Ohio State is going home early yet again -- and this
time, it wasn't even close.
Tanae Davis-Cain scored 27 points, one shy of her career
high, and Mara Freshour added 14 points and 12 rebounds to help 11th-seeded
Florida State upset sixth-seeded Ohio State 60-49 on Saturday night in the first
round of the New Orleans Regional.
The Seminoles, a somewhat surprising at-large pick after
losing seven of their last 11 games, sure looked as though they belonged against
the listless Buckeyes. Florida State (19-13) extended its streak of first-round
victories to six dating to 1991.
"It's a rule," Florida State coach Sue Semrau said of
her team's first-round success. "I think it's our conference, the way our
conference prepares us for this."
The Seminoles advanced to play third-seeded Oklahoma
State on Monday night. The Cowgirls beat East Tennessee State 85-73 on Saturday
for their first NCAA tournament win in 12 years.
This was the third straight NCAA tournament trip that
the Buckeyes (22-9) would just as soon forget. Ohio State lost in the second
round to Boston College as a No. 1 seed in 2006 and was stunned by 13th-seeded
Marist 67-63 last season.
Ohio State held Florida State to just 32.8 percent from
the field, but the Seminoles grabbed 19 offensive rebounds and went 9-of-16 from
3-point range.
"Our decision making in transition wasn't really good,"
Ohio State coach Jim Foster said. "I think we played hard and made some good
decisions at the end, but you have to control the glass and not have those
second-chance opportunities."
Ohio State fell behind by 12 early and never really
recovered. The Seminoles then pounced on the Buckeyes at the start of the second
half, reeling off an 18-8 run to push their lead to 48-30. Davis-Cain keyed that
stretch with three 3s, and she scored 15 points in the second half.
"I thought they were going to be in my grill, but they
were playing off and sagging back so I just decided to shoot. They were going
in, so I continued," Davis-Cain said.
Freshman Jantel Lavender led Ohio State with 21 points
and nine rebounds, and Marscilla Packer added 13 points.
The Seminoles went up by as much as 53-33 before Ohio
State woke up. The Buckeyes reeled off 11 quick points, capped by a 3 from
Packer, to get within nine with 5:32 left. But Packer misfired on a 3 and was
called for charging, and Jacinta Monroe hit a turnaround in the paint with 2:32
left that essentially ended the drama.
Florida State jumped ahead 16-4 on 3s by Alysha Harvin
and Davis-Cain. Lavender was the only Ohio State player to score in the opening
10 minutes, as the Buckeyes trailed 30-22 at the break.
"We came in with the mind-set that we were going to take
this game away from them and show the world that we deserve to be in the
tournament and that's what we did," Monroe said.
Florida State reserve forward Cayla Moore left the game
late in the first half because of an apparent leg injury. She didn't return.