Michigan State University
Penn State
Spartans Edged Out By No. 5 Penn State, 58-54
3/7/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 7, 2004
By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Kelly Mazzante struggled with her shooting and Tanisha Wright was in foul trouble.
For No. 5 Penn State, it was no problem.
Jess Strom spurred a late first-half surge and the Nittany Lions relied on Mazzante's strong second-half to get past No. 25 Michigan State 58-54 on Sunday in the Big Ten tournament semifinals.
"Jess played really well and when Jess (Strom) and Jess (Brungo) show up for Penn State, we're a pretty special team," coach Rene Portland said.
Despite making just six of 20 shots, Mazzante still scored 19 points to lead the Nittany Lions (25-4) into their sixth tournament title game.
Penn State, the Big Ten's regular-season champion, has won 25 games for the 10th time under Portland and will face No. 6 Purdue on Monday night in the championship. The two met last Sunday to determine the Big Ten regular-season title and Purdue is the defending tournament champs. Penn State has won seven straight games.
The difference Sunday was Strom, who carried the Nittany Lions' struggling offense with 12 first-half points after entering the game averaging just 10.6.
She was nearly flawless, hitting four of five shots from the field and all four of her free throws. Strom finished with 15 points, three assists and two steals.
"Jess played with great confidence and gave them great outside shooting," Michigan State coach Joanne McCallie said. "She wasn't supposed to get that many open looks."
With Michigan State concentrating on Mazzante and Wright, the conference's two-time defensive player of the year, in foul trouble Penn State sometimes looked ordinary. Wright finished with eight points, five rebounds and four assists.
But Michigan State (21-8) still couldn't capitalize. Lindsay Bowen scored 12 points and Kelli Roehrig added 11 for the Spartans, who lost their sixth straight to Penn State and are 0-3 in tournament semifinal games.
"I hate to admit it, but it's getting kind of old against Penn State," said McCallie, who is 1-8 against the Nittany Lions. "That's a compliment to them. I guess it's good that we might not play them again for some time."
The other major problem was Penn State's defense - even without Wright.
Michigan State shot just 29.2 percent from the field in the first half and actually finished with a higher percentage from 3-point range (38.9 percent) than inside the arc (37.5 percent).
And when the Spartans had a chance to tie it in the final seconds, freshman Reicina Russell swatted away Kristin Haynie's driving lay-up.
It was that kind of day for Michigan State.
"She just got in there one foot too far," McCallie said.
Penn State's defense also forced the Spartans to play catch up throughout the second half.
Michigan State managed just one basket in the final 11:40 of the first half and with Strom's surge leading to a 16-4 half-ending run, Penn State took a 32-26 lead at the half.
"I saw my open shots and I took them," Strom said. "I just hit them today."
In the second half, Strom again led the charge.
She started an 8-0 run with a 3-pointer that made it 54-44 with 5:26 to go.
When Penn State went cold, Michigan State charged back with a 10-2 run to make it 56-54 with 46 seconds left.
Mazzante's errant 3-pointer with 18.9 seconds to go gave the Spartans had a chance to force overtime, but Russell never gave Haynie a chance and Mazzante hit two free throws to seal the victory.
"Offensively, at the end, we were just in slow motion," Portland said. "Thank God we can rebound and thank God we have the big kid from Indianapolis who can block shots."
Along with Strom.
