DeeDee Hagemann helps lift Michigan State women's basketball to overtime win over Penn State

EAST LANSING — DeeDee Hagemann missed a chance to help the Michigan State women's basketball team close things in out in regulation.

The sophomore point guard made up for it in overtime.

Hagemann delivered key plays while helping the Spartans to an 81-75 victory over Penn State in a Big Ten contest Sunday afternoon at Breslin Center.

Hagemann had the go-ahead basket as she was fouled with 1:10 left in the overtime and finished the three-point play. That was part of five points and an assist Hagemann had in the extra session as she bounced back from a pair of missed free throws late in regulation to put MSU on the winning end of a tight game.

"I feel like I was kind of upset about the two free throws because I fee like we could have won if I made them," Hagemann said. "I feel like I have to stay focused on the end goal. We had five minutes left and that's enough time to play. We just wanted to win the game and that was my mentality."

Hagemann's missed free throws came with 16.3 seconds left in regulation and the Spartans clinging to a one-point lead. Acting MSU coach Dean Lockwood praised the resiliency of his team and Hagemann.

"A mentally strong person bounces back and DeeDee I thought did a great job of that after those missed free throws," Lockwood said. "That was just one aspect of her game. She had eight assists, she really ran the offense well and she communicated well

"I credit her for having the mental strength to say OK, I missed some key free throws there. She could have got down, but she just fought back."

Hagemann had 16 points and eight assists as MSU (13-12, 5-9) played its fifth straight game without coach Suzy Merchant as she continues to recover from a medical incident suffered on Jan. 27. Matilda Ekh had a team-high 21 points and Taiyier Parks added 15 points and eight rebounds for the Spartans, who won their second straight.

The consecutive wins were the first for the Spartans since winning four straight from Dec. 18 to Jan. 2.

"That was pretty big for us," Parks said. "This feels like a fire that is being ignited. We have a lot to prove and a lot to give."

MSU led by as much as 13 in the second half and recovered after not being able to close things out late in regulation to find itself on the right end of a tight game.

The Spartans entered Sunday 0-3 in overtime contests and 1-4 in Big Ten games decided by six points or less. MSU went 10 of 10 from the free-throw line in the extra session to improve those numbers.

"We could have easily referred to ancient history and say this has happened three other times and all this,," Lockwood said. "Instead they just did what they had to do. They stayed the course, stuck with the game plan, kept solid, kept the game very simple.

"They did an excellent job of hanging tough."

Leilani Kapinus, who had 10 points and 11 rebounds, split a pair of free throws with 8.0 seconds remaining to help Penn State (13-12, 4-10) force overtime after MSU missed a shot on the other end as time expired.

Makenna Marisa had a game-high 22 points to lead the Nittany Lions.

Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @brian_calloway.