Dartmouth Women Battle to Overtime Loss Against Michigan State

Saturday, November 22

Burlington, Vt.

3:00 PM

Dartmouth College

Michigan State

Dartmouth Women Battle to Overtime Loss Against Michigan State

11/22/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

By: Dartmouth

Boxscore

BURLINGTON, Vt. - Michigan State, the top vote-getter outside this week's AP Top-25 poll, needed five extra minutes to overcome the Dartmouth women's basketball team, 60-52, today at the TDBanknorth Classic at Vermont.

Dartmouth controlled the boards, 41-37 against a much bigger Michigan State squad and limited 6-9 center Allyssa DeHaan to just two points and four rebounds. The Big Green had some huge defensive stops in the final minutes and buckled down late to force overtime. The Spartans had the ball with 27 seconds left in regulation and did not get a shot off thanks to the Big Green's tough defense, sending the game to overtime.

Senior guard Koren Schram (Batesville, Ark.) let loose for 24 points including eight threes while classmate Darcy Rose (Fort Collins, Colo.) had eight points, eight rebounds and sophomore Brittney Smith (Fort Worth, Texas) hauled in a game-high 12 boards.

The Big Green welcomed the Spartans to the East Coast with a 9-0 run all on three-pointers by Schram and Michigan State did not score until 15:36 off a Brittney Thomas layup. Schram drained another three after MSU scored again and Dartmouth led, 12-5, at 12:43. It was the first time all season that Michigan State has trailed an opponent.

The Spartans slowly crept back into the game and pulled within one, down 16-15 at 9:08 after a DeHaan hit a layup. That started a 9-0 Spartan run before Schram stopped the bleeding making one of two free throws to make it 22-17 with 5:32 on the clock.

The teams traded buckets for the balance of the half and Michigan State's Mia Johnson his a buzzer-beating three to give her team a 31-25 lead at the half.

Michigan State came out of the gates ready to go in the second and a conventional Aisha Jefferson three-point play put the Spartans up 34-25 at 19:47, their largest lead of the day.
Dartmouth continued to chip away with scores by Rose and Schram followed by a Betsy Williams (Norwich, Vt.) layup at 15:39 to make it 36-32, State.

The Spartans went without a bucket for nearly four minutes, finally extending their lead to 39-33 at 11:43. They would be in for another long scoreless stretch when Dartmouth got to work on the blocks with a 9-0 run capped by a Brittney Smith layup to go up 42-39 at 7:04.

It was all defense in the closing minutes as each team battled to take a late lead. Jefferson and Kalisha Keene each scored, Keene twice, to put the Spartans back on top by two, 44-42, with six minutes to play. The Big Green got to the free throw line late and made the Spartans pay when Rose and Smith went 5-of-6 from the line to put Dartmouth up 47-44.

Smith put it together on the defensive end as well, picking up two key blocks to stop the Spartans inside. Jefferson hit a pair of free throws herself followed by a layup with just 1:31 remaining to give her team a one-point advantage. Smith answered with a made free-throw of her own, the second attempt, and Dartmouth tied it up at 48-48. The Spartans had the last possession with 27 seconds on the clock and never got a shot off thanks to the Big Green's tough defense. Regulation ended in a 48-48 tie.

The Spartans opened overtime with a three-pointer by Mia Johnson to go up 51-48 and never let go of the lead. Margaret Smith (Fort Worth, Texas) pulled the Big Green within one with two free-throws on the other end but State went on a 5-0 run to increase its lead to six points. Schram drove through the lane with abandon for Dartmouth's last score of the game with a minute left and MSU hit late free throws for the 60-52 overtime win.

Schram added three assists and two steals to her 24 points while Cassie Cooper (Chelsea, Maine) added in seven points off the bench.

Dartmouth takes on host Vermont tomorrow in the consolation game at 1:00 p.m.