Ohio State "bucks" doubters while beating Gophers

BY MIKE PEDEN

Ohio State can almost always count on momentum when Minnesota is up on their schedule, they led the all-time series 49-10 heading in to Sunday's game at Williams Arena.

After a grueling duel, the Buckeyes chalked up win number 50 with an 83-76 victory, continuing their psychological stronghold over the Gophers.

"A lot of people were saying we are heartless when we're on the road," said Ohio State guard Tayler Hill. "We got up, we lost the lead, and then we came back."

Hill did not hesitate to respond to critics as Ohio State (15-9, 6-6) evened their conference record.

"It makes me want to kill every team we play. Any team, any player," she said.

"We're finding about our character right now. That is impacting us in a very positive way," said Ohio State head coach Jim Foster.

Senior center Jantel Lavender played her usual dominating game inside and finished with a game-high 29 points, adding nine rebounds. She became Ohio State's all-time leading scorer with a transition lay-up at the 16:28 mark in the second half, besting Katie Smith's record of 2,578 points.

To boot, Lavender broke the NCAA record for most consecutive games in double-figures, marking her 126th.

"It's a milestone in my career I won't ever forget. The reason I can score is because of my teammates and my coaches having in faith in me to be a go-to player," she said.

Although Lavender will not likely surpass Connecticut's Maya Moore for the all-time NCAA scoring record, she will present a challenge for any future Buckeye to break the school record with a few games left to pad her lead. Foster believes Lavender has not made her last collegiate impression.

"Someone that's scored double-figures every time she's walked on the court, when most defenses are working on stopping you, that speaks volumes," he said.

For most of the game, both teams essentially canceled each other out, with Minnesota (11-14, 3-9) out-rebounding Ohio State 40-32 while Ohio State forced 16 turnovers to Minnesota's seven.

While early nerves kept the Gophers from leading in the first half, they tied seven times with the Buckeyes, including the halftime break with the score 36-36.

Minnesota would tie two more times until a Jackie Voigt three-pointer gave the home team their first lead at 43-42 early in the second half, and that set the stage for a back-and-forth fight throughout the second.

Ohio State could not relax until the final minute, but the key moment was junior guard Samantha Prahalis draining a three-pointer to break a 71-71 tie with 2:18 left, bothering a young Minnesota team just enough to seal a win.

"In the last three minutes of the game, we did not have an answer for Tayler Hill penetrating to the basket," said Minnesota head coach Pam Borton.

Hill, the all-time leading high school scorer in Minnesota history, flashed a few moves she was known for while playing at Minneapolis South. Hill scored 19 points for the game and sank eight free throws in the final 3:07.

"We're one of the only teams on a daily basis that works on free throws," she said. "It was just like practice."

The stamina Hill developed playing almost every minute at South also proved useful, as she played all 40 minutes against Minnesota.

Although Hill can log large blocks of time, the adversity facing Ohio State this year is an obstacle she never faced at South, even as her high school rival, Minnesota guard Kiara Buford, won two state championships against Hill's old South team.

"In high school, I wasn't challenged every day. The competition wasn't there," she said. "In practice, there's drills we do called 'and two.' No breaks. Time and time up and down the court."

Buford led Minnesota in scoring with 23 points and made her last 10 free throws after missing her first four.

"I promised myself after that fourth one that I wasn't going to miss any more," she said.

Team chemistry is also no longer missing for the Gophers, even though expectations may not be high when the Big Ten tournament begins. That did not make Borton any less proud for her team's fight against the Buckeyes.

"We have figured out the ingredients to win basketball games," she said.

Gophers crack egg in win column over Northwestern

BY MIKE PEDEN

RealTime RPI will have to make a few adjustments for Minnesota's status.

Minnesota defied RealTime RPI's prediction of a loss to Northwestern with a 63-58 win Thursday night at Williams Arena, snapping their seven-game losing streak and recharging a restless fan base.

Sophomore forward Katie Loberg fueled the charge with 21 points and seven offensive rebounds before fouling out late, but the game ball may be awarded to freshman forward Kionna Kellogg, whose persistence resulted in a hard-earned eight points and 15 rebounds.

"I owe that to my teammates, who were finding me the open spots," Loberg said.

"They've had a great attitude up to this point," Gophers head coach Pam Borton said. "(Kionna's) skills are catching up. She's playing hard and playing tough."

Overall, the game stayed on script with the series over the last few years, where the score is close and opportunities are limited.

