A spark that wasn't seen in the regular-season was finally discovered in the second round of the Big Ten tournament by the Spartans, who go into the locker room with a commanding 46-22 advantage over Michigan.
MSU's dominating performance began right from the start, jumping out to an early 12-4 run at the 16:37 mark, thanks to an uncontested layup by freshman guard Lexi Gussert underneath the basket.
Gussert leads the team with 14 points on 5-of-5 shooting and 4-of-4 from beyond the arc. Two of her three-pointers came within six minutes into the half.
The Wolverines failed to jump to double-digits in scoring until the 7:28 mark, when freshman Katelynn Flaherty's jump shot cut the deficit to 19. She leads Michigan with seven points, followed by Shannon Smith with four points and five rebounds.
Along with Gussert, three players are in double-digits, including Aerial Powers (12) and Becca Mills (11). Tori Jankoska has posted six points.
The Spartans command a 4-0 record over their instate rival in the conference tournament since 1995. They'll look to erase a two game losing streak against the maize and blue in the final 20 minutes of play.
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