The coaches and players both know that this is only the beginning.

There are things left to be accomplished that can turn a good season into an unbelievable season, but everyone knows there is a lot of hard work ahead.

"We're just working on getting better - climbing that mountain and getting to the top," junior guard Lindsay Bowen said. "The regular season Big Ten Championship is just one step, we still have three more goals to accomplish - Big Ten Tournament champions, Final Four and NCAA Champions."

Four years ago, when MSU head coach Joanne P. McCallie recruited Haynie and senior center Roehrig she used the championship as a selling point. She tried to get her team to believe that they could turn the program around and build a winner - and she has.

"It's a great feeling," Roehrig said. "We've been working for this for four years and we finally got it. And for it to come in our last home game, it couldn't have been any better, it's the perfect ending."

This is only the second-ever Big Ten Championship for women's basketball in school history, and these players feel McCallie is the reason they were able to accomplish everything they have.

"Coach (McCallie) is a really good coach. She's always there to talk to and help with our problems on and off the court," sophomore guard Rene Haynes said. "She trusts us and believes in us, and that's one thing that is really special about her.

"She never lets us be satisfied, we always have things to work on and always have time to get better - challenges come everyday, we just have to step up to them."

Something else the Spartans have brought to the table this year was the versatility of every single player. When one player was having an off night, other players would step up and do more. The balance on the team has been present all year and will need to be the rest of the way.

"We're so dangerous in every area, you can't just key on one player, because someone will step up," Bowen said. "We've been working since the summer for this, and each player brought their strengths each night and we keep getting better."

The players will have time to enjoy the title for a little bit before they have to play another game. But they will start preparing for the tournament runs during their nine days off. McCallie also plans on getting her players some rest so their legs will be fresh and ready to go on March 4.

"We will start to prepare for the Big Ten Tournament-style games, where there is no days off," McCallie said. "We are going to enjoy this one, though, for a little bit. This team has answered every challenge and has earned every accomplishment achieved. Nobody deserves this title more than they do."

This team is relatively young too. They only have the two graduating seniors, and everybody else will return for another run next year. This experience is something that the underclassmen can use and take with them to continue winning championships.

"I think it's great that (the younger players) can get this (championship) early," Haynes said. "The good thing is, we have a long ways to go and a lot of time to get better."

This team knows it has the core of the team returning. And with a good recruiting class coming in next year, it does not feel there is anything in its way right now.

"There's no stopping here, we've been a program on the rise and we're just going to keep going," Bowen said.

---

By the numbers

25 - record number of wins this season

4 - players that reached the 1,000-point club

13 - number of wins at home

0 - number of losses at home

2 - number of undefeated home records

61 - largest margin of victory this year

101 - most points scored this year

8-1 - record against ranked opponents

4 - number of players averaging double figures in points

9 - current winning streak

4 - number of players named Big Ten Player of the Week (record for one team in a season)

Source: MSU Sports Information