University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Michigan State
GOPHER WOMEN END REGULAR SEASON WITH OVERTIME VICTORY
2/27/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The Gophers not only captured their 10th victory of the season, finishing at 10-17 overall and 3-13 in Big Ten play, they also erased a three-year, 24-game Big Ten home losing streak.
Senior Erin Olson led the charge for the Gophers with 18 points, scoring 16 of them after halftime. She also dished out a career-high 12 assists to record her second point/assist double double of the season.
It was Olson who put the Gophers in a position to win the game. With the Gophers facing their biggest deficit in the contest, eight points down at 59-51 with 5:40 to play, Olson sliced through the Spartan defense scoring seven straight points to bring the Gophers back to within one.
A pair of Michigan Sate free throws halted the rally, but two first-year Gophers stepped into the limelight to contribute huge plays in the game's outcome. Kim Prince's three-point play the old fashioned way tied the score at 61-61. The Spartans' Becky Cummings stepped to the line and knocked down two free throws with 57.7 seconds left to put Michigan Sate back in front. On the Gophers' next possession, Lindsay Lieser was fouled and stepped to the line for a one-plus-one. The rookie guard, who had shot just two free throws during the entire Big Ten season to that point, calmly swished both tosses to knot the score at 63-63.
Both teams had final possessions to break the tie. With 6.7 seconds left, Olson drove the length of the court but was unable to get off a shot in the final seconds of regulation.
Michigan State took an early four-point lead on free throws in the first two minutes of the overtime period. Gopher baskets by Brandy Pickens and Olson evened the score at 67-67. After trading baskets, Maxann Reese put the Spartans back into the lead with two free throws at the 1:31 mark.
With 1:16 left, Lieser drilled a wide open three- pointer from the left baseline to hand the Gophers the lead for good. Olson iced the game with two free throws with 15.1 seconds left.
Cassie VanderHeyden added 15 points to the victory, all her points coming off three-point field goals. Prince came off the bench to tally 13 points.
Senior center Kristen Rasmussen led the Spartans with 26 points and14 rebounds.
