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U-M's Late-Game Heroics Fall Just Short Against Michigan State
2/18/2024 3:16:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team closed within two points of Michigan State with 2:30 remaining but could not find the bottom of the net the rest of the way, with an MSU bucket with 10 seconds remaining sealing a 70-66 Spartans win on Sunday afternoon (Feb. 18) at Crisler Center.
Michigan State took a 68-61 lead with just under three minutes remaining on a pair of free throws. Chyra Evans got a second-chance layup to go, drawing a foul for an ensuing free throw. The Spartans were whistled for a technical foul, with Evans converting her free throw and Laila Phelia making good on a pair to pull Michigan within two, 68-66, with 2:30 to go. With Michigan retaining possession, Elissa Brett was fouled on her layup attempt but could not convert the free throws, keeping MSU's lead at 68-66.
Lauren Hansen stole the ball on Michigan State's next possession but her three-pointer was off the mark, with the Spartans regaining possession with 1:23 left. The Spartans came up empty, with Michigan calling timeout for a possession along the sideline. Phelia's runner was off with 38 seconds remaining. MSU got a free-throw line jumper as the shot clock was expiring with 10 seconds left in the game for a 70-66 lead. Neither team scored down the stretch to provide the final margin.
Phelia led the Maize and Blue in scoring with 23 points, while Jordan Hobbs (13) and Brett (11) joined her in double figures. Michigan held a 37-25 advantage on the glass but 20 U-M turnovers resulted in 19 MSU points. Both teams hit nine three-pointers in the contest that featured 13-0 runs from both teams.
The Wolverines challenged Michigan State from tip-off with a blitz from long range, making five of their first six shots from beyond the three-point arc. Brett was particularly effective from long range, hitting three from deep to end the quarter with nine points. Though the Spartans kept up the pressure, the Maize and Blue defense held the lead just out of grasp, taking a 21-19 lead into the second quarter.
Michigan State used a 15-2 run in the latter stages of the second quarter to extend its lead to nine, but the Wolverines were able to claw it back to five in the final seconds off a Hansen three-pointer with 34 seconds left. Neither team scored on its final possessions as MSU hit the half with a 35-30 lead.
After MSU scored on its first possession of the third quarter to extend its lead to 38-30, Michigan countered with an 18-3 run for a 48-41 lead with 4:29 on the third-quarter clock. A costly set of six turnovers in Michigan's final eight possessions allowed Michigan State to recover lost ground, and ultimately resulted in a 56-50 lead for the Spartans after three quarters played.
MSU led by as many as nine in the final quarter before Michigan's late-game heroics came up just short.
Michigan heads back on the road for a two-game trip starting on Saturday (Feb. 24), heading to Evanston, Ill., to face Northwestern at 2 p.m. CST.
