The NCAA Tournament was far from a lock for the Michigan State Spartans women’s basketball team. A second-round loss in the Big Ten Tournament to conference champion Maryland put the Spartans firmly on the bubble.
However, Suzy Merchant’s group did enough to make their way into the NCAA Tournament, which kicks off for MSU Saturday afternoon. The Spartans earned a #9 seed in the Chicago region. They will start tournament play even closer to home, playing the first-round game in South Bend, Indiana against the Central Michigan Chippewas.
A short trip and well-traveled fan base may make the difference for Michigan State, who has been night-and-day at home compared to the road.