Michigan State University
Miami (Ohio) (Spartan Chevrolet Classic)
Spartan Women's Basketball Nipped By Miami (Ohio), 86-84
11/24/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 24, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Despite a furious second-half rally, the Michigan State women's basketball team came up just short in an 86-84 loss to Miami (Ohio) in the championship game of the Spartan Chevrolet Classic Sunday afternoon.
Senior Syreeta Bromfield (Kingston, Jamaica) matched a career-high with 28 points to help MSU claw back from a 14-point deficit with less than seven minutes remaining, but it wasn't enough to overcome the performance of Miami's Heather Cusick, last season's Mid-American Conference Player of the Year who tied a tournament record with 36 points and added seven rebounds and seven assists.
The Spartans trailed 74-60 when a Bromfield trey with 6:31 remaining got the Spartans going. A pair of free throws by freshman Liz Shimek (Empire) cut the lead to nine, and then sophomore Kristin Haynie (Mason) took over. Haynie converted a three-point play after a Bromfield block started a fast break to make the score 74-68. After a Miami bucket, Haynie drove and scored again. Miami then turned the ball over and Haynie converted another three-point play with 3:51 remaining to slice the margin to 76-73. Another Haynie bucket with 3:01 left trimmed the lead to 78-76.
MSU got within a single point when freshman Lindsay Bowen (Dansville) hit a three-point bomb from the left wing to make the score 82-81. Cusick answered with a three of her own to push the lead to four. Haynie hit another trey to cut the lead to 85-84 with 36 seconds left. After an MSU foul, Cusick missed the front end of a one-and-one, but the rebound went off a Spartan player out of bounds to Miami. After another foul, Cusick hit one-of-two free throws, but desperation three-pointer in the last second by Bowen bounced off the front of the rim.
"That was an incredible women's basketball game," said MSU head coach Joanne P. McCallie. "We dug ourselves in a hole and fought back like crazy, but fell a little short. I congratulate Miami and their coaches. It was a fabulous game. I thought they (Miami) were amazing."
In addition to her 28 points, Bromfield also added nine rebounds and five assists. Four other Spartans reached double figure scoring, including Haynie who had 15 points, seven assists and three steals. Sophomore center Kelli Roehrig (Papillion, Neb.) had 13 points and eight rebounds, while Bowen and Shimek tallied 10 points each. Shimek also had a game-high 11 rebounds for her second-straight double-double.
The Spartans owned a whopping 44-31 rebounding advantage, including 22 offensive boards. But Miami shot the ball a better, particularly from behind the three-point arc. The RedHawks made 13 of their 25 three-point attempts to set the tournament single-game record for three-pointers made. Miami shot 48.3 percent overall (29-of-60), and sank 15 of its 19 free throws (78.9 percent). MSU was no slouch from three-point range, tying the old tournament record with nine bombs in 19 chances (47.4 percent). MSU made 43.9 percent of its shots from the field (29-of-66) and 17 of 24 free throws (70.8 percent).
Miami raced to an early 22-14 lead less than eight minutes into the ballgame, then pushed the lead as high as 13 points at 40-27. Michigan State scored 11 of the last 15 points in the half, including a three-pointer by Bowen just before the horn, to pull within 44-38 at intermission.
MSU inched within one point twice early in the second half, including at 51-50, before Miami made a run. The RedHawks went on a 16-4 run to move ahead 67-54 on a three-pointer by Colleen Day. The lead grew to 14 before MSU made its late charge.
"I'm very proud of our team," added McCallie. "Sometimes early in a season you take hits like this to make you a better team later on."
Bromfield and Roehrig were named to the All-Tournament team for MSU. Bromfield averaged 19.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in the two games, while Roehrig averaged 16.5 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 65.2 percent.
MSU suffered another blow when junior guard Candice Jackson (Lansing) sprained her right knee in the second half and did not return. She is not expected back for Michigan State's next game.
The Spartans will get just one day off before another challenge, as MSU will host Toledo Tuesday (Nov. 26) at 7 p.m.
In the consolation game, Jaime Gutowski scored 24 points and Jeanette Gray added 20 as Valparaiso held on for a 57-51 victory against Fresno State, which was led by Lindsay Logan's 15 points and six assists.
Spartan Chevrolet Classic All-Tournament Team
*Heather Cusick - Miami (Ohio)Jana Butler - Miami (Ohio)Syreeta Bromfield - Michigan StateKelli Roehrig - Michigan StateJeanette Gray - ValparaisoLindsay Logan - Fresno State
*Tournament MVP
