Freshman guard Brittney Thomas attempts to maneuver around Illinois guard Rebecca Harris during the Big Ten Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Spartans lost 41-55 to the Fighting Illini on Saturday in the semifinals.
Indianapolis — After defeating Illinois twice in the regular season, the MSU women’s basketball team failed to do it when it mattered the most.
Illinois defeated MSU 55-41 on Saturday in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals at Conseco Fieldhouse. The Spartans now have to wait to hear their post-season fate, hoping for an NCAA Tournament bid.
If they receive a bid, their next game could be as early as March 22. If they don’t make it into the NCAA Tournament, they would then continue their postseason in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament, or WNIT.
The combined 96 points scored in the Illinois matchup made the game the lowest-scoring semifinal game in Big Ten Tournament history. The offensively challenged Spartans ended the game shooting 31.3 percent from the field.
“(Illinois) played with heart,” sophomore center Allyssa DeHaan said. “They just wanted it more today than us.
“We didn’t play together, and just fell apart offensively and defensively.”
DeHaan was held to eight points and zero offensive rebounds.
“With Allyssa DeHaan we knew we had to get physical,” Illinois forward Jenna Smith said. “She can shoot over any of us. You just had to push off the block and help out as much as you can and box out because she could rebound very well.
“The key thing is to get her off the block and box her out.”
MSU got off to its usual slow start, turning the ball over six times in the first five minutes of the game and being held to two points for the first seven.
The Fighting Illini also struggled on offense, not showing up the Spartans by too much — they went 31.5 percent from the field.
Going into the break with the lead at 19-15, the Spartans failed to kick it into gear for the second half.
The teams traded baskets for the first seven minutes before the Illini took off on a 31-9 run to take the game.
“It was a big advantage (to play MSU late in the regular season), we had just played them and we knew what we needed to work on,” Illinois head coach Jolette Law said. “It does make a big difference when you’ve just played an opponent because it’s fresh in your mind.”
Before the Illinois run, MSU had the lead by as much as eight points seven minutes into the half.
Harris sparked the Illinois victory with a layup in the midst of her nine straight points.
The Spartans briefly regained the lead with a pair of free throws by sophomore center Lauren Aitch before Harris took it back for good with a jumper at the 5:48 mark.
Harris scored 10 points in the game, all in the second half.
“We definitely lacked focus, and it showed down the stretch,” junior guard Mia Johnson said.
“It was all on us,” she said. “We were prepared to come as a team — it fell on us as individuals. We didn’t do our job.”
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MSU head coach Suzy Merchant noted that Harris was the difference-maker for Illinois, taking on a senior role of a player who refuses to lose.
Freshman forward Kalisha Keane led the Spartans with 10 points.