Minnesota (9-12, 1-7) was hesitant on both sides to begin the game, passing the ball yet unable to find a clean look while yielding 13 free throws to an attacking Northwestern (14-7, 3-5) team, who made 11. Those traits, all too common in their seven-game losing streak, kept the 2,891 in attendance quiet in the first 20 minutes. Adding further anxiety was Minnesota going 0-for-3 from the free throw line in the first.

"One of the keys was not fouling and putting them on the line," Borton said. "(Northwestern) really clogged the paint and we took some tough shots."

The story flipped in the second half, with the Gophers beating the Wildcats in the transition game. The key moment came with 8:49 left in the second, when Minnesota trailed 41-40. The Gophers slowly answered with a 12-3 run, and that turned out to be the push they needed.

One more nail-biter came when junior guard Jackie Voigt missed the back end of free throws with 14 seconds left, giving Northwestern a chance to force overtime, only needing a three-pointer. Daninielle Daimant had an open look, but missed, and senior guard China Antoine got the rebound and made two free throws to ice Minnesota's first Big Ten Conference win.

"When you watch them on tape, they're a dangerous team," said Northwestern head coach Jim McKeown.

In the process, the Gophers forced the Wildcats' Meshia Reed and Allison Mocchi to foul out while sinking 18 of 22 free throws in the second half. Northwestern did sink nine of 14 free throws in the second, but Minnesota's 46-34 edge in rebounds nullified that advantage. That included an early second half possession where Minnesota picked up six offensive rebounds.

"They're padding their own stats," Borton joked. Eight of Kellogg's 15 rebounds were on the offensive side of the glass.

"Everybody went off the bench and I didn't even know what to do," said junior guard Kiara Buford on her team's reaction as time expired.

Buford, who made six of 38 shots in her last three home games, had a cathartic performance after a slow start. While her 5-of-11 shooting would be considered standard, she finished with 18 points and made all eight free throws in the second half.

"Bringing the transition, a strength of my game, and having one or two people back, I thought I was pretty good at drawing fouls," Buford said.

Northwestern's Amy Jaeschke played to her All-American candidate form, scoring a game-high 26 points on 8-of-16 shooting, showcasing her range that has attracted national attention. However, she was the only Northwestern player in double-figures, as the rest of the team made 26 percent of their shots.

"Minnesota outhustled us tonight, got the loose balls. You give up 21 offensive rebounds, you don't deserve to win," McKeown said.

Gophers fall in hole again with loss to Iowa

BY MIKE PEDEN

The No. 21/22 Iowa Hawkeyes came to Williams Arena as a surprise team in the Big Ten Conference Wednesday night as they battled the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Iowa losing its first two conference games of the season was a shock to Big Ten followers, but Minnesota shocked themselves a second time with another late collapse, losing 63-57. Iowa's (13-3, 1-2) two-game losing streak was snapped while Minnesota (8-8, 0-3) left without a conference victory, losing its third straight.

"We had a lot of defensive breakdowns in the last two-and-a-half minutes," said Gophers head coach Pam Borton. "We need our freshmen to catch on to things a little bit quicker."

Minnesota started out sluggish, perhaps feeling the ill-effects of Sunday's overtime loss to Indiana. Trailing 16-8 midway through the first half, the Gophers found their agility to make a 22-5 run as they disrupted Iowa's rhythm on offense.

The Hawkeyes had no better luck from three-point range in the first 30 minutes of the game, although guard Kachine Alexander swooped by the Gopher defense until her teammates warmed up.

Trailing by nine, Iowa answered Minnesota's first half run following a media timeout with 7:37 in the second, stringing a 16-5 run capped off by two Kari Hansen free throws to give Iowa the lead with 2:54 remaining.

"We said we couldn't panic," Alexander said. "We just had to execute and get stops. Kali Hansen hit a big three for us to tie the game up and we're like 'We're back, it's time to roll.' "

Iowa rolled late from three-point range, making five of six in their second-half run after sinking two of 15 to start.

In the final minute, China Antoine picked up a steal, but opted for a long two-point shot instead of going one-on-one with Iowa guard Kamille Wahlin. Antoine missed, and following an Iowa shot clock violation that gave Minnesota one more chance to salvage the game, Kiara Buford missed a three-pointer that would have tied the score at 59.

Alexander, a 2007 graduate of Benilde-St. Margaret's, sealed the outcome with two free throws. She scored a game-high 20 points, adding eight rebounds and five assists. Crookston graduate Kamille Wahlin scored 14, including a key three-point basket as the shot clock expired with 4:47 left, and also picked up five assists.

"Kachine willed us to win today," said Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder. "She had some great penetrations, went to the free throw line and did a great job there." Alexander made all five free throws.

"Kamille is clutch. That's what I call her all the time," Alexander said.

Iowa was also clutch from the free throw line, making 17 of 20 for the game. Minnesota, whose average was 69 percent prior to the game, made just five of 11.

Alexander, one of only two guards to average a double-double in NCAA Division I last season, passed the 1,000-point career plateau for the Hawkeyes. She is one of five Minnesota natives to play college basketball in Iowa City this year, and Bluder has no plans to abandon recruiting in the North Star State.

"Minnesota is a recruiting stockyard. I can't say enough about Kamille, Hannah (Draxten) and Theairra (Taylor)," Alexander said. "When I first came here, it was just two (Minnesotans). It just blossomed. It's just a place where you can get good, quality players."

"They're very fundamental. They work extremely hard. They've got good values and good morals," Bluder said.

Iowa's recent issues surprised many women's basketball fans, after a 12-1 non-conference showing put them in contention to lead the Big Ten race.

With Ohio State paying a visit to Iowa City Saturday, the Hawkeyes hope their road win will be the turning point in their 2010-11 campaign.

"A teammate told me a quote, 'Good athletes have short memories,' " Wahlin said. "No game is ever the same."

Minnesota's second collapse of the week masked a return to form from sophomore guard Leah Cotton, who led the team with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting, dazzling the 3,318 in attendance with her runners.

Gophers fans may start asking what is wrong with their top player, Buford. Buford scored 11 points, but made only three field goals in 12 tries, and is just 4-of-25 from the floor in her last two games.

Buford has taken an extra hour of practice to work on her shot, but she has no concern that her stroke has vanished.

"You can't stop shooting. You got to take it in stride and keep putting the ball up," she said.

While Borton was frustrated with Minnesota's issues at closing games this week, she sees consistent energy from her young team as they continue what she calls the learning experience.

"If we keep playing this hard, we'll start winning games pretty quickly," she said.

Buford's career night ices Gophers win

BY MIKE PEDEN

The 2,709 who attended Thursday night's ACC/Big Ten Challenge game between Minnesota and Virginia Tech at Williams Arena got a taste of the chilly Twin Cities weather inside.

The Gophers were cold from the floor compared to the previous games, making just 41% of their field goals, less than their average of 48%. However, fans would never know it watching junior guard Kiara Buford, who scored a career-high 27 points on 10-of-18 shooting. Her cool demeanor in a tight game helped the Gophers beat Virginia Tech 63-58. Buford's previous career high was 24.

Buford's timing proved vital for Minnesota (5-3, 0-0), as no other Gopher finished in double-figures with Virginia Tech's (4-3, 0-0) zone defense stumping Minnesota until late in the second half.

"Kiara did a lot to create her own shots," said Minnesota head coach Pam Borton. "She does a great job making plays within our system. We've got to get more people to do that."

"I got a little excited in the beginning because I thought I was open," Buford said. "When we move the ball around and if I can keep my dribble, I can find seams."

Minnesota built a 23-6 lead midway through the first half as Virginia Tech was unable to put virtually any shot down, but the Hokies found their stroke to close the half with an 18-7 run. Their zone defense and offensive penetration, coupled with sloppy Minnesota turnovers late in the second, kept the result in doubt through the final minute. With the score at 61-58, Buford iced the game with two free throws after drawing a Virginia Tech foul.

While Borton was disappointed with her team giving up 32 points in the paint to Virginia Tech, the Hokies' inside game was somewhat muted, making just 50% of their short-range shots.

"We did a great job of finding a way to win," Borton said. "If you put us in this situation last year, we would have lost. I'm happy that we're disappointed with a win, because that shows us that we have higher expectations for our team."

Although Virginia Tech head coach Beth Dunkenberger was unable to take in the happiness of a victory, she was pleased with the Hokies closing a 17-point deficit to 1 early in the second without their top scorer, Shanel Harrison. Sophomore Aerial Wilson led Virginia Tech with 14 points off the bench and sophomore guard Alyssa Fenyn added 12.

"We've got some reserves that are coming in finding a way to step up and score when we're short personnel-wise. I'm encouraged by the gut and determination this team showed," Dunkenberger said.

Minnesota will seek to polish their skill for their toughest road game this season, when they visit #2 Baylor for the inaugural Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge before returning home next Thursday against Southern.

Gopher women "turn over" chance at weekend sweep

BY MIKE PEDEN

The Minnesota Gopher women's basketball team was unable to mask their growing pains in a 79-75 loss to Wisconsin-Green Bay in the championship game of the Best Buy Classic Sunday at Williams Arena.

