MINNEAPOLIS - The MSU women’s basketball team has proven it can handle pressure by winning another Big Ten buzzer-beater.
In its past two conference games, MSU (2-1 Big Ten, 8-6 overall) has stayed alive and won at the buzzer, this time squeezing by Minnesota (0-3 Big Ten, 7-7 overall), 66-65. MSU won its Big Ten home opener against Ohio State (62-60) after trailing by 10 at halftime on Thursday.
The Spartans, who rank at the top in the Big Ten in field goal percent defense, 35.8 percent, dominated the game with their hard-nosed defense, holding Minnesota to 39.7 percent, connecting on only 23 of 58.
But head coach Joanne P. McCallie said it was the Spartans’ attitude adjustment after going to halftime down by 5 that won the game for MSU.
“I thought we fought hard, but we also got disillusioned in the first half and started hanging our heads,” she said. “The second half was just pure out and out battle. They began thinking of what effect they had on the team and less of themselves.”
The first half started with an MSU 6-0 run, aided by two buckets from junior forward Becky Cummings, who led all first half scorers with 10, and one by freshman forward Julie Pagel, who recorded her second career double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
The Spartans then extended that lead to 23-13, when sophomore forward Maria Recker sunk MSU’s only three-pointer of the first half with 5:45 left.
The Spartans scrambled to continue eating away at the Golden Gophers defensively, but as Minnesota began blocking MSU shots and forcing turnovers, they created a 20-5 Minnesota run before halftime.
Minnesota finally took the lead during that run when freshman guard-forward Tanisha Gilbert hit a running jump-shot with 1:49 left in the half, putting the team up 27-26. The Spartans stayed alive with a layup by junior forward Abby Salscheider, but went to halftime down by 5.
But that 15 minutes gave MSU the chance to reevaluate its mental play and come out in the second half with unity, said sophomore point guard Vnemina Reese.
“We’ve just been talking about making sure our heads are always up,” said Reese, who led the Spartans in the second-half comeback with 10 points, to finish with 16. “If we do something wrong on offense, we’re going to make up for it on defense. You make a mistake, but you keep going.”
That attitude sent MSU on a rampage in the second half, tying the game after less than a minute with a left corner three-pointer from Reese and two free throws by Pagel.
The lead changed five times and was tied three times in the second half before MSU senior guard Donita Johnson sunk two free throws with 15 seconds left, extending the MSU lead to four, 66-62.
Minnesota tried one more time to hang on and win, when Gilbert hit a long three with less than a second left, but the Spartans wore that second down to come out on top.
Gilbert finished with 16 points for the Gophers off the bench.
“I’m very proud of the way our team played, especially the second half,” coach McCallie said. “They have been working hard, and it’s great to see them benefit from that hard work, and to see them benefit from growing as a team.”
