at least four titles in a row. Ohio State grabbed at least a piece of the first five Big Ten crowns from 1983-87. Iowa took home trophies four years in a row from 1987-90. Jantel Lavender had 12 points and 12 rebounds and Riley had 11 points for the Buckeyes, who have won 63 of their last 72 regular-season conference games. They have also won 76 home games in a row against unranked opponents. Championship T-shirts were distributed at midcourt after the game, and the team posed for pictures with the Big Ten trophy. Coach Jim Foster has won 656 games in his 30 years as a head coach in college, but even he was surprised that the Buckeyes could accomplish so much after graduating two-time All-American center Jessica Davenport and her perennial all-conference runningmate, Brandie Hoskins, a year ago. “This was the most difficult because the league was very competitive, deeper than — my guess is — maybe ever,” he said. Then he went over a long list of injuries that plagued his young team, in addition to losing starting forward Star Allen to grade problems. “We figured out how to do a lot of things with the parts that were available and didn’t spend a lot of time dwelling on the parts that weren’t available,” he said. Amy Jaeschke led Northwestern (5-25, 1-17) with 14 points. Nadia Bibbs added 12 for the Wildcats, who have lost 18 of 19. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for Jim Foster and what he’s done,” Northwestern coach Beth Combs said. “If you’re going to come on somebody’s home court and get beat the way we did, I guess the best way I can say this is I’m glad it’s him. His players play hard, they play through adversity. I congratulate him for his fourth straight. It’s not an easy feat, no matter how easy Ohio State makes it look.” The Buckeyes, who have won five of six, will be the top seed in the Big Ten tournament this week at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. 
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