Michigan State University
Oklahoma St
Oklahoma State Shocks Spartans, 62-60
12/2/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec 2, 2003
STILLWATER, Okla. - The No. 24 Michigan State women's basketball team started slow, came on strong, then couldn't make the plays it needed to down the stretch while falling at Oklahoma State, 62-60, Tuesday night. The loss was MSU's first of the season as the Spartans slipped to 4-1, while Oklahoma State improved to 2-3.
Michigan State, playing its first road game of the season, fell into a 15-point first-half deficit, then slowly worked its way back, taking a trio of leads late in the second half. But after the Cowgirls took a two-point lead at the free throw line in the closing seconds, sophomore Liz Shimek (Empire, Mich.) missed a short jumper, got her own rebound, then missed again at the buzzer.
Despite coming up short at the end, Shimek was MSU's top performer, scoring a season-best 17 points and adding eight rebounds and a pair of blocks. Sophomore Lindsay Bowen (Dansville, Mich.) was the only other Spartan to score in double figures, collecting 14 points.
"It was a great battle, and a good test for us," said MSU head coach Joanne P. McCallie. "It could have gone either way. You have to credit Oklahoma State, for their first half in particular. We played much better in the second half defensively - holding a team to 23 points in a half is unusual. But our problem was in the first half."
In the first half, MSU scored the game's first basket, but from there things quickly went downhill. Missed defensive assignments allowed Oklahoma State easy baskets and open jumpers, and the Cowgirls took advantage, racing to a 29-14 lead after three straight three-pointers by Nikki Stone, who finished with 18 points.
The Spartans clawed their way back within five after a jumper by redshirt freshman Patrice McKinney (Lansing, Mich.) capped a 12-2 run that made it 31-26. But MSU could get no closer, and the lead was eight at the half, 39-31, in favor of Oklahoma State.
The Spartans were uncharacteristically sloppy in the opening period, committing 10 turnovers while forcing only four, and the Spartans' lack of aggressiveness offensively resulted in no free throw attempts for MSU during the opening period.
Two quick MSU baskets to start the second half cut the margin to 39-35, but the Cowgirls quickly pushed the lead back to 10. A basket by OSU's Trisha Skibbe, who finished with a game-high 20 points, gave the Cowgirls a 49-39 lead with 12:16 left, before MSU's defense clamped down.
The Spartans held Oklahoma State to just three points over the next eight-and-a-half minutes, while MSU finally started getting to the free throw line and converting off OSU turnovers. A pair of free throws by Bowen with 4:51 left tied the score at 52, and a jumper by junior Kristin Haynie (Mason, Mich.) gave the Spartans a 54-52 lead moments later. Freshman Rene Haynes (Columbus, Ohio) added a pair of free throws with 3:59 left completing a 17-3 run and giving MSU a 56-52 lead.
Oklahoma State answered back, scoring twice to knot the score at 56, before a Shimek bucket put the Spartans back on top, 58-56, with 2:44 left. The Spartans had two chances to extend the lead, but misfired both times, and Stone hit another trey for OSU with 1:03 remaining, giving the Cowgirls a 59-58 lead.
Shimek was fouled with 47 seconds left and converted both foul shots, putting MSU back on top, but Stone answered with two free throws of her own with 26 seconds remaining. Haynie's entry pass to Shimek was then intercepted and the Spartans were forced to foul Kenzie Cole, who split a pair of free throws with 18 seconds left, setting the stage for Shimek's last ditch effort which came up short.
MSU held a 35-30 rebounding edge thanks to Shimek's eight and seven from McKinney, but the Spartans were outshot (45.3 percent to 41.4) and forced just 12 turnovers while committing 13.
MSU will continue its five-game road swing when the Spartans visit Kent State Saturday, Dec. 6, at 2 p.m.
