Lady Lions fall to Ohio State, await NCAA fate

Ohio State center Jantel Lavender, right,
dominated the second half against Penn State.
(Photo: AP/Michael Conroy)

Ohio State kept Penn State at arms length most of the game, eventually sinking the Lady Lions 84-70 to capture the Big Ten tournament championship and the conference's automatic NCAA bid. Not that the Buckeyes needed the automatic bid. Ohio State has been on fire the past few weeks, finishing today on a nine-game winning streak that featured wins over four ranked opponents, including two wins over top-11 ranked Michigan State and two over Penn State.

For the Lady Lions, Sophomore Alex Bentley and freshman Maggie Lucas were both named to the Big Ten All-Tournament team following the title game. Sophomore Mia Nickson scored 13 of her 17 points in the second half to lead the Lady Lions. Bentley added 16 points, three assists and three steals, while Zhaque Gray chipped in 13 points and a pair of assists. Lucas scored only eight points in the loss, but broke Kelly Mazzante's Penn State freshman scoring record with 533 points.

Penn State is likely to earn a No. 5 or No. 6 seed in the Philadelphia region. The Bryce Jordan Center will host the first and second round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament on Saturday, March 19 and Monday, March 21.

Stay tuned for more news about Penn State's NCAA seeding and opponent.

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