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Wrapping it up in Indy

Indianapolis — They say to be the best, you have to beat the best.

Iowa tried mightily, but Ohio State still is the best.

The Buckeyes, winners of six straight Big Ten regular season titles, finished the job Sunday, storming back from a 16-point deficit to beat the Hawkeyes, 66-64, and claim the Big Ten Tournament championship at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Ohio State center Jantel Lavender simply was the difference. She was dominant in the second half, scoring 23 points in the second half (35 total, tying the single-game tournament record and setting the title-game record) to lead her team from the brink of defeat to the tournament title.

Her two free throws with 1.9 seconds left proved to be the difference.

Iowa got the Buckeyes out of a rhythm early as Lavender and point guard Samantha Prahalis had to go to the bench with two fouls. Lavender did not pick up a foul the rest of the way.

Ohio State simply fed the beast in the second half. On the final possession, everybody knew the ball was going to Lavender. She got it and plowed into Iowa’s Trisha Nesbitt, who was called for a blocking foul in a call that could’ve gone either way, or been a no-call. It looked like Nesbitt established position coming in on help defense but it didn’t go Iowa’s way.

The Hawkeyes have no one to blame but themselves for the loss.

The team shot 25 percent in the second half with only two points in the paint. Iowa scored 13 points in the final 15 minutes of the game and had no answer for Lavender, who had a significant size advantage.

Ohio State, though, has a habit of getting down early and then making a run. Everybody knew the run would come this game. But this is why the Buckeyes flame out in the NCAA Tournament every year. You might be able to get away with that in league play, but those are the things that hurt you against teams you don’t know.

Iowa deserves credit. This team, in my mind, has earned an NCAA Tournament bid and are extremely dangerous. It wouldn’t shock me to see these two teams meet for the title again next year.

All-in-all, it was a great tournament. Tons of close games, tons of great plays and tons of great players.

Here’s the All-Tournament Team:

Jantel Lavender, Ohio State (Most Outstanding Player)

Samantha Prahalis, Ohio State

Kachine Alexander, Iowa

Kelly Krei, Iowa

Kamille Wahlin, Iowa

Here’s the ballot I submitted:

Jantel Lavender, Ohio State (Most Outstanding Player)

Kachine Alexander, Iowa

Kelly Krei, Iowa

Kamille Wahlin, Iowa

Jenna Smith, Illinois

My game of the tournament has to be the championship game. Two great teams going at it, one incredible comeback and one player putting a team on her back and carrying them to a championship. Lavender’s performance simply was amazing.

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