The women’s basketball team advanced to the Final Four of the Women’s National Invitational Tournament with a 63-61 home win against St. John’s on Sunday in the WNIT quarterfinals.
However, a second half collapse nearly cost the team its season. After holding St. John’s to just 17 points in the first half, the Pack took its foot off the gas and allowed the Red Storm to crawl back into the game.
“I don’t know. Maybe we got a little relaxed or something,” coach Kay Yow said. “If not physically, mentally. We weren’t anticipating and acting; we were just looking.”
The Pack came out firing, outscoring St. John’s by 20 at the half and sinking 40.7 percent of its shots. Khadijah Whittington paced her team with 10 points in the opening half, and State seemed to be in control even though St. John’s had more upperclassmen on its bench than State had on its entire roster.
“We have one senior on our team, but I think we’ve got to recognize that most teams have more than one senior. And they don’t want their season to end either,” Yow said.
State saw its lead evaporate in the second half, going 8-for-27 on field goal attempts and giving up far too many chances in return. The Pack committed eight turnovers in the final seven minutes, and St. John’s capitalized.
“Our younger players made some errors, and it cost us almost every time we made them,” Yow said.
Red Storm guard Kia Wright, who went scoreless in the first but stormed back with 16 points in the second, completed the comeback by sinking two late free throws. With the game locked at 61-61 and 17 seconds left, junior guard Shayla Fields tore down the court with the intention to, as Yow put it, “score, get fouled or both.”
“I saw that it was a two-on-one, so I was going to score,” Fields said. “I didn’t really see a point in pulling the ball back out [to run out the clock], because there was the possibility that we wouldn’t get the opportunity with a fast break like that.”
Fields put the game away with a running jump shot. And although Wright was given a chance to win the game with a 3-pointer to beat the buzzer, her shot rang off the backboard, and the stands erupted with cheers.
“I’m just glad I hit that bucket,” Fields said.
With three WNIT wins in its rear-view mirror, the Pack will now leave the friendly confines of Reynolds Coliseum and venture to East Lansing, Mich., for a 7 p.m. Wednesday matchup against Michigan State. Yow said her squad wants to end on a winning note for the first time in team history, and also make a statement.
“Hopefully we’re making a statement about us, but also about our conference,” Yow said. “We’ve played two [Southeastern] conference teams, and now we’re moving on to the Big Ten. I think it means a lot all the way around if we could win these games.”
Whittington said she is looking forward to traveling to Michigan for another game.
“I’m excited for the team and Coach Yow, and I’m excited to play,” Whittington said.
The lowdown on Michigan State:Record: 22-13Most recent win: 45-40 defeat of visiting Michigan on SundayCoach: Suzy Merchant, in her first year with the SpartansSource: Michigan State Athletics
