Michigan State University
Indiana
Women's Basketball Rally Falls Short Vs. Indiana
12/30/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 30, 2001
EAST LANSING, Mich. - For five minutes on Sunday, the Michigan State women's basketball team looked like the Spartans that started the season 9-1 entering today's Big Ten opener against Indiana. Unfortunately, those final five minutes were not enough for MSU to overcome a lack of offensive production during the contest's first 35 minutes. The result was a 50-47 Indiana victory in front of a season-best crowd of 3,319 that snapped the Spartans' five-game winning streak.
Sophomore Julie Pagel scored 14 points to lead MSU, which trailed 40-32 with just over five minutes remaining. A bucket by freshman Kristin Haynie with 5:14 left ignited a 12-4 spurt that allowed the Spartans to knot the score at 44 on a layup by junior Vnemina Reese with 2:30 remaining. But it was not enough as the Hoosiers scored six of the game's last nine points to improve to 8-5 and 2-0 in the Big Ten.
"It was a great defensive battle," said MSU head coach Joanne P. McCallie. "I have to tip my hat to Indiana. I was impressed with their composure down the stretch.
"I was pleased with our team's defense," added McCallie, "although I am not pleased with the team. There were a lot of individuals who didn't play as well as they can play and it hurt us. But I am very proud of the five individuals (Pagel, Haynie, Reese, Candice Jackson and Kelli Roehrig) who were on the court at the end."
Both teams struggled to put points on the board through most of the game, as MSU shot just 35.8 percent from the field while Indiana made only 36.4 percent of its shots. The Spartans made only two of 13 attempts from three-point range while Indiana missed all seven of its long range attempts. The difference was at the free throw line, where the Hoosiers hit 18 of 23 attempts while Michigan State had only 11 attempts, sinking seven.
Pagel was the only Spartan in double figure scoring, and shared team rebounding honors with Roehrig with six boards. Roehrig and junior Syreeta Bromfield had eight points each, while Reese added seven. Indiana center Jill Chapman was the only Hoosier to score in double digits, pouring in 18 points and adding a game-high nine boards.
Chapman's basket with 2:04 put Indiana ahead for good, 46-44. With the Hoosiers leading 48-44, Reese hit a three-pointer with 1:03 left to trim the margin to 48-47. The Spartans then forced a shot clock violation, but Reese missed a short jumper and Chapman grabbed the rebound and was fouled with six seconds left. After Chapman sank both free throws, Pagel's desperation three-pointer at the buzzer from the top of the key was off target.
Michigan State scored the game's first four points as Indiana went 4:02 before scoring its first points of the game. The Spartans led 12-9 with 12:03 left in the opening period, but then scored just one point during the next 7:22 as Indiana opened an 18-13 lead. A layup by Bromfield with 4:40 left stopped the drought, but MSU went into the lockerroom trailing 26-22 at intermission.
MSU held a 35-34 edge in rebounding, and forced Indiana into 21 turnovers while committing 18.
The Spartans return to action Tuesday, Jan. 2, when they visit Michigan.
Spartan Notebook
Today's loss was the first of the season for MSU at the Breslin Center, where MSU had been 4-0.
MSU is now 9-12 all-time in Big Ten openers, including five straight losses. The last time the Spartans won their Big Ten opener was on Dec. 28, 1996, when MSU beat Indiana 62-54 at the Breslin Center.
The 47 points scored by MSU were a season-low, and the fewest scored by the Spartans since a loss Feb. 22, 2001, at Iowa by an identical 50-47 score.
Today's game marked the seventh time this season, and fourth in a row, that MSU held its opponent below 60 points.
