Johnson scored 17 and grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds (10 offensive) to go first MSU to its eighth smooth gain a victory in the rivalry, 63-56 before a release thrust of 5,991 at Crisler Arena. Advertisement The No. 11-ranked Spartans (15-1, 3-0 Big Ten) are to their best initiation in primary ancient history and will proceed a 13-game winsome speed into Thursday's family game against No. 21 Iowa.
"She's a warrior for us," MSU school Suzy Merchant said of Johnson, a 6-foot-1 red-shirt younger up who also played well in the stanchion defensively against the Wolverines (9-7, 2-2). "She's (Johnson) a great athlete," said Michigan superior look after Veronica Hicks, who scored 20. "I had the option of playing with her in AAU in Chicago so I skilled in what she can do. She wanted to do the aggregate she could to aid her set prevail and that was get to the boards.
"It's monstrous because we knew exactly what she liked to do. It wasn't such as we were blindsided. (The losing streak) is very frustrating. The males and females who are here haven't skilled a victory against them and I have only one. It's very frustrating, but we came out tough to change that." Yes, Michigan did.
The Wolverines, who recently defeated three simple Top 25 opponents, looked well on the feeling to another upset. They contrived eight turnovers to knock off a 15-8 lead. Then Johnson made her stand.
She scored favoured to chance a 10-0 run, finishing it off by scoring off a putback for an 18-15 lead. Then, after consecutive baskets by Carmen Reynolds and Courtney Boylan gave Michigan a 19-18 cushion, Johnson scored off a putback to assistance a 9-1 run, ending it with yet another putback to unprotected up a 27-20 superiority with less than a second larboard in the half. "She (Johnson) was outstanding," said MSU elder Kalisha Keane, who had 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting without considering being the concentration of Michigan's box-and-one defense.
"She's adamant when she pursues the ball. She's very athletic and strong." Johnson was at her best after picking up her third unscrupulous on a direction midway through the go along with half with the Spartans holding a 41-39 lead. Merchant kept her in and she delivered.
Johnson avoided a fourth traitorous while forcing Rachel Sheffer to skip an privileged shot. Johnson then scored off a putback at the other end, prime to a three-point leeway to straightforward up a 44-39 lead, starting a central 11-2 run, which ended off another putback for a 52-41 mitigate with 5:03 remaining. "It was massive that she trusted me and communist me in after I picked up that third foul," Johnson said of Merchant. "And, I got the bother done.
She knew I was just playing hard, aggressive. The big ideal for us was to return the basketball." Mission accomplished. The Spartans held a 41-24 rebounding usefulness - 17-7 at the attacking end - to have the fetching bar alive.
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