The Spartans started quick and struck early in the eighth minute. Sophomore attacking midfielder Bella Najera whipped in a dangerous free kick and Anthony rose to meet it, heading the ball home to give MSU an early lead. The first goal came just moments after MSU graduate midfielder Emily Mathews rattled the crossbar with a long-range effort in the seventh minute.

Despite the early advantage, Texas grew into the game. Its high press caused problems for the Spartans, and the end-to-end action epitomized the unpredictable nature of tournament soccer. The Longhorns equalized in the 33rd minute when freshman forward Amalia Villarreal confidently finished off a cross, shifting the momentum in their favor.

Texas dominated much of the second half, keeping the Spartans pinned in their defensive third. MSU’s defense weathered the pressure, and Texas senior goalkeeper Mia Justice made a crucial save in the 65th minute, denying what looked to be a certain goal for the Spartans after another dangerous Najera free kick.

Just two minutes later, MSU redshirt freshman forward Adelle Francis thought she put MSU ahead with a goal, but her effort was ruled out for offside.

Against the run of play, the Spartans found a breakthrough in the 73rd minute. Najera capitalized on a golden opportunity, slotting the ball into the net from close range to restore MSU’s lead. However, Texas responded quickly as senior forward Holly Ward leveled the game in the 79th minute, tucking the ball into the far post to send the match into overtime.

Head Coach Jeff Hosler honed in on the up-and-down nature of the game, and how the Spartans attacked the challenge.

"We can play so well at times, and then just kind of let other teams off the hook a little bit. And the difference today is that, we found a way to keep fighting back, and we found a way in overtime to get that, that final goal." Hosler said.

When all was said and done, overtime belonged to MSU. In the 93rd minute, the Spartans sealed the result as junior defender Maggie Illig unleashed a speculative shot that bobbled in the box, falling perfectly for Anthony, who made no mistake in securing her second goal of the game and sending MSU to the third round for the second straight year and second time in program history. 

With the victory, MSU awaits its next opponent: The Duke Blue Devils, a No. 1 seed and the team that will give MSU its toughest test of the season. 

"We have an incredible opponent in front of us on Sunday, we'll have to be at our best at what we do. . . you don't play a Friday to Sunday any other time of the year," Hosler said.

MSU will play Duke this Sunday, Nov. 24 at 6 p.m. in Durham, North Carolina.