The No. 20 MSU women's basketball team finally broke through against a top 10 team, beating No. 9 Minnesota, 72-69.
The win over the Golden Gophers (15-3 overall, 4-3 Big Ten) was the Spartans' (15-3, 5-2) first against a top 10 team since last season when they beat the then-No. 10 Gophers, 74-71. On Sunday, however, they beat a much better Minnesota team - on the road.
"We were fortunate to do things down the stretch that made the difference," MSU head coach Joanne P. McCallie said.
MSU was 0-2 against top 10 teams going into the game, losing at then-No. 10 Penn State and at home to then-No. 10 Purdue in back-to-back games. It was the opposite of last season, when MSU finished the year 2-0 against the top 10 teams it played.
The win gave MSU a 7-2 record on the road and its third consecutive road win after dropping a 64-62 contest to Penn State (15-3, 8-0) back on Jan. 4.
"We were attacking, and as long as we attack other teams, we have as much chance of success as anybody," McCallie said.
The Spartans got huge efforts on offense by junior guard Kristin Haynie and freshman guard Rene Haynes. Haynie again came up big in an important game, scoring 10 points and dishing out eight assists, her season high.
Haynes has been a solid player all season long and rebounded from a mediocre performance Thursday to become a factor in the upset on Sunday. Haynes had 10 points off the bench on 3-for-5 shooting in 20 minutes.
"Rene stepped up and made a big difference off the bench," McCallie said. "We're proud of her for that."
For the second game in a row, the Spartans found themselves trailing at halftime, 39-35. For second straight game, MSU came back and won the game.
"Our team has more experience than their years indicate," McCallie said. "Our sophomores have been around the block."
The sophomores, forward Liz Shimek and guard Lindsay Bowen, led the way again. Shimek had 11 points and six rebounds, while Bowen led the team with 18 points.
McCallie said the team was focused and played a well-balanced game. Five of MSU's nine players were in double-figure scoring: Bowen, Shimek, Haynie and Haynes, joined by junior center Kelli Roehrig, who scored 13 points.
The team won the rebound battle by one and the turnover battle by two, just enough to squeak out a win in an evenly played Big Ten contest.
"It was nice to not turn the ball over so much," McCallie said. "I credit that to our guards and focus."
The Spartans finish their three-game road trip in Champaign, Ill., on Thursday against Illinois, then will return to East Lansing to play three straight home games.
