MSU Women's Basketball Downs Talented Athletes In Action Squad

Nov. 3, 2002

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Senior Syreeta Bromfield (Kingston, Jamaica) scored 21 points to lead the Michigan State women's basketball team to a solid 83-72 victory over Athletes In Action Sunday in the Breslin Center. Athletes In Action had been 2-1 in its previous three games, with its only loss coming by six points at Vanderbilt - a consensus preseason Top 25 team.

Sophomore Kelli Roehrig (Papillion, Neb.) scored 14 points, senior Jennifer Callier (Indianapolis, Ind.) added 12 points and eight rebounds and junior Candice Jackson (Lansing) pitched in 11 points for MSU. Sophomore Kristin Haynie (Mason) had a game-high 11 assists and freshman Liz Shimek (Empire) grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds to aide the Spartan cause.

"I was proud of the balance and toughness in the second half," said MSU head coach Joanne P. McCallie. "We showed even more toughness when we got tired in the second half and I think that will help us in our next game."

The Spartans shot 49.2 percent from the floor (31-for-63), and made 14 of 30 shots in the second half while holding AIA to 13-of-39 shooting (33.3 percent) in the second stanza to pull away from a 39-39 halftime tie. MSU also outrebounded AIA in the second half, 27-19, including 11 offensive rebounds.

MSU jumped to a 21-15 first-half lead behind Roehrig, who hit her first five shots in the opening eight minutes. AIA bounced back to lead by as many as five at 28-23, before a three-point bomb by freshman Lindsay Bowen (Dansville) capped a 6-0 run to give the lead back to MSU. The Spartans led 39-34 before giving up a five points in the last 34 seconds to send the teams to the lockerroom at the half tied at 39.

In the second half, MSU took a 52-49 edge on a Bromfield putback, but AIA responded with 10 straight points including a pair of three-point baskets to move ahead 59-52 with 11:59 left.

MSU answered right back with seven straight of its own to tie the score at 59, then kept pouring it on as the run eventually reached 23-6 after a pair of Shimek free throws put the Spartans in front, 75-65 with 6:02 remaining. MSU then went cold, scoring only one point on its next 10 possessions including four turnovers, but AIA could only get within 76-71 with 1:39 left. A Callier layup with 1:22 left gave MSU some breathing room, then a steal and layin by Haynie just 18 seconds later put the game away.

MSU finished the game with a 46-38 rebounding edge, had a slight 8-7 lead in steals and outshot AIA 49.2 percent to 37.7 percent. The Spartans did commit three more turnovers (15-12) than Athletes In Action, leading to a 24-14 edge in points off turnovers for AIA. MSU dominated inside, owning a 46-22 lead in points in the paint and a 20-13 advantage on second-chance points.

MSU will conclude its exhibition schedule when the Spartans host Basketball Travelers Sunday, Nov. 17, at 2 p.m. The regular season opens Nov. 23-24 when MSU hosts the Spartan Chevrolet Classic.