Strong offense nets huge win

COLUMBUS, Ohio. -- A week ago Thursday, the IU women's team was forcing turnovers in their 70-63 upset of No. 15 Wisconsin.\nLast night, the Hoosiers were supplying them.\nGood thing for IU, Ohio State was too.\nWhile both sides were battling over who could turn the ball over the most, IU (10-11, 4-6 Big Ten) solidified its unsteady offense and was relentless in its unpenetrable defense to get the win over the Buckeyes, 85-72. The 85 points was the most in a Big Ten women's game this season.\nAfter a two-point lead going into the half, the Buckeyes (10-11, 5-5 Big Ten) showed a resurgence on their offense. They started out by going on an 11-7 run to tie the game at 47. \n"We did some good things all night long," Ohio State coach Beth Burns said. "(But) we wasted some opportunities, and it was frustrating. We had numerous opportunities, but bottom line, we did not get enough stops to win the game."\nThe Hoosiers slowed Ohio State's initial second half offensive burst with a Heather Cassady trey. The senior guard's three-pointer was the first of 11 points as the Hoosiers increased the lead to eight.\nThe fouls and turnovers that were headaches in the first half continued to plague both teams in the second half. The Hoosiers ended with 19 giveaways to the Bucs' 22.\n"Heck, we won, I'll let them go," IU coach Kathi Bennett said about her team's turnovers.\nBut the turnovers did not cool the Hoosier offense. Ohio State held the lead once, and tied the game six times, but was unable to stop IU on the offense.\nThe Buckeyes drew within one with less than 10 minutes to go, but after Ohio State's Courtney Coleman, who ended with 20 points and 15 rebounds, drove to the basket, the Hoosiers went on an offensive tirade. Following Coleman's basket, IU out-shot the Buckeyes 22-10 to go on to victory.\nSenior guard Tara Jones, who averaged 5.6 points per game prior to last night, led IU. She had 12 at the end of the first half and finished with 21 points.\nIn the final run, Jones contributed five points, but was in serious foul trouble.\n"When (Tara) got her fourth (foul), I was worried," Bennett said. "Because she was playing so well and I felt we really needed to have her on the floor."\nJones fouled out with less than a minute to go, but three other players stepped up in her absence. Senior Erin McGinnis finished with 20 points, including two threes, and 11 rebounds. She was joined by senior Jill Chapman, Big Ten Player of the Week, who ended with 16 points and 11 rebounds, getting her twelfth double-double.\nThis is the first time in the Big Ten season that more than one Hoosier has gotten a double-double in a game.\n"It was great to come out of our shooting slump," McGinnis said. "In the second half our defense really picked up and we got some easy baskets. It was fun to play."\nThe Hoosiers jumped to a quick lead in the first half after Ohio State opened the game with a jump shot. The 2-0 score would be the last time the Buckeyes had the lead.\nIU went on a 12-5 run, and Jones, who hit a quick jumper at the beginning of the game and a trey just over a minute later, led its early offensive surge.\nDespite a strong Ohio State attack, the real difference in the numbers was in the offense. \nAside from the high number of three-pointers, the Hoosiers shot over 50 percent in each offensive category, including 58 percent from the field and just over 61 percent from the free throw line.\n"It sure feels good to shoot the ball well," Bennett said. "Offensively, the way we shot the ball was just great. Our guards really came through. It was a fun win, fun to score that many points"