This probably wasn't the way the MSU women's basketball team wanted to go into the Big Ten Tournament.
The No. 20 Spartans were pushed to the limit by a feisty Minnesota team, but they relied on tough defense and timely shooting to come away with a 57-50 win Sunday afternoon at Breslin Center.
MSU (22-7 overall, 13-3 Big Ten) was outrebounded by 17 but blocked 10 shots, including eight from freshman center Allyssa DeHaan, and forced the Golden Gophers to 19 turnovers.
"That was a defensive battle all the way," MSU head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. "It wasn't very offensive-minded. It was an absolute defensive battle. That's all I can say."
McCallie said her team was satisfied with wins over Purdue and Ohio State, which brought on a lack of focus against Northwestern, Illinois and now Minnesota.
"That happens when you don't have high goals for yourself," McCallie said.
"The last time I checked, we haven't won any championships. That was a very satisfied effort level."
Both teams struggled to score in the first half. Minnesota (15-14, 7-9) led 12 minutes into the game, 14-12. MSU went on an 8-2 run to take a 20-16 lead, but allowed the Gophers back into it and trailed by one at halftime.
"We came out a bit lax and not as focused as we needed to be," sophomore forward Aisha Jefferson said.
After a media timeout with 11:39 to play, a proverbial lightbulb over the head switched on for the Spartans.
MSU went on a quick 10-0 run, with the big bucket coming from junior forward Alisa Wulff on a fast break. The basket gave MSU a 36-35 lead and forced Minnesota to call a timeout. The Spartans didn't look back from there.
"We've been in pretty much every situation," senior forward Katrina Grantham said. "Experience really helped us keep our poise and composure down the stretch."
Senior guard Victoria Lucas-Perry was the only MSU player in double figures with 13 points. She also had six rebounds. DeHaan finished with eight points, six rebounds and eight blocks.
Emily Fox led Minnesota with 15 points, while guard Korinne Campbell grabbed 17 rebounds.
Now, MSU has to refocus in time for Friday's game in the Big Ten Tournament. The Spartans will head to Indianapolis as the No. 3 seed and will face the winner of the matchup between No. 6 seed Minnesota and No. 11 seed Northwestern in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
"This is the greatest time of year to make something happen," McCallie said.
