April 5, 2008

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EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Angel Robinson, Krystal Ellis and Erin Monfre combined for 46 points to lead Marquette to the WNIT Championship with an 81-66 win over Michigan State on Saturday afternoon.

Robinson led the balanced backcourt