Michigan State University
Mercer (Lady Tiger Thanksgiving Classic)
MSU Women's Basketball Buries Mercer, 81-62
11/29/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 29, 2002
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Michigan State women's basketball team knew it had an advantage inside against Mercer Friday night, and the Spartans did everything they could to take advantage of it. MSU outrebounded Mercer 62-30, and held large edges in points in the paint (40-16) and second chance points (27-10), en route to an 81-62 victory in the opening round of the Lady Tiger Thanksgiving Classic. Five Spartans scored in double figures as Michigan State advanced to face host Memphis Saturday for the tournament championship.
Sophomore center Kelli Roehrig (Papillion, Neb.) led the balanced Spartan attack with 16 points, including 13 in the second half, and added six rebounds. Senior center Jennifer Callier (Indianapolis, Ind.) matched a career-high with 15 points off the bench and had five rebounds and four assists. Also contributing in the paint was freshman forward Liz Shimek (Empire), who had nine points and a career-high 16 rebounds, and junior Julie Pagel (Utica), who had season-bests of 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
MSU's back court players also contributed, as senior Syreeta Bromfield (Kingston, Jamaica) had a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds, freshman Lindsay Bowen (Dansville) had 12 points on four-of-five three-point shooting, and sophomore Kristin Haynie (Mason) added five points, five boards and five assists.
"We played a strong team game," said MSU head coach Joanne P. McCallie. "I'm really proud of the whole team effort. We had excellent ball movement, and did a good job running the floor and playing together as a team."
MSU took control midway through the first half, after Mercer had knotted the score at 14. A Roehrig bucket started a string of 10 straight points that put MSU on top 24-14 with 9:52 remaining in the half. Mercer scored the next four points, but the Spartans answered with seven more straight points, capped by a Bromfield basket to give MSU a 31-18 edge. Mercer never got closer than 12 the rest of the way, as the Spartans took a 45-29 lead into the lockerroom. Bromfield had a double-double by halftime with 11 points and 10 rebounds while Bowen scored all 12 of her points in the opening period.
Mercer showed signs of life early in the second half, cutting the deficit to 48-36, but the Bears would get no closer. A Roehrig jumper with 12:39 left gave MSU its first 20 point lead at 61-41. MSU's biggest lead was 22 points at 76-54 after a Callier bucket with 5:58 left, and the Spartans cruised home from there.
MSU shot 42.5 percent from the field, sinking 31-of-73 shots. The Spartans hit half of their 12 three-point field goal attempts and made 13-of-18 free throws. Meanwhile, Mercer made just 35.8 percent of its shots (24-of-67), and hit just 8-of-23 from three-point range and 6-of-11 from the foul line.
The Spartans, who led the Big Ten in steals last season, forced just five Mercer turnovers while committing a season-low 13 themselves.
Michigan State will play Memphis, which defeated Tennessee State in the evening's first game, 91-72, Saturday at 5 p.m. Central time.
Spartan Notebook:
* Liz Shimek's 16 rebounds are the most by a Spartan since Kristin Rasmussen pulled down 17 vs. Central Michigan Dec. 8, 1999.
* Michigan State has outrebounded all four of its opponents this season - three by double figures.
* In addition to tying her career-high in points with 15, Jennifer Callier also had a career-high with four assists.
* The five turnovers by Mercer was a new record low for an MSU opponent. The previous record low was seven by Indiana in a 61-58 MSU victory on Jan. 31, 1992.
