Michigan State women's basketball finally reached the end of the tunnel — the end of its "gauntlet" stretch of five ranked matchups in February. Though it won’t leave the month scot-free, it finished the final week strong with back-to-back wins.
After a slow start, MSU used a dominant third quarter to take down then-No. 23 Minnesota 75-61. The guard duo of senior Jalyn Brown and redshirt sophomore Kennedy Blair combined for 38 points and helped the Spartans improve their record to 22-6 (11-6 Big Ten).
"Another top-25 matchup on the road, playing arguably the hottest team in the league and one of the hottest teams in the country. They're ranked, but we always felt like they've been under-ranked because of the NET [rankings]," MSU head coach Robyn Fralick said postgame Sunday. "We knew it was going to be a tough challenge."
This was arguably MSU's best win of the season
After beating Minnesota, the Spartans picked up their fourth win over an AP Top 25 opponent this season, and Sunday’s was likely their most impressive. The Golden Gophers are tied for the second-highest-ranked win by MSU this season, as the Spartans also defeated then-No. 23 Washington on the road in January. The highest-ranked win came against then-No. 15 Ole Miss at the Cherokee Invitational in December — a dominant 66-49 victory.
Blowing out Ole Miss at a neutral site may remain the Spartans’ highest-ranked win, but all things considered, their road victory Sunday is arguably their best yet. Minnesota was ranked No. 23 entering the matchup but is one of the most underrated teams in the country.
The Golden Gophers had won nine straight games before falling to the Spartans, defeating two top-10 teams during that stretch. They also owned a better Big Ten record than MSU, despite the Spartans being ranked five spots higher, and sit eighth in the NET rankings despite never cracking the top 20 in the AP poll.
The easy way to put it: Going on the road and beating Minnesota on Senior Day by 14 points is MSU's best win of the year — not only a resume-builder but a morale boost in the closing days of the regular season.
This win most likely secures home-court advantage for the NCAA Tournament
Nothing is truly set in stone until Selection Sunday, but MSU has to feel pretty good about its odds of earning at least a four seed after the win over Minnesota. Before a rough week in which the Spartans lost by 20 to both No. 2 UCLA and No. 8 Michigan, MSU was projected to earn a No. 4 seed in the tournament, which would mean home-court advantage for the first two rounds. After those losses, questions arose about whether they could hold onto that seeding.
Those questions have largely been answered after a strong bounce-back week that included a 36-point win over Northwestern and, of course, the victory over Minnesota. With one game left in the regular season, MSU sits at No. 15 in the AP rankings, No. 13 in the NET rankings and — perhaps most importantly — No. 4 seed in the Sacramento region in ESPN’s latest bracketology, updated Friday and not yet reflecting the Minnesota win.
It appears the Spartans have done enough to secure at least a No. 4 seed, but a win over No. 13 Ohio State at home Sunday would likely lock it in.
Amy Terrian is a sneaky key to success in March
In February, freshman guard Amy Terrian has seen her role expand, playing at least 10 minutes in each of MSU’s past five games. Her minutes haven’t been the only constant — she has made at least one 3-pointer in all five contests.
Against Minnesota, she scored 11 points on 3-for-4 shooting from 3-point range and played a key role in a third-quarter surge that gave the Spartans a 58-49 lead entering the fourth.
It isn't the first time Terrian has been a spark off the bench in a road win. Against Penn State on Feb. 7, she drained three triples in two minutes in the third quarter to tie the game at 51 — a pivotal turning point in an MSU victory.
On the season, Terrian is shooting an impressive 46% from beyond the arc, giving the Spartans another reliable spot-up shooter alongside senior guard Emma Shumate. But more importantly, her ability to come off the bench and make an immediate impact could be a significant factor come tournament time.
MSU will now prepare for its final regular-season game, welcoming No. 13 Ohio State (23-5, 12-4 Big Ten) to East Lansing for a top-15 matchup that neither team would mind adding to its resume.
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