Michigan State University
Indiana
No. 11 Michigan St. Downs Indiana, 52-40
1/30/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 30, 2005
By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) - Michigan State center Kelli Roehrig was forced into scout duty during the first half Sunday.
In the second half, Roehrig took advantage of what she saw.
She bullied her way inside, dominating the middle with eight points in a decisive 10-0 run and leading No. 11 Michigan State past Indiana 52-40 on Sunday.
"When you're sitting there, you just see the game, like what you can get," she said. "It's just kind of festering in you."
Roehrig was the biggest difference Sunday.
When she was on the bench, the sluggish Spartans (18-3, 7-2) finished with their least productive half of the season. They shot just 5 of 22 from the field, committed nine turnovers and scored a season-low 18 points.
When she returned, Michigan State looked like a Big Ten title contender. The Spartans attacked the basket, went inside repeatedly and finished with a huge rebounding advantage, 49-25, as they cruised to their sixth victory in seven games.
Roehrig, who was shut out in the first half, and Liz Shimek each had 13 points, while guard Kristin Haynie had 10 points and a career-high 14 rebounds.
The victory also gave Roehrig's senior class its 76th victory, breaking a tie for the most wins in a four-year period with the Spartan teams from 1976-80.
"Kelli was focused and had a heck of a second half," coach Joanne P. McCallie said. "Sometimes when you sit that long, you have a tendency to fog out."
Instead, Roehrig returned to the floor determined to change the game.
Indiana (8-11, 1-8) had no answer for her size or skills.
Center Angela Hawkins, who drew the defensive assignment on Roehrig, finished with 13 points but scored just two in the final 17 minutes when she picked up four fouls. Hawkins also left late in the game because of cramps in her right leg.
"I was pretty much occupied with rebounding because she's pretty big," Hawkins said. "On defense, you can't touch her because you'll get called, but she's such a big girl, you can't help it."
With Hawkins out of the offense, the Hoosiers struggled to find another consistent scoring threat. LeeAnn Stephenson finished with 10 points and Cyndi Valentin had eight, but most of those came as the Hoosiers scrambled late to try and avoid losing its fifth straight.
Indiana has now lost three straight at home, and coach Kathi Bennett couldn't even explain the Hoosiers' defensive lapses in the second half.
"Kelli got catches wherever she wanted them," Bennett said. "She got fouls, she finished. You just can't have that."
Roehrig played just seven minutes in the first half, helping the Spartans break to an 8-0 lead.
But the Hoosiers' stifling defense then held Michigan State scoreless for nearly nine minutes as they rallied to tie the score at 8. By halftime, Michigan State was clinging to an 18-17 lead.
Roehrig's return changed the equation.
The Spartans quickly built a 27-21 lead before Indiana countered with back-to-back 3-pointers from Valentin and Stephenson.
Roehrig responded to that challenge by scoring eight points in a 10-0 run that gave Michigan State a 39-27 lead with 8:40 to go.
Thanks to Roehrig, Michigan State pulled away despite scoring its fewest points in a game this season.
"When you're sitting, you just have to watch the post, see where the openings are and see the game," Roehrig said. "I had all that energy in the second half, and I just wanted to stay focused."