Five Green Bay players finished in double-figures as they took advantage of Minnesota miscues on defense and ball control, scoring several back-door lay-ups in the first half and forcing 27 turnovers throughout the game.

Green Bay, ranked 2nd by ESPN among mid-majors, had to fight off two Gophers comebacks after building an 11-point lead in the first half and 16 in the second.

"We stopped getting back on defense," said Green Bay head coach Matt Bollant. "We missed a couple of lay-ups; your missed shot leads to their fast break."

Both times, the Gophers cut the margin to two and late in the second, Minnesota had a chance to tie. However, with 30 seconds left, junior guard Kiara Buford could not grasp a missed jumper from Phoenix forward Julie Wojta. Sarah Eichler got the ball, forcing Buford and the Gophers to play foul-and-chase, and Green Bay finished the job from the free throw line.

"They caught us off guard," said Gophers head coach Pam Borton. "Some of our players played a lot of minutes, they took a rest for a second, that's when (Green Bay) took advantage."

While Borton hates losing, she saw Minnesota's performance as a big character-building moment early in the season.

"We were forced to play some freshmen that aren't ready to play in games like this. They played their butts off," she said.

Bollant, a Winona State graduate, said the Phoenix weekend sweep continues their mission of representing the mid-majors that began with their first NCAA tournament appearance in school history last season. Their qualification was also the first for a Horizon League school.

"Last year, we beat DePaul, Wisconsin and Marquette. We got everybody back from that team. We have the ability to go and make it happen," he said.

Gophers sophomore guard Leah Cotton scored a game-high 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting, saying her confidence is much higher than last year after finishing the first weekend making 15 of her 18 shots. Buford added 22 points.

"Cotton's going to make them a better team. If Cotton can do that for them, they're going to win some games in the Big Ten," Bollant said.

Higher scoring figures may be common for the 2010-11 season. The Gophers sank 53 percent of their shots in Sunday's loss after making 60 percent in their first game against Northern Illinois. Continuing to attack the post, the young Gophers team is also eager to develop an inside connection with themselves.

"We're our biggest supporters on the court," Buford said. "We're constantly huddling, telling each other what we need to do."

However, the Gophers may need to make a few unplanned adjustments. Sophomore center Katie Loberg was taken out of the game in the first half after injuring her left knee following a Brianna Mastey lay-up. Loberg needed assistance to get off the court. Her status was unknown as of Sunday night.

The Gophers continue their five-game opening homestand Wednesday night when they host Pittsburgh at 7:00 p.m. in Williams Arena.

Gopher women on "board" in season opener

BY MIKE PEDEN

The University of Minnesota Gopher women's basketball team had one recurring theme throughout their season opener against Northern Illinois Saturday: rebounding from a 13-17 showing last year, where they finished last in the Big Ten Conference and dealt with a late-season schism questioning the heart of the senior class.

Fittingly, the Gophers capitalized on the boards, outrebounding the Huskies 41-21 en route to a 79-58 win at Williams Arena. The win, one of two semifinal games in the Best Buy Classic to open the season, will pit Minnesota against Wisconsin-Green Bay at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at Williams Arena.

While the struggles of last season are well-documented by fans and reporters, the Gophers hope win number one sends a message that a new chapter has started.

"There's a lot of energy, a lot of passion. You could see it on the court," said junior guard Kiara Buford, named a team captain before the season.

Junior forward Jackie Voigt did most of the work on the glass, scooping 14 rebounds for Minnesota. Buford scored a game-high 22 points while sophomore center Katie Loberg added 15, a result of Minnesota's brilliance hitting shots inside and out. The Gophers made 60% of their shots for the game, a number rarely seen from Minnesota over the last few years.

"Points in the paint have gone up drastically from last year. That's why I think our shooting percentage is a lot better," Buford said.

"Our focus is to be a better half-court team. Jackie did an outstanding job with the boards," said head coach Pam Borton, who started her 9th season in Minnesota.

The Gophers needed almost a full half to get accustomed to their off-season adjustments. The Huskies used a 9-0 run to trim an 11-point deficit to 2 with 1:45 remaining in the first half before the Gophers responded with a 10-0 run to end the half, highlighted by a four-point play when sophomore guard Leah Cotton drained a three-pointer after Buford missed the back end of her free throws.

While offense and rebounding stepped up, turnovers kept the Gophers from utterly blowing out Northern Illinois, coughing the ball up 26 times to the Huskies' 14.

"We had some self-inflicted wounds: poor passing, three seconds in the lane. We've got to clean that up," Borton said.

Loberg and Buford believe cleanup will be short.

"First-game jitters, very fixable stuff," Loberg said.

Most of the pre-season attention has gone to the captains, but several freshman recruits played their first minutes of collegiate action. Minnesota native Sari Noga and Canadian Micaëlla Riché both scored five points in about 10 minutes of action.

Borton said she eventually plans to trim her rotation to nine players as she seeks cohesion with a younger team, but the players promoted their newfound depth that was also absent in the last few seasons.

"Last year, we struggled with off-the-bench production. People underestimate how important your bench is. We can go deep and we're trying to utilize that," Buford said.

Northern Illinois forward Courtney Shelton led the Huskies with 16 points. The Huskies will face George Washington University in the third-place game Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at Williams Arena.

Flashback: Kiara Buford profile

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Here's an article I wrote for my news reporting class last year on Kiara Buford, before she started her senior season at Central. How time flies...

The high school girls basketball season has yet to start, but the University of Minnesota is already banking on a top player who has yet to complete her senior year.

Kiara Buford, 18, has played in the state tournament every year for Central High School in St. Paul and can play at the point guard, shooting guard and post positions. She was a contributing factor for last year’s Central girls basketball team that won the class AAAA state championship while setting an all-time record for most wins in a single season, finishing with a 32-0 record.

While Buford averaged only 12.3 points per game last season, down from 20.8 points per game in her sophomore season, people close to her said her skills outweigh the numbers.

“She can be as good as any player in the country at her position,” said Willie Taylor, head coach of the Central girls basketball team.

“She can dribble down the court and score. She’s also really good at being part of a team,” said Megan Howard, Buford’s teammate since eighth grade.

The University of Minnesota appears to agree with those remarks. Buford signed her letter of intent to play for the women’s basketball team Wednesday and verbally committed to play as a Golden Gopher her junior year.

“It’s close to home and I can play for the people that I grew up playing for,” Buford said.
Buford is also excited that she will don the maroon and gold with former Central teammate Ashley Ellis-Milan, as Buford said both she and Ellis-Milan are good friends.

Buford will be the third Central graduate in the school’s history to play at Minnesota, a list that features Monica Brown and Ellis-Milan.

Taylor is thrilled that Buford will be playing close to her high school.

“I can tell people ‘You know what, look at all the Central players at the U,’” Taylor said.

Her parents and extended relatives are also happy; they come to watch Buford play almost every game.
“She’s always been a leader. Just to see her grow so much in that role and really work hard to push herself is amazing, both on the court and academically,” said Tracy Buford, her mother.

Tracy can speak from more than a parent’s perspective; she played high school basketball at Highland Park Senior High School in St. Paul and continued at Grand View College in Des Moines, Iowa.

“Everything that she has been able to accomplish just gives me so much pride to watch her play,” Tracy Buford said.

As Buford continues to cement her status as one of Minnesota’s top high school players, she said that basketball has taught her other things that she can apply to her life outside the sport.

Beyond motivation for school, Buford said that basketball has helped her with communication and her social interaction with people outside the Central basketball team, assets that prove valuable when she is working at Old Country Buffet in Roseville.

Buford has two more reasons to serve as motivation, a 12-year-old brother and a 7-year-old sister. Tracy Buford said both of Buford’s siblings watch everything that she does.

“(Buford) is very mature for her age and she’s very responsible,” Tracy Buford said, “She has done a great job teaching them how hard she’s had to work to get to where she is,”

That hard work paid off on the court throughout last season.

Central’s roster featured four high-caliber players who transferred from other St. Paul schools, adding talent to a team that included Buford and Howard, who were not transfer students. With all that talent, Central consistently won by large margins, including an 18-point victory in the state championship game. Central’s dominance sparked criticism that the team did not win the state title legitimately.

Their undefeated season was also speculated to be the trigger in a rule enacted by the Minnesota State High School League in March, making transfer students ineligible to participate in any league-sanctioned varsity activities for one year.

The media scrutiny helped bring the team together and had little impact on the team’s effort to win a state title.

“You got to play as a team and know what it takes to win,” Buford said about her experience from the tournament.

“The media are going to say stuff, but you can’t really listen to them,” Howard said.

As Buford gears for her senior season and a run for back-to-back state championships, Taylor said that she will have to take a role as a player and coach with a bench that is not as deep as last season.

Buford hopes to continue her winning ways at Central as preparation for her collegiate career.

“My goals are to make it back to the state tournament and take a leadership role, since I’m a senior,” she said.

Leader or not, Buford will have plenty of fans supporting her next year.

“I’ll definitely be cheering her on,” Howard said.

Should Central qualify for the state tournament this season, Buford, along with Howard and Cyonna West, would become the only Central players to play in the state tournament in all four years of high school.