Cincinnati - The No. 15 MSU women's basketball team brought home a pair of victories as they finished up a five-game road swing Saturday in Cincinnati, where the Spartans rallied back in the second half to win 77-61.
"It was definitely a tough battle between both the teams," junior guard Lindsay Bowen said. "We have been on the road, and it was a quite a challenge for us mentally."
MSU (6-1) opened the first couple of minutes with the lead. With 16:38 left in the first half, Cincinnati (3-3) hit a streak of momentum and grabbed the lead on a 3-pointer by Cincinnati guard Toni Slaughter. At the half, the Bearcats held a slim 33-32 lead.
"Cincinnati played really hard," MSU head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. "I thought it was a very physical, battling kind of basketball game.
"Cincinnati played hot. They played well, especially early, and we were just kind of trying to catch up and get our footing."
In the first half, the Spartans hit almost 39 percent of their field goals. In the second half, with about six minutes left, they unleashed a dangerous offense, taking the lead and eventually winning by 16 points. Bowen led MSU with 28 points, while senior center Kelli Roehrig and junior forward Liz Shimek both scored 18 points.
"We really had fun in the last minutes of the game and started playing our best," Shimek said. "That is what we're all about. We have to play through all the adversity we had. The team effort makes us stronger."
Cincinnati was led by forward Karen Twehues with 16 points, but, despite the long lead, it was hard to stop MSU, specifically Bowen, who put in 18 of her points in the second half.
"She's a gamer," McCallie said of Bowen. "Lindsay Bowen is one of the best guards in the country. What makes her so great is her competitive spirit; she is always in the game trying to figure out how to do what she can do."
On the boards, the top rebounders were Roehrig and Shimek with 12 and 11, respectively.
"It was pretty much like a knockout punch," Bowen said. "We were looking for that the whole game. We were telling each other, 'Come on, let's go, we've got this.' It finally happened, and it felt great."
Prior to Saturday's game, MSU took the wind out of No. 3 Notre Dame in an overtime upset. The Fighting Irish, previously undefeated at home, lost 82-73. Bowen led that game with 23 points, senior guard Haynie with 17 and Roehrig with 14. Shimek and Haynie had 13 and 10 boards, respectively.
"We have great respect for Notre Dame; they are a great team," McCallie said. "But our kids didn't have any mindset because we had played them the year before."
The team will continue working on its technique and defense, Bowen said.
"We need to buckle down on defense and still keep talking and find the shooters and not let so many points up on the board," she said. "We just have to get back to that and get focused."
McCallie said the Spartans have to improve their floor work and offensive ball play.
"Our ball movement and our ability to set each other up is very flat," she said. "That is where I am looking right away. We have to mature a little more in offense."
Next on the schedule for the Spartans is a contest against Eastern Illinois at 7 p.m. on Dec. 9 at Breslin Center.
"It's great to play in front of the home crowd, to be at Breslin," Shimek said. "It is an awesome place to play, but I really think playing on the road teaches you a lot of lessons, and you've got to get used to it."
Now road-adjusted, the Spartans hope to keep improving their record, and, according to Bowen, show the level they can play at.
"It was a great win for us," she said. "We know we are getting to be the best, and we just want to work toward that."
Recap
The MSU women's basketball team concluded their five-game road streak with four wins and a loss. The next game is 7 p.m. on Dec. 9 at Breslin Center against Eastern Illinois.
| School | Score | MSU's top scorer |
| Utah* | 56-54 W | Liz Shimek, 15 points |
| Santa Clara* | 81-59 W | Kelli Roehrig, 23 points |
| Texas Christian* | 75-80 L | Bowen, 33 points |
| Notre Dame | 82-73 W in OT | Bowen, 23 points |
| Cincinnati | 61-77 W | Bowen, 28 points |
Source: MSU Sports Information
