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• When/where: 2 p.m. today at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio
• Records: MSU is 9-5, 2-1 Big Ten; Ohio State is 11-2, 2-0
• TV/radio: Big Ten Network/WVFN 730-AM
• Coaches: Suzy Merchant is 32-19 in her second season at MSU. Jim Foster is 163-43 in his seventh season at Ohio State.
• Rankings: MSU is unranked; Ohio State is ranked 17th in both in the AP and USA Today/ESPN coaches polls.
• Series: Ohio State leads 44-21
• Last season: The Spartans won the only meeting, 60-53, on Dec. 30, 2007 in East Lansing.
• Probable lineups:
Pos. (cl.) Name (ht.) ppg.
MSU
G (so.) Brittney Thomas (5-10) 5.4
G (sr.) Mia Johnson (5-9) 5.2
F (so.) Kalisha Keane (6-1) 8.5
F (jr.) Aisha Jefferson (6-11) 3.4
C (jr.) Allyssa DeHaan (6-9) 10.3
Ohio State
G (fr.) Samantha Prahalis (5-7) 10.8
G (jr.) Shavelle Little (5-8) 2.7
G (sr.) Ashlee Trebilcock (5-8) 8.2
F (sr.) Star Allen (5-11) 10.8
C (sr.) Jantel Lavender (6-4) 22.2
• MSU update: After losing at home to Indiana in the Big Ten opener with perhaps their worst performance of the year, the enigmatic season continued for the Spartans with one of their best efforts in a 68-62 overtime win against Purdue. DeHaan finally played up to her full potential, getting her first double-double of the season (17 points, 12 rebounds) and showing toughness in playing through a wrist injury and becoming a commanding presence on the offensive and defensive ends. Thomas also started to look for her shot in the game, scoring five of her nine points in overtime, and Lykendra Johnson and Lauren Aitch continued to provide energy and rebounding off the bench.
• Ohio State update: The Buckeyes, who were picked to win the Big Ten by the media, have won five in a row including Wednesday's 68-59 win at Northwestern. Ohio State has played 10 of its 13 games at home, posting a 9-1 record, and leads the Big Ten in scoring offense (72.5), field goal percentage (45.2), 3-point field point percentage (38.9) and assist/turnover ratio (0.96). They are second to the Spartans in rebound margin at plus-6.1. Lavender, the defending Big Ten Player of the Year, is leading the Big Ten in both points (22.2) and rebounding (11.3) and is third at 53 percent shooting. Exciting freshman Prahalis paces the Big Ten with 6.23 assists per game and also shoots 41.7 percent, and Trebilcock leads the league by making 55.6 percent from 3-point range.
• Prediction: Which MSU team shows up - the lethargic one from the Indiana loss or the energetic and emotional one that showed up at Purdue - is critical to keeping this close, but the deep Buckeyes still hold court.
• Make it: Ohio State 68, MSU 64
- Chris Solari and staff reports
