Michigan State Barely Escapes USC

As terrific as the 2004-05 season turned out to be for USC, it lacked one thing. That big win, that signature victory that makes a team feel it has reached an important turning point in the program.

The Trojans were so close to it Monday in the second round of the NCAA tournament, but the dream ended as Rene Haynes scooped up a loose ball and scored a layup with 2.9 seconds left to lift top-seeded Michigan State over eighth-seeded USC, 61-59, at the University of Minnesota’s Williams Arena.

USC had led, 56-54, with 1:34 left to play and was tied, 59-59, with 22 seconds left, but then things slipped away -- literally.

After Trojan forward Jamie Funn blocked Spartan center Kelli Roehrig’s layup with 12 seconds to go, she got the rebound but had the ball stripped. Both teams scrambled to get possession. The ball found Haynes, who made her only field goal of the game.

It’s a loss the returning Trojans (20-11) -- and there are 11 of them -- won’t forget anytime soon.

“We should have won this game,” said freshman guard LeNoir Camille, who led USC with 18 points. “We can appreciate how far we came this year, trying to bring back the [winning] tradition at USC. We left it all on the floor. But we should have won.”

Instead it’s the Spartans (30-3), who had 19 points from junior guard Lindsay Bowen and 14 points from junior forward Liz Shimek, who move into the Sweet 16 for the first time in six NCAA appearances.

They will play Vanderbilt in the Kansas City Regional semifinal Sunday.

Michigan State Coach Joanne P. McCallie sounded more relieved than excited about her Big Ten champion’s accomplishment.

She was not happy that USC had kept the game close throughout by controlling the rebounding, and forcing 18 turnovers.

She felt the Spartans had two chances, once in the first half while leading by eight, at 29-21, and once in the second half while leading at six, 46-40, when her team could have pulled out to a big lead and made the Trojans crack under the pressure.

But it didn’t happen Monday. Even though USC trailed, 29-25, at halftime, and shot only 37.9% to Michigan State’s 47.9% from the field, the Trojans never let the Spartans get far enough away where they would start pressing or unraveling.

For 40 minutes the teams were in virtual lockstep trying to find the path to victory.

“I thought USC played great. I expected them to play great,” McCallie said. “They are a young team with nothing to lose, a well-coached team. We expected them to play great. We wanted to play great, and I’m sure they had something to do with us not playing great.

“We did not attack their zone like we should have. They were aggressive and got to most of the loose balls.”

Just not the one that mattered the most.

USC still had a chance at the end. Even though Eshaya Murphy (12 points) thought she had called timeout with 2.9 seconds left but instead was called for stepping over the baseline while inbounding, giving the ball back to Michigan State, she managed to deflect the Spartans’ inbounds pass to teammate Jamie Hagiya.

Despite the Michigan State guards desperately trying to impede Murphy’s progress, she did manage to get off a half-court shot at the buzzer. But it went off to the left.

“We deserved to win the game to be honest, but I couldn’t be prouder of the kids,” USC Coach Mark Trakh said.

Neither Trakh nor the Trojans would have minded if USC had been a bit luckier rather than better.