Michigan State University
Indiana
MSU Women's Basketball Drops Indiana, 64-53
1/26/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 26, 2003
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Michigan State women's basketball team had a tougher time against Indiana than the Spartans did 10 days ago, but MSU escaped Assembly Hall with a 64-53 win Sunday afternoon. Michigan State shot 60 percent from the field to overcome a sloppy first half and earn its first Big Ten road win of the season. The victory improved MSU's record to 11-7 overall and 4-3 in the Big Ten, while Indiana, which lost in East Lansing, 70-44 Jan. 16, slipped to 9-8 and 2-5.
Senior Syreeta Bromfield (Kingston, Jamaica) scored 25 points to lead Michigan State, while sophomore Kristin Haynie (Mason) added 15 points. Most of MSU's points came on drives to the basket, as MSU had a season-low five assists on its 24 baskets. The Spartans hit 24-of-40 shots from the field, including a sizzling 68.4 percent (13-of-19) in the first half.
Despite the scorching first-half shooting, MSU led by just two at the break, 30-28, due to 16 first-half turnovers. The Spartans ended the game with a season-high tying 24 turnovers.
"I think we weren't as fired up as we needed to be in the first half," said MSU head coach Joanne P. McCallie. "We were a little too cautious. We didn't play a great game, but we did what we had to do to win."
Indiana started the second half with a three-pointer to grab a 31-30 lead, but Haynie answered with a trey to spark a 10-2 that gave MSU a 40-33 lead and control of the game. Indiana never got closer than five the rest of the way, as MSU's 52.4 percent second-half shooting kept the Hoosiers at bay. Bromfield hit 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch to help ice the game.
Michigan State scored most of its points from inside, as 35 of the Spartans' 40 field goal attempts were of the two-point variety. Of MSU's five three-point attempts, the Spartans hit four, including a pair from freshman Lindsay Bowen (Dansville), who finished with eight points. The Spartans also controlled the glass, owning a 31-25 edge on the boards thanks largely to 11 rebounds from freshman Liz Shimek (Empire).
The first half was tight, was six ties and ten lead changes. Neither team led by more than four points during the period, but it was Bromfield who kept the Spartans from falling into a hole, scoring half of MSU's 30 points in the opening period. With MSU trailing 19-15, Bromfield scored the Spartans' next 13 points, guiding MSU to a 28-28 tie. Michigan State took possession of the ball with only seven seconds left in the half, and Haynie calmly drove the left side then pulled up for a 15-foot jumper just before the horn to give the Spartans the edge at halftime.
Indiana was held to 35.2 percent shooting (19-of-54), including just 31 percent in the second half, and sank 7-of-19 three-point field goals (36.8 percent). The Hoosiers turned the ball over 19 times. Lisa Eckart was the only Indiana player to reach double-figure scoring, netting 16 points.
"We had great leadership, particularly from Kristin and Syreeta," said McCallie. "In this game you have to find a way to get the job done and I think we took a positive step in that direction today."
Michigan State returns home to host Michigan Thursday night at 8 p.m.
Spartan Notebook:
* Michigan State's 4-3 Big Ten start is the best in Joanne P. McCallie's three years at Michigan State.
* Bromfield reached the 25-point mark in a game for the third time this season. She previously scored 30 vs. Kent State and 28 vs. Miami (Ohio).
* MSU's five three-point field goal attempts were a season low, but the Spartans' 80 percent three-point field goal percentage (4-of-5) was a season high.
* Liz Shimek recorded double-digit rebounds for the seventh time this season. All 11 of Shimek's rebounds were on the defensive end, and 10 of them came in the second half.
