SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Lady Spartan Shay Colley saved her team’s postseason run with a last second layup for the 88-87 win over Central Michigan.
With three minutes left on the clock, the two teams were tied with 80 on the scoreboard. The Chippewas struck first but Colley quickly made a field goal to bring the tie to 82. They traded two-pointers again until CMU’s Presley Hudson landed a shot outside the circle. Colley went to the post from the right side of the lane for the final basket of the game, the one that put MSU ahead.
Micaela Kelly took a shot of redemption with a second on the clock with no success.
“We were looking for a bucket to win the game and coach trusted me to make that last play and I did,” Colley said after the win.
“It was probably a very entertaining game for our fans to watch,” Michigan State head coach Suzy Merchant said. “As coaches, we could have probably used a little bit more span of a victory.”
Central Michigan (25-8) and Michigan State ( 21-11) were the eighth and ninth seed respectively.
Three of Central Michigan’s shooters, Hudson, Kelly and Reyna Frost combined for 78 of the teams 87 points. Hudson shot 8-17 for 20 points and Kelly went 8-17, 24 points. Frost led the game with 34 points.
Michigan State were flawless from the foul line, draining all 11 of its shots. The Spartans led throughout the game, going up 25-20 at the end of the first quarter. Taryn McCutcheon got hot with three straight 3’s to get25. Central Michigan then scored seven straight to get back in the game.
The second period barely went to Central Michigan. While MSU still led at half, 43-40, CMU scored 20 to MSU’s 18.
The Chippewas 26 point fourth quarter kept Michigan State from running away with the game.
Michigan State now takes on Notre Dame, the top seed of the Chicago Region.
MSU 88, CMU 87
SCORES BY QUARTER
MSU: 25 15 23 22
CMU: 20 20 21 26
CMU: J. SMITH 1 0 0/0 2; R. FROST 15 1 1/1 34; P. HUDSON 6 2 2/2 20; M. KELLY 4 4 4/5 24; K. BUSSELL 2 1 0/0 7.
MSU: V. GAINES 4 0 0/0 8; J. ALLEN 3 0 4/4 10 N. CLOUDEN 4 1 5/5 16; S. COLLEY 5 1 0/0 13; T. MCCUTCHEON 0 4 0/0 12; S. COOKS 9 1 0/0 21; M. COOK 3 0 2/2 8.
