Michigan State University
Davidson (Spartan Classic)
Women's Basketball Wins Opener Vs. Davidson, 74-68
11/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 22, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State women's basketball team opened the 2003-04 season with a hard-fought 74-68 victory over Davidson Saturday in the opening game of the Dean Trailways of Michigan Spartan Classic. With the victory, MSU advances to play Temple, which was an 81-76 overtime winner in today's second game vs. Florida International, in tomorrow's championship game at 3 p.m.
Freshman Rene Haynes (Columbus, Ohio) scored 19 points in her Spartan debut to pace Michigan State. Sophomore Liz Shimek (Empire) had 11 points and nine rebounds, while senior Julie Pagel (Utica, Mich.) added 10 points and five assists.
MSU outrebounded Davidson, 40-28, and had two more field goals and 10 more free throws, but Davidson's three-point shooting kept the Wildcats in the game. Davidson sank 11-of-21 three-point field goals, while MSU made just three-of-12.
"I think we got better, and we rebounded hard," said MSU head coach Joanne P. McCallie. "We can play a lot better, but I'm happy with the resolve we showed."
Shimek converted a three-point play just 33 second into the game to give MSU a 3-0 lead, but Davidson scored 18 of the next 23 points to take an 18-8 lead.
The lead grew to 22-11 when MSU's freshmen jump-started a run that swung the game in the Spartans' direction. MSU's first-year players scored 14 points during a 19-0 run that gave MSU a 30-22 lead. Haynes scored nine points during the run, including seven in a row, freshman Victoria Lucas-Perry (Flint, Mich.) had a basket and redshirt freshman Patrice McKinney (Lansing, Mich.) finished the spurt with a three-point play.
Davidson stayed within striking distance in the first half thanks largely to 14 points by Ashley Hallsted, who hit all four of her three-point attempts.
Hallsted's fifth three-pointer of the game tied the score at 43, but another Haynes jumper started a string of six straight Spartan points that gave MSU a lead it would not relinquish.
"Rene is an aggressive player and a smart player," said McCallie. "She has learned our system really well And as good as she looked offensively, she looked just as good defensively. She really rose to the occasion."
The lead grew to eight (55-47) on a Pagel bucket with 9:07 left, but consecutive threes by Katie Hamilton cut the lead to two. Sophomore Kristin Haynie (Mason, Mich.) answered with two baskets to give MSU a cushion.
Davidson again sliced the lead to two (59-57), but sophomore Lindsay Bowen (Dansville) hit a three-pointer for MSU. Bowen finished with nine points, six rebounds and five assists for MSU.
The Wildcats trimmed the lead to 64-61, but could get no closer. MSU made four-of-six free throws in the final two minutes to preserve the lead.
MSU owned a whopping 38-14 advantage in points in the paint, and had 24 second-chance points to just six for Davidson.
Spartan Notebook:
* Michigan State is now 20-12 all-time in season openers, and has won its last five in a row. The Spartans are 12-2 when opening the season with a home game.
* MSU is now 24-7 all-time at the Spartan Classic. MSU is 15-1 all-time in first round games, and has won 12 straight. However, MSU is just 8-6 all-time in the championship game.
* Five Michigan State freshmen made their Spartan debuts in today's game. Myisha Bannister, Katrina Grantham, Rene Haynes, Victoria Lucas-Perry and Patrice McKinney all saw their first action as Spartans.
* Lindsay Bowen has now made at least one three-point basket in 27 consecutive games.
