Michigan State University
Michigan
No. 17 Spartans Survive Road Test At Michigan, 59-54
2/12/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 12, 2004
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - Lindsay Bowen led and Michigan State followed.
Bowen scored 14 of her 17 points during a second-half comeback, and the 17th-ranked Spartans scored the final 11 in a 59-54 victory over Michigan on Thursday night.
"We knew we just had to keep chipping away at their lead," Bowen said.
 Liz Shimek scored 13 points against the Wolverines, including seven points in the last six minutes of the game.  | |
Michigan State's Liz Shimek scored seven of her 13 points in the last six-plus minutes. Shimek said she was not surprised the Spartans left Crisler Arena with a win.
"When you're making shots and stops, you just have a feeling you're going to come back," she said.
The Spartans (19-4, 9-3 Big Ten) made plenty of stops to come back -- and seal the victory.
Michigan State trailed by 17 points in the first half and 47-35 midway through the second before rallying to win its third straight and ninth in 10 games.
The Spartans held Michigan without a basket for the last 5:43 and without a point for nearly five minutes.
"It's a heartbreaker," said Michigan's Jennifer Smith, who scored 15 points. "We knew they were going to come back, but we thought we could hold them off."
Michigan (11-14, 4-8) was led by Stephanie Gandy's 17 points. Tabitha Pool added 15 points and six rebounds for the Wolverines, who have lost five of their last six games and four in a row against the Spartans.
 The Spartan bench celebrates after Kristin Haynie's three-pointer gave MSU the lead for good at 55-54 with 3:09 to play. | |
Michigan led until Kristin Haynie's 3-pointer -- her only basket in 10 attempts -- gave the Spartans a 55-54 lead with 3:09 left.
"Kristin Haynie has been sick and if we would've lost, I wouldn't have been able to tell you that because it would've been sour grapes," Michigan State coach Joanne P. McCallie said. "She's been sick for a week and she's missed three practices.
"Think about the 3-pointer she shot -- she was 0-for-9 when she hit that. If that doesn't describe the kind of character we have on our team, I don't know what does."
Michigan State's Kelli Roehrig finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The Spartans had 14 turnovers in the first half -- and none in the second.
"I would not have liked to have my daughter in that locker room at halftime," McCallie said.
While the Spartans are enjoying one of their best seasons in team history in McCallie's fourth year, Michigan is rebuilding its program under first year coach Cheryl Burnett.
"Michigan State plays so hard and has so much skill and depth, shooters and passers," Burnett said. "I have a lot of respect for them, and I think you could tell after the game that their program has a lot of respect for our program.
"What I love about our players is that they have bought into what we're trying to do and that's to have them change their mentality," Burnett added. "They now go into games thinking we're going to win and they know if they work hard and play together, we will."
Thursday's game drew the largest crowd -- 4,611 -- in Michigan women's basketball history.
By LARRY LAGE, The Associated Press
