Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State Events :: Official Athletic Site
Mar. 14, 1997
Michigan State Posts NCAA Win
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Jamie Wesley scored Michigan State's final four points of regulation and Kristen Rasmussen had a pair of field goals in overtime as the eighth-seeded Spartans defeated Portland, 75-70, in an NCAA Tournament East Region first-round game at Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Rasmussen had 23 points and 11 rebounds for Michigan State (22-7), which will face the winner of the game between top-seeded North Carolina and 16th-seeded Harvard in the second round.
A North Carolina win will mark the second straight year the Spartans have had to face the top seed on its home court in the second round. Michigan State lost to Connecticut in Storrs in a second-round game last year.
The Spartans trailed by four points in the final minute of regulation, but Tamika Matlock hit a pair of free throws and Wesley made two more for a 66-66 tie with 42 seconds left. Portland regained the lead on Kristin Hepton's bucket with 31 seconds to go, but Wesley answered with a basket with five seconds left to force overtime.
Rasmussen hit the first bucket of the extra period to give the Spartans a 70-68 lead with 3:57 to go, but Wendy Toonen tied it for the final time two seconds later. Michigan State scored the final five points, with Paula Sanders' free throw snapping the tie and Wesley and Rasmussen adding field goals in the final 66 seconds.
Wesley finished with 14 points and Sanders had 10 and 12 rebounds for Michigan State, which shot 39 percent (28-for-72) from the field.
Kim Green scored 22 points and Toonen had 17 and 11 rebounds for Portland, which finished its season at 27-3 and has failed to escape the first round in all four of its NCAA Tournament appearances.
Hepton added 11 points for the Pilots, who shot 42 percent (30-for-71).
NCAA WOMENS BB
PORTLAND (70)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
K Green 38 9-14 4-4 2-6 0 2 22
Hepton 41 5-10 0-0 1-5 3 4 11
Toonen 40 7-19 3-3 0-11 6 4 17
Petersen 22 1-1 0-0 0-0 2 3 2
Lansing 43 4-17 0-0 1-2 7 3 10
S Green 11 2-8 0-0 3-4 0 4 4
Pompili 24 2-2 0-0 0-3 1 2 4
Stein 5 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0
Swinton 1 0-0 0-0 1-1 0 1 0
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TOTALS 225 30-71 7-7 8-32 19 24 70
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Percentages: FG-.423, FT-1.000. 3-Point Goals:
3-19, .158 (K Green 0-2, Hepton 1-5, Toonen 0-3,
Lansing 2-9). Team rebounds: 6. Blocked shots: 8
(Toonen 3, Lansing 2, S Green 2, Hepton).
Turnovers: 21 (Hepton 6, Lansing 6, K Green 3,
Toonen 2, Petersen, Pompili, S Green, Stein).
Steals: 15 (Lansing 6, Toonen 4, Petersen 3,
Hepton 2).
MICHIGAN ST (75)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Sanders 38 4-13 2-6 4-12 0 2 10
Euler 33 2-8 0-0 2-5 3 0 4
Rasmussen 33 10-14 3-6 8-11 2 1 23
Matlock 39 2-4 3-3 1-5 8 1 7
Wesley 36 5-18 2-2 5-6 1 2 14
Cushing 14 3-4 0-2 0-3 0 2 6
Reese 18 2-6 2-2 1-2 1 1 7
Engen 14 0-5 4-4 1-2 0 1 4
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TOTALS 225 28-72 16-25 22-46 15 10 75
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Percentages: FG-.389, FT-.640. 3-Point Goals:
3-8, .375 (Euler 0-1, Wesley 2-5, Reese 1-2).
Team rebounds: 6. Blocked shots: 6 (Rasmussen 3,
Euler, Wesley, Cushing). Turnovers: 23 (Matlock
7, Wesley 5, Rasmussen 3, Cushing 2, Euler 2,
Reese 2, Sanders 2). Steals: 7 (Sanders 3, Euler
2, Cushing, Matlock).
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Portland 33 35 2 - 70
Michigan St 34 34 7 - 75
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Technical fouls: None. Officials: John Palermo,
Joe Cronin, Carol Smith.