Standing at 6-foot-1, it looked like junior forward Lykendra Johnson might be outmatched by the height that Minnesota’s women’s basketball team had to offer. Only four players on the Golden Gophers roster are listed smaller than Johnson and their tallest player — Amber Dvorak — stands at 6-foot-7.
“There’s going to be mismatches everywhere in the Big Ten,” Johnson said. “There’s going to be big, strong post players and I’m very undersized. I’m just trying to do anything I can. Trying to fight them off using my lower legs or whatever and get the job done.”
However, as she has done for the Spartans time and time again this season, Johnson dug deep and used her speed and power moves to counter the Golden Gophers’ height.
With 20 points and 17 rebounds, Johnson led the No. 12 MSU women’s basketball team to a 66-54 win.
“I try to get (bigger players) off balance a little bit,” Johnson said. “I try to go one way and then fake and go the other way because they usually have at least two people by me.
“Tonight it was just a bigger person and I knew she was slow on the feet. I just went right past her.”
The Golden Gophers (8-12, 0-7 Big Ten) had been struggling to get a win in conference play, and from the start they were no match for the Spartans (18-2, 6-1).
The Spartans busted through the gates with a 9-0 run to begin the game before the Golden Gophers could get into a rhythm.
Senior forward Kalisha Keane got things started by scoring four of her six first-half points during the run.
Junior forward Taylor Alton — who broke into the starting lineup for the second consecutive game — also added a 3-pointer.
However, as MSU tried to end the game early so the crowd could make it home in time for the kickoff of the NFC Championship game, the Golden Gophers clawed their way back.
After the Spartans powered their way to an eight-point lead, a small run capped off by a basket from forward Jackie Voigt helped the Golden Gophers cut the Spartans’ lead to just three points with 9:20 left in the half.
From there, Johnson took over and tallied eight points in the final nine minutes of the half.
To end the period, the Spartans went on a 9-0 run that was capped off by Johnson scoring her 10th point of the game. She already had secured a double-double when the first buzzer went off.
“Is it her best game as a Spartan? I don’t know,” Merchant said. “It sure was a heck of a thing to watch tonight and you know she’s had some really, really amazing games this year in that position she’s playing. I’d like to say no because I think better days are just going to keep coming the way she works so hard out there.”
It was a 40-28 game in the Spartans’ favor heading into halftime, but the Golden Gophers weren’t ready to pack up and get back on the plane to Minnesota just yet.
Led by Kiara Buford, Minnesota went on a 10-0 run to begin the second half and cut the Spartans’ 14-point lead to just three.
Then the Spartan captains and senior leaders got fired up and refused to let Minnesota steal a win. Merchant said having leadership like that on the team is one of the most valuable assets that MSU possesses.
“It really is enjoyable to have that experience,” Merchant said. “They know how Minnesota plays. They know what they’re going to have to get through. They know how physical they are. They know what their strengths are. I feel like it’s one of those situations where as your seniors go then your team usually goes that way.”
Keane, Johnson and senior forward Cetera Washington were the only three players to hit baskets in the next five minutes. Johnson had eight points in that time, Keane had five and Washington had two to bump the lead back to double digits.
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Washington said there was never a doubt in her mind they would win the game because of how her team handles those situations.
“We huddle, look at each other, we’re focused and we know we’re going to get that next stop,” Washington said. “We count on each other, we hold on each other and we hold each other accountable.”
MSU went on a 19-4 run in the closing minutes of the game that would seal the victory.
Both Washington and Keane joined Johnson with double-digit point totals.
After shooting 42 percent for the game, Merchant said the team as a whole has put their shooting woes behind them, but it’s on the other side of the ball that she really sees the improvement.
”I like our defensive mindset,” Merchant said. “At Indiana, I’m not sure we played our best basketball we’ve ever played but we played our best defensive effort. I had to break down that film defensively and I could find (just) five possessions that I had to be pretty nitpicky about to find a poor defensive possession in the game. I think it helps ignite our offense when we defend and you could see that in the second half.”
The team’s biggest advantage came on the offensive boards, where Johnson scooped up eight of them and Washington had five herself. The Spartans out-rebounded the Golden Gophers, 45-31.
“There’s no question I think this is a team that can be really hard to handle when the shot goes up,” Merchant said. “I thought it was the best effort I’ve seen collectively of us getting on the boards.”
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