As the turnaround of the MSU women’s basketball team continues, the biggest difference has come in close games.

Not only are the Spartans (15-9 overall, 5-8 Big Ten) winning more games overall, they have played in the same number of games decided by five points or less as last season. But this year MSU is flipping the results.

The Spartans are 7-2 in games decided by five points or less, compared to 2-7 last year.

MSU head coach Joanne P. McCallie said the team’s defense is one of the reasons for the turnaround.

“I think we’ve been a little more consistent with our defense, which has really provided an opportunity down the stretch,” McCallie said. “Our defense has definitely gotten better from last year to this year.

“When I think about winning close games, I think about the defensive stops we’ve had. I think it has been team defense and a commitment to team defense down the stretch.”

A year ago, the Spartans had a similar defensive-oriented style. But second-half collapses resulted in losses, and similar collapses have been seen this season.

The Spartans’ confidence level is the difference, sophomore forward Julie Pagel said.

“This year we have more confidence in our defense and we play off each other much better than we did last year,” she said. “The way we play our defense and how we rely and feed off each other is key.”

Though there have been letdowns this year, senior guard Vnemina Reese said this year’s squad has more hope than the 2000 Spartans.

“We just have sparks and people feed off them,” Reese said. “That is the biggest thing this year. When we are down, we don’t see it as a defeat.

“We know we can come back and put a game together and win it.”

The two close games the Spartans lost this season were to Indiana, 50-47 on Dec. 30, and to Minnesota 70-69 on Jan 7. Both losses came at Breslin Center.

On the positive side, MSU won a close game against then-No.15 Wisconsin, 58-57 on Jan. 30 in Madison, Wis., and another against Illinois, 62-57 on Saturday.

At a crucial moment against the Fighting Illini the defense stepped up, McCallie said.

“At Illinois, there was a critical time when they were down by three, and they came down and Pagel got a steal,” she said.

Reese was the catalyst on offense last season, but with freshman guard Kristin Haynie joining the Spartans, she has relinquished those responsibilities.

However, when Haynie takes a breather, Reese returns to the point.

On Thursday, MSU squares off with Penn State (16-9, 8-4), which the Spartans edged out 66-62 on Jan. 20 in East Lansing.

The Spartans would like to win big, but if it comes down to the wire, Reese says she has no fear.

“I have confidence in every last player on the team,” Reese said. “I definitely feel confident in the team executing at that time.”

Pagel said the Spartans don’t care who has the ball in the closing seconds of a tight game.

“We are so consistent and confident that I wouldn’t mind giving the ball to Kristin or (Reese),” Pagel said. “I wouldn’t mind taking a shot at the end either.”