Despite not having the best game of her career, senior guard Victoria Lucas-Perry achieved a career-defining milestone in MSU's 67-57 win over Iowa on Sunday.
Shooting a layup with 4:05 left in the game, Lucas-Perry scored her 1,000th career point, becoming the 18th player in program history to do so.
"It's nice that happens," she said. "It shows how far you've come as a player and just reflects on your teammates, Michigan State, everything."
Although Lucas-Perry didn't have her best shooting night, shooting just 4-for-15, she managed to find other ways to help the team win, grabbing a team-leading nine rebounds. It's the second time she has lead the team in rebounding this season.
"My shots weren't really falling, and I got some charge calls, but I just tried to crash the boards hard and give some energy on defense," she said. "That's what it's about — just trying to help your team win."
After scoring 23 points Thursday against Michigan, Lucas-Perry needed just six points Sunday to hit 1,000. She finished the game with 1,002 career points.
MSU head coach Joanne P. McCallie said she was glad Lucas-Perry didn't focus too much on the missed opportunities on the offensive end.
"We have a lot of confidence in her," McCallie said. "She did a great job defensively, pulled down the nine rebounds, had three steals and just did some very good things.
"You can't be somebody who is affected by offense; even if the offense is great, you can't celebrate that. You have to play a complete game, and Victoria really does that."
Lucas-Perry joins senior guard Rene Haynes as the two players to hit the 1,000-point plateau this season. Haynes did it Jan. 4 at Indiana. Both were honored after the game with commemorative basketballs.
"It's a great, fun thing about sports to recognize growth, maturity and time they've spent as Spartans," McCallie said. "Coaches, for the most part, if (they) can give away basketballs with dates on them, that's fun stuff for us."
Davids-on
Junior guard Courtney Davidson scored a season-high eight points, going 2-for-2 from behind the arc with three assists Sunday.
Her lone two-point field goal found her driving the lane with the shot clock running down and throwing up a prayer that was answered by the basketball gods.
"It was just a matter of, when you get in there, finishing," Davidson said. "I was a little out of control, but you have to finish in control."
On the inside
The Spartans dominated Iowa in the paint for the second straight game, outscoring the Hawkeyes 42-24 in the paint this time around. MSU also won the rebounding battle, 37-31. Iowa fared better than last Sunday, when MSU outscored the Hawkeyes 36-10 inside.
The Spartans held Iowa center Megan Skouby to eight points on 2-for-8 shooting and forward Wendy Ausdemore to 2-for-11 shooting.
"Stopping (Ausdemore) and (Skouby) — that was excellent by the team and very important," McCallie said.
