The Spartans leading scorer during the regular season didn’t score a point in the team’s 62-47 loss to Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament championship game Sunday afternoon. The junior guard didn’t play for the final part of the game and was forced to watch from the sideline.

“I couldn’t get a shot, I was trying to drive to the basket and couldn’t figure that out,” she said.

“Defensively, I don’t think I was myself today as much either.”

For her first two years at MSU, Bell came off the bench and averaged less than 15 minutes and less than five points per game. She said she has no excuses for her poor play against the Boilermakers, and this game reminded her of what she does when she’s not in the game.

“Just cheering and good things happen,” Bell said. “If I see something out there that I can help my teammates out there. Just being an observer, what I did my first two years here at Michigan State.”

Bell wasn’t the only Spartan to struggle against Purdue. Junior forward Annalise Pickrel didn’t score at all in the first half and finished the game with just five points in 31 minutes of play. Her 12 points during the three games in the tournament are six fewer than the 18 she scored in West Lafayette, Ind., when the Spartans beat the Boilermakers to close out the regular season.

“It wasn’t just today, it was the past three games,” Pickrel said. “I didn’t show up, and I don’t know why. I didn’t have a confidence issue coming into (the) Big Ten (Tournament), and I was confident in our team, but personally I don’t know. I’m trying to figure that out.”

With a berth in the NCAA Tournament on the horizon, Pickrel said she plans to shoot as many shots as possible to get in the game mindset she’ll need to get out of her funk. Late in the second half, Pickrel air-balled a 3-pointer she said she shouldn’t have. Both players said there is no excuse for their poor play and couldn’t chalk it up to fatigue or lack of effort.

“I could play another game right now,” Pickrel said. “I felt, preparation-wise, I did what I needed to do, everyone in here did.”

Head coach Suzy Merchant said other players stepped up in the tournament, but that shouldn’t be a reason for the absence of two of the Spartans three leading scorers. Merchant said she spent the entire tournament trying to find out what happened to Pickrel’s shot — to no avail.

“I don’t know where she went,” Merchant said.

“We’ve got to find her. She’s a tough matchup. She’s gotta come back to us, she really does. I still don’t feel like she’s being the player she can be.”

Between Bell and Pickrel, they have 39 double-figure scoring games in their careers, with Bell having 23 of them. Merchant had a similar story about Bell, who started off the tournament with a 20-point performance against Michigan, before scoring just three points in the final
two games.

“When it kept being consistent at both ends of the floor, maybe sometimes it’s better to sit down and give somebody else a try,” Merchant said. “She’s a tough one. I mean, she’s got a lot of talent and skill. And for some reason, it just wasn’t there tonight.”