“We knew it was a big game and a chance to get into the NCAA Tournament,” freshman guard Brittney Thomas, who scored a game-high 12 points said. “We also had so many other motivational factors for that game … just because they swept us in conference and we knew it was a really good matchup and they’re tough to defend.”

MSU saved its only victory of the season over the Golden Gophers for when it counted, advancing to the semifinals against Illinois at approximately 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

Ignited by an and-one by junior guard Mia Johnson at the 1:53 mark, the Spartans went on a 7-2 run over the final two minutes. Senior guard Alisa Wulff nailed a 3-pointer with one minute remaining to get the crowd on their feet and bring home the victory.

“It was huge down the stretch,” sophomore center Allyssa DeHaan said. “Everybody just kind of came together on defense, we made some huge stops and that kind of transitioned into our offense.

“Everybody just stepped up and elevated their game.”

After finishing the first half tied at 23, the teams traded buckets for nearly eight minutes to start off the second half. Minnesota managed to put together a trio of lay-ups to take the first substantial lead of the second half, a five-point edge, at the 10:56 mark.

The two teams continued the mundane pace for the next seven minutes before DeHaan made two straight lay-ups to spark a 15-4 run that lasted the final three-and-a-half minutes of the game.

The first half was an offensive nightmare for both teams. Up until the 5:11 mark in the first half, when Minnesota guard Kay Sylva put away a lay-up, the Gophers were 1-for-20 from the field in the first half.

“I thought (MSU’s) pressure really affected us, sped us up and forced us to take some bad shots, but the ball also wasn’t going in the basket,” Minnesota head coach Pam Borton said. “It was a miracle that we were even tied at halftime with the offensive production that we didn’t have in the first half.”

Minnesota shot 22.2 percent from the field and the Spartans 23.8 percent. The five made Spartans field goals in the first half were the fewest in a half by MSU all season.

“Obviously Allyssa DeHaan is a huge part of our offense” MSU head coach Suzy Merchant said in reference to having to sit DeHaan for the majority of the first half due to foul trouble. “We’re not a high-powered offense, and when you take our leading scorer out of that, it can be a little scary.

“When I sat her down, I was like ‘uh-oh’ but a lot of our kids stepped up.”

Fouls played a large role in the game. DeHaan collected two fouls less than three minutes into the game forcing Merchant to sit her, and coincidentally much of the offensive game plan for the rest of the first half. Twenty-two of Minnesota’s 51 points came at the charity stripe along with 21 of the Spartans 56 points.

DeHaan, Thomas and Johnson all led the Spartans with 12 points.