It wasn’t pretty and definitely wasn’t ideal as No. 5 seed Michigan State women’s basketball found itself down five with 1:49 left in the third quarter against No. 12 Colorado State. But in March, it doesn’t always matter how a team wins, as long as it’s moving on to the next round.

MSU would agree after battling its way to a 65-62 win that came down to the final possession, as CSU barely missed a corner 3-pointer. Nonetheless, the Spartans secured a spot in the round of 32.

First-half offensive struggles continued

MSU's last two matchups before the NCAA Tournament were both losses, with first-half shooting performances the main culprit in each.

In its last regular-season game against Ohio State, MSU fell 87-68 after trailing 49-26 at halftime, largely due to shooting just 28% from the field. Similar trends continued against Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament in a 71-69 loss, as MSU shot just 37% from the field and failed to make a single 3-pointer before the break.

The Spartans' first-half shooting slump continued against CSU as they shot 34% from the field and just 7% from three, making just one of their 14 attempts. That struggle once again led to a halftime deficit — this time a more manageable 29-27 in favor of the Rams.

Out of halftime, the team regrouped and finally found some offensive rhythm, shooting 45% from the field and 43% from three. That efficiency allowed them to pull away in the second half, barely outscoring CSU 38-33.

Seniors stepped up when needed

One of the most important advantages in the NCAA Tournament is experience — it’s what allows lower seeds to pull off upsets and higher seeds to handle business. That advantage was on full display Friday, as forward Grace VanSlooten and guard Jalyn Brown combined for 31 of MSU’s 65 points.

In her two seasons in East Lansing, VanSlooten has relished the NCAA Tournament stage.