Michigan State University
Minnesota
Women's Hoops Upend No. 14 Minnesota, 80-72
2/24/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb 24, 2002
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - In a season where it seemed they could do no wrong, Minnesota learned there are no guarantees.
Michigan State held high-scoring Lindsay Whalen without a point in the final 8:20 on Sunday, then rode the strong play of Vnemia Reese to win 80-72 before a Minnesota womens' college basketball record crowd of 12,142.
It was just the second home loss of the season for the Golden Gophers (No. 19 ESPN/USA Today, No. 14 AP), who have lost two of three going into the Big Ten Conference tournament.
"This young team has got to start understanding you can't underestimate anyone." said Minnesota coach Brenda Oldfield. "Sometimes we just assume that we can walk in to our own home court and our crowd will get us into it. Games don't work that way."
The Spartans (16-11, 6-10) shot 54 percent, with Reese hitting 9 of 12 shots for a career-high 28 points.
"The ball was moved well by my teammates, basically it was opening things," said Reese. "At times they backed off on me, and coach always says take the opportunity, and that's what I did."
Reese scored 10 straight points in a two-minute stretch of the second half to give Michigan State a 59-57 lead with 7:13 remaining, wiping out a six-point deficit. Baskets by Syreeta Bromfield and Kristin Haynie gave the Spartans a 72-65 lead with 1:49 left.
Julie Pagel scored 11 points for the Spartans (16-11, 6-10), who broke a two-game losing streak.
Whalen, averaging 22 points per game, scored just 14, making only 6 of 17 shots.
Janel McCarville scored 17 points for Minnesota (21-6), while Corrin Von Wald added 15.
"What we take from this is a very solid defensive effort," said Michigan State coach Joanne McCallie. "I don't think we stopped their players, they've got very nice balance. But we just tried to make them not shoot as well as they can."
Minnesota was 1-15 last season in the Big Ten, but turned around and finished this season in second place behind Purdue. The Gophers posted a 11-5 conference mark after winning just eight Big Ten games in the previous six seasons.
The Spartans gave Minnesota a fight for the second straight time. The Gophers squeaked out a 70-69 win at East Lansing, Mich., on Jan. 28.
On Sunday, fans packed Williams Arena, the usual home court of the men's team. It was the second time in a month that the Gophers drew a Minnesota record crowd for womens' college basketball.
Minnesota's swarming defense keyed an 11-0 run midway through the first half that erased an early 8-point Michigan State lead. Kim Prince capped the run with a pair of free throws to put the Gophers up 18-17.
Michigan State kept pace with its 3-point shooting. Reed and Maria Recker combined for five baskets from 3-point range in the first half, helping the Spartans to a 33-32 lead at the break.
