COLUMBUS, Ohio - With the game on the line in the closing minutes, Jantel Lavender and Ohio State were at their best at both ends of the floor.
Lavender scored 32 points, Samantha Prahalis had 15 points and a career-high 15 assists and the sixth-ranked Buckeyes beat No. 11 Oklahoma 95-84 on Sunday in the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge.
"They're a very good basketball team and we're a very good basketball team," Ohio State coach Jim Foster said. "And the last 7 minutes our defense was up to the task."
The offensive numbers were pretty gaudy, too.
Brittany Johnson added 18 points, Tayler Hill finished with 16 and Sarah Schulze 12 for the Buckeyes (7-0), who pulled away after the game was tied with just under 11 minutes left.
Spectacular freshman Aaryn Ellenberg, who had a career-best 34 points for Oklahoma in her seventh game, tied it for the final time at 62-all on a jumper from the right wing at the 11:44 mark. Seconds later, she picked up her fourth foul and went to the sideline.
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The momentum swung dramatically.
"We couldn't get quite over the hump," Sooners coach Sherri Coale said. "When Aaryn Ellenberg got her fourth foul and had to come out it began to unravel a little bit because she had been so much a part of our offensive confidence. We were really looking to her. A true freshman? Are you kidding me?"
An instant after Ellenberg left the game, Prahalis hit a pullup 15-footer. After Lavender hit a 12-foot turnaround, Joanna McFarland streaked by Lavender for a layup. At the other end, Lavender hit a bank shot and was fouled by McFarland, completing the three-point play.
An Oklahoma turnover was followed by the biggest shot of the game. With the shot clock about to expire, Lavender let fly with another tough 15-footer with a defender in her face that hit nothing but net and gave Ohio State a 71-64 lead.
• No. 1 Connecticut 86, Sacred Heart 32: In Hartford, Conn., Maya Moore scored 17 points to become the school's career scoring leader, and UConn (8-0) won its 86th consecutive game.
• No. 2 Baylor 103, Minnesota 56: In Waco, Texas, Brittney Griner scored 22 points for Baylor (9-1).
• No. 4 Xavier 69, Cincinnati 61: In Cincinnati, Amber Harris had 20 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Musketeers (8-0).
• Louisville 78, No. 8 Kentucky 52: In Louisville, Ky., freshman guard Shoni Schimmel poured in a season-high 26 points and Louisville (6-3) rolled.
• No. 9 Tennessee 74, Old Dominion 44: In Norfolk, Va., freshman guard Meighan Simmons scored 14 points and the Lady Vols (8-1) won.
• No. 13 UCLA 54, Montana State 44: In Los Angeles, Rebekah Gardner scored 14 points to power UCLA (7-0) to the victory.
• No. 16 Notre Dame 72, Purdue 51: In South Bend, Ind., Natalie Novosel scored 16 points and Notre Dame (7-3) celebrated the 1,000th game in school history.
• No. 18 Iowa 68, Kansas State 62: In Iowa City, Iowa, Jaime Printy scored 20 points for the Hawkeyes (8-1).
• No. 19 Iowa State 60, Michigan 47: In Ames, Iowa, Kelsey Bolte scored 20 points and Iowa State (6-1) survived despite shooting only 32 percent.
• Georgia Tech 69, No. 21 Georgia 53: In Atlanta, Tyaunna Marshall scored 20 points and Georgia Tech (7-4) won.
• No. 22 Maryland 81, Appalachian State 65: In College Park, Md., Diandra Tchatchouang had 17 points and seven rebounds and Maryland (7-1) rode a 14-2 run in the second half.
• Denver 70, No. 23 Vanderbilt 65: In Denver, Brianna Culberson scored 22 points, Kaetlyn Murdoch had 16 and Denver upset slumping Vanderbilt.
• Indiana 67, No. 24 Nebraska 61: In Bloomington, Ind., Jori Davis scored 21 points and Hope Elam added 14 to help Indiana (5-3).
• No. 25 Michigan State 71, No. 17 Texas 57: In East Lansing, Mich., Lykendra Johnson and Kalisha Keane had 20 points apiece as Michigan State won.
