Austin, Texas - The MSU women's basketball team finished its season in with a 80-61 loss to Texas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The No. 8 seed Spartans (22-9 overall) were simply overmatched by the No. 1 seed Longhorns (30-4), who move on to Seattle to play in the West Regional semifinals on Saturday.
"Texas did some very good things and played a very strong game," MSU head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. "It's a little disheartening for us, but it's a very big lesson. They are an excellent team and their destiny is in their own hands."
MSU shot the ball badly all game long, starting 2-for-15 in the first eight minutes of the game and missing numerous lay-ups and short jumpshots all game long. The team finished the game shooting 34.4 percent and scoring 61 points.
"Our guards did a good job of getting us the ball inside and we just didn't finish," junior center Kelli Roehrig said.
The Longhorns were paced by five players in double figures, led by the trio of guard Jaime Carey, forward Heather Schreiber and center Stacy Stephens. The three combined for 55 of Texas' total points for the game.
Carey was the catalyst for the Longhorns, scoring 20 points. She left the game with 7:14 left in the first half after she had the wind knocked out of her from running into a screen set by MSU senior forward Julie Pagel. She returned with a little under four minutes left in the first half and scored the last eight points of the half for the Longhorns.
Carey struck again in the second half, and with MSU down only four points, she scored nine straight points to give Texas a 13-point lead. The Longhorns never looked back.
The 80 points scored was the most an opponent scored on the Spartans all season long. The Longhorns also shot 50.9 percent.
The Spartans were led by Roehrig, who finished the game with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Sophomore forward Liz Shimek and sophomore guard Lindsay Bowen also scored double digits, with 15 and 13, respectively.
For Pagel, it was the last time she would wear the green and white.
"I'm disappointed in the missed opportunity we had here," Pagel said. "Whether I'm here or not, that's my team and they're going to do it, just without me."
Pagel finished the game with no points, five rebounds and one assist in 15 minutes off the bench. Pagel is the only senior who plays, that will not be back next season.
The 22 wins by MSU this season tied the second highest win total ever by a Spartan team with the 1996-1997 season. Only the 23 wins by 1976-1977 Spartans better what the 2003-2004 team accomplished.
