Spartans' 'warrior week' ends with a win at Iowa

IOWA CITY — Her team had played three games in five days. Yet, at the end of this one, Aerial Powers appeared fresh as a daisy.

Powers scored 19 of her game-high 25 points in the second half, and 14th-ranked Michigan State bumped Iowa, 74-69, in a Big Ten women's basketball contest in front of 6,255 Sunday afternoon at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

'It was a lot to ask of our kids,' Spartans Coach Suzy Merchant said. 'We had two one-day preps. We called this 'warrior week,' and we finished it off with a win.'

Michigan State (18-5 overall, 9-3 Big Ten) already had a game scheduled Wednesday (at home against Michigan), plus Sunday's battle with the Hawkeyes. But the Big Ten wedged a Friday game at Maryland between them after the regularly scheduled contest with the Terrapins was postponed.

The Spartans flew to Iowa after the Maryland loss, arriving in Iowa City at 3 a.m. Saturday.

'This game was hard on us physically,' Powers said. 'We gutted it out and pulled out the win. Now we get tomorrow off and get to rest our legs.'

Iowa (15-9, 5-7) was right there at the end, trailing 68-67 with a half-minute to play. But a couple crucial turnovers — and six straight free throws by the Spartans — sent them to a third defeat in their last four games at Carver.

'I think we're close,' Ally Disterhoft said. 'We outplayed them other than points in the paint and points off turnovers.

'We're so close. We're going to keep grinding, and good things are going to happen.'

The Hawkeyes need four wins in their final six regular-season games to get to 9-9 in the Big Ten, a mark that probably would get them to their ninth straight NCAA tournament. Their next game is Thursday, at home against No. 7 Ohio State.

'It's a tough row to hoe, but it's definitely possible,' Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said. 'A win Thursday would be a huge boost. We've beaten top-10 teams before. There's no reason we can't do it Thursday night.'

Iowa had an opportunity for a needed win Sunday, taking a 55-51 lead after scoring the first five points of the fourth quarter. But Branndais Agee drilled a 3-pointer — then hoisted her index finger to her mouth to shush the crowd — to ignite a 7-0 run, and the Spartans led the rest of the way.

It was 66-59 when Powers scored after a pair of offensive rebounds, then Iowa got within 66-64 on Whitney Jennings' 3-pointer with 2:35 left.

Megan Gustafson hit the first of two free throws to bring the Hawkeyes within 68-67 with 34 seconds left, but missed the second.

Tori Jankoska made two foul shots to make it 70-67 with 23 seconds to go, then Powers picked up a steal on the perimeter and delivered two back-breaking free throws.

'(Jankoska) is one of the most athletic players I've gone against,' Davis said. 'She's very agile. She takes what the defense gives her. That makes her so good.'

Disterhoft led the Hawkeyes with 17 points. Davis and Chase Coley added 13 apiece, Jennings 10.

Agee added 15 for the Spartans.

MICHIGAN STATE 74, IOWA 69

At Iowa City

MICHIGAN STATE (74): Aerial Powers 10-18 5-6 25, Akyah Taylor 4-6 0-0 8, Jasmine Hines 5-10 1-3 11, Tori Jankoska 3-9 4-4 11, Branndais 6-12 0-0 15, Cara Miller 0-1 0-0 0, Morgan Green 0-2 0-0 0, Jenna Allen 2-2 0-0 4, Kennedy Johnson 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 30-61 10-13 74.

IOWA (69): Chase Coley 6-14 1-2 13, Megan Gustafson 3-6 1-2 7, Ally Disterhoft 6-11 6-7 17, Tania Davis 4-9 5-5 13, Whitney Jennings 4-8 0-0 10, Alexa Kastanek 0-0 0-0 0, Christina Buttenham 4-5 0-2 9, Kali Peschel 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-53 13-18 69.

Halftime: Iowa 32, MSU 29. 3-point goals: MSU 4-12 (Powers 0-1, Jankoska 1-5, Agee 3-5, Miller 0-1), Iowa 4-10 (Disterhoft 1-2, Davis 0-2, Jennings 2-4, Buttenham 1-2). Team fouls: MSU 22, Iowa 19. Fouled out: Jennings. Rebounds: MSU 29 (Hines 10), Iowa 35 (Gustafson 8). Assists: MSU 15 (Green 5), Iowa 15 (Jennings 4). Steals: MSU 7 (Powers 2), Iowa 9 (Coley 4). Turnovers: MSU 16, Iowa 19.

Attendance: 6,255.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com