MSU head coach Joanne P. McCallie said the road to the Big Ten Championship was a two-step process, and the second step was never in doubt after the opening tip.
The No. 6 MSU (25-3 overall, 14-2 Big Ten) women's basketball team never trailed Michigan (5-21, 1-14) en route to a 77-34 victory over their intrastate rivals and the school's second ever Big Ten Championship.
The Spartans overcame the first step by defeating then-No. 2 Ohio State on Sunday.
"Nobody deserves this championship more than these players do," McCallie said. "They have stepped up to every challenge presented to them, and they have earned this."
On a night when nothing seemed to go wrong, it was only fitting one of the two seniors led this team to a victory. Senior center Kelli Roehrig picked up a double-double, scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
"Finally, we got the Big Ten Championship," senior guard Kristin Haynie said. "It is crazy out here, but it is unbelievable."
For the seniors, it was their last time playing on Breslin Center's floor in front of an intense crowd.
"The crowd was great both games and all year," junior forward Liz Shimek said, referring to the 14,066 fans that came out to witness the win against Ohio State and another 8,904 that showed on Wednesday.
"Their support was amazing, and they definitely were a huge part in our success this year."
Shimek added 20 points and had eight rebounds. The Spartans seemingly put the game away early in the second half with a 19-0 run.
"They did not play very well in the first half," McCallie said of her team. "They seemed to just be out there going through the motions and that is unacceptable. So I went into the locker room and yelled at them at halftime and challenged them once again.
"They really came out and went to a different level in the second half."
The Spartans shot 49.2 percent from the floor and limited the Wolverines to 26.3 percent. The Spartans dominated the boards as well, grabbing 50 rebounds to the Wolverines' 31.
"I can't say enough about this team and the leadership that is present on it," McCallie said. "I know they are still hungry and the cutting of the nets is only practice for our next opportunities."
The Spartans tightened up their defense in the second half and only gave up 13 points, one more than the record low for an opponent at Breslin Center.
"The Breslin Center is a great environment to play in. It is a great environment for women's basketball," Michigan head coach Cheryl Burnett said. "They play hard and do all the right things. It's going to take us a while to get to their level."
The Spartans now have some time to rest and enjoy the championship for the next eight days. MSU plays next on March 4 at the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis.
"This team has shown great maturity over the past few weeks," McCallie said. "After our three-game swing on the road I just had a feeling that we had set the table nicely for ourselves.
"The leadership is great and can only get better. We will enjoy this one for a little bit now and start to get ready for the tournaments."
