Michigan State University
Butler
Spartans Pick Up Road Win Over Butler
12/5/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 5, 1999
Indianapolis, Ind. - The Michigan State women's basketball team defeated Butler, 84-64, today in Indianapolis, Ind., to improve to 6-0 on the season and equal its best start in school history. The win spoiled the home opener for the Bulldogs, who fall to 3-3 on the season.
?We had won four out of five games at home prior to today, so we had to prove to ourselves that we can win on the road,? MSU coach Karen Langeland said.
After Butler scored the opening basket, the Spartans went on a 29-8 run over the next 11 minutes to take a commanding lead they would never give up. MSU shot 57 percent from the field in the opening half and forced 15 Bulldog turnovers to go into the intermission with a 43-28 lead. Senior Kristen Rasmussen and junior Becky Cummings led the way for MSU in the first half, scoring 12 points each.
MSU went up by as many as 27 points in the second half before closing out with the 20-point victory. Junior Donita Johnson, who started at the point for Vnemina Reese, sparked the Spartans' transition game and played a key role in the MSU victory.
?Donita Johnson did a great job for us in transition,? Langeland said. ?If we can run and score in transition, we are a pretty good basketball team?
Johnson finished the game with four points, six rebounds, four steals and tied her season high with six assists. She also had just one turnover in 33 minutes of play. Junior Erin Skelly helped MSU put the game away in the second half, scoring all of her 10 points in the final 20 minutes of the contest.
?Erin had a great second half,? Langeland said. ?She looked to take the ball to the hole and I thought our perimeter players did a nice job of getting her the ball in a position to score.?
Cummings closed out the contest with a game-high 19 points, on 7-of-11 shooting from the field. Rasmussen tossed in 16 points and pulled down eight rebounds, while senior Maxann Reese added 15 points and had six assists.
Julie Schrader paced three Butler players in double figures with 14 points.
The Spartans put their unbeaten streak on the line with a contest against intrastate rival Central Michigan on Wednesday, Dec. 8 at 6 p.m.
