April 6, 2007

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EAST LANSING, Mich. - After losing the top two scorers in school history, Liz Shimek and Lindsay Bowen, to graduation last year, many wondered if Michigan State's women's basketball team would need a season to reload.

The team reloaded much quicker than that, however, thanks to the addition of Big Ten Freshman of the Year Allyssa DeHaan, who shattered the Division I freshman record for blocked shots. Along the way, with the help of a quartet of seniors ­­-- Myisha Bannister, Katrina Grantham, Rene Haynes and Victoria Lucas-Perry -- the Spartans won 24 games, tied for the second-most in school history, and went 13-3 in the Big Ten, the second-best league slate in school history.

Sophomores Aisha Jefferson and Mia Johnson also showed that there is a bright foundation laid, as the classmates combined to average 18.7 points per game.

Johnson capped the greatest comeback in school history, as she hit a 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds left at No. 13/13 Purdue, the final touch on a miraculous 17-point comeback.

DeHaan hit two go-ahead shots in the final minute in a stunning 62-59 Michigan State win at No. 4/5 Ohio State. The freshman outshone three-time Big Ten Player of the Year Jessica Davenport, as she scored 25 points and added five blocks to lead the Spartans to the win.

Spartan Notables
• Michigan State is one of 11 teams in the nation to reach the NCAA Tournament Second Round in each of the last four years.

• Michigan State became the first team in Big Ten history to block 200 shots in a season. They recorded 211 rejections.

• Freshman Allyssa DeHaan finished the season seventh in NCAA history with her 145 blocked shots this season.

• Senior Victoria Lucas-Perry averaged a career-high 13.5 points. Her previous career high was 10.8 points as a junior.

• Four Spartans averaged double-figure scoring during the season and five averaged more than nine points per conference game.

• The Spartans beat all 10 teams in the Big Ten during the regular season for the first time in school history. The 13 conference wins were the second-most in Spartan annals.

• Michigan State recorded its fourth straight 20-win season for the first time in school history. The 24 wins tied for the second-most in school history.

• The senior quartet of Myisha Bannister, Katrina Grantham, Rene Haynes and Victoria Lucas-Perry set a school record by winning 103 games in their four seasons.

• Head coach Joanne P. McCallie won her 300th career game in her 15th year as a head coach at UC Santa Barbara on Dec. 20.