
No. 9 Michigan St. Downs No. 11 Minnesota, 62-49
1/16/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 16, 2005
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Lindsay Bowen and No. 9 Michigan State beat 11th-ranked Minnesota at its own game Sunday afternoon.
Bowen scored 18 of her game-high 20 points in the second half, and the Spartans clamped down on defense and out-muscled the Gophers on the boards in a 62-49 Big Ten victory at Breslin Center.
The Spartans (15-2, 4-1), who are off to the best start in school history, snapped Minnesota's six-game winning streak and handed the Gophers their first conference loss of the season. It was Michigan State's fourth consecutive win over Minnesota.
The Gophers (14-3, 4-1) were led by center Janel McCarville's 14 points and 15 rebounds.
Minnesota came into the game with gaudy defensive stats. The Gophers led the Big Ten with a plus-11.6 rebounding margin, were third in the conference in scoring defense and 17th nationally, giving up just 51.9 points per game. In its last two games, Minnesota held No. 20 Purdue and then-No. 23 New Mexico to 38 and 35 points, respectively.
Not only did the Spartans outrebound the Gophers by 37-31, they scored 39 points in the second half alone on almost 54 percent shooting from the field. Conversely, the Spartans held Minnesota to just 32.8 percent shooting from the floor.
"We did not play disciplined and smart defense," Minnesota coach Pam Borton said. "We were lunging after balls and our guards got out of position, and I think that led to (Bowen) getting some open looks."
![]() Lindsay Bowen drives against Minnesota's Shannon Schonrock in the second half of MSU's 62-49 win. (AP Photo/Al Goldis) ![]() | ![]() |
Bowen, who shot just 1-for-5 in the first half, exploded after halftime. The junior guard hit six of her seven field goal attempts, including all three of her 3-pointers. When Minnesota pulled to within six early in the second half, Bowen scored nine consecutive Michigan State points -- a pair of 3-point shots and a conventional three-point play -- and 12 of her team's next 15 to help the Spartans open a 49-35 advantage with just under six minutes to go.
"I thought Lindsay took things into her own hands out there," Michigan State coach Joanne McCallie said. "She got mad. She was physically handled (by Minnesota) in the first half but kept her composure. I mean, we're always trying to get her screens, but that was minor to the effort she put in."
Bowen said she was indeed trying to take over the game.
"As a player, you're always thinking that," she said. "And once we started getting further ahead, we wanted to keep pouring it on and keep going."
Michigan State also did a better job of taking care of the basketball. The Spartans had 12 turnovers in the game's first 23 minutes, but only two in the final 17. Coincidentally, Michigan State had just one miscue from the 16:58 mark, when it led 25-23, to 3:37 remaining, when it built its biggest lead at 57-40.
"I just thought we were more focused," McCallie said.
![]() Liz Shimek, left, and Minnesota's Liz Podominick reach for a rebound in the first half. (AP Photo/Al Goldis) ![]() | ![]() |
Rene Haynes added 17 points for Michigan State and teammate Kelly Roehrig added 11 points and nine rebounds. Haynes scored 10 of her 17 in the first half, helping the Spartans take an early 17-11 lead they never relinquished.