When a team catches fire and shot after shot falls through the net with ease, the players often remark that the net "felt like the basket was as big as a lake."

When the MSU women's basketball team is rolling, shooting the ball must feel like casting a pebble into the Pacific Ocean. If they can find that stride on Friday, they'll easily dispatch Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament.

On Feb. 9, Minnesota saw what can happen when the Spartans are firing on all cylinders. MSU shot 61 percent from the floor, 80 percent from the arc and lit up the scoreboard for 57 points — all in the first 20 minutes — and eventually won with an 84-61 score.

Victoria Lucas-Perry and Lindsay Bowen were spotting up from the perimeter, burying shots with dead-eye accuracy. Liz Shimek backed the ball into the post, then unleashed an array of fakes, pivots and power dribbles leaving defenders swatting at the air. Rene Haynes slashed to the basket, laying the ball off the glass on one drive only to dish the ball to a cutting teammate on the next. And Aisha Jefferson got her hands on nearly every rebound, giving the Spartans extra possessions.

It wasn't just individual abilities that made the Spartans such an overwhelming matchup for Minnesota, and they could do the same against the Hawkeyes.

Fueling the offensive output was the Spartans defense. They raced over every inch of the floor, forcing 24 turnovers. Minnesota struggled to even advance the ball past half court. The Golden Gophers couldn't focus on any one threat for fear that it would open an opportunity for another.

If the first half of the Minnesota game serves as a blueprint, a victory against Iowa should come as no surprise — especially to those who saw MSU at its best.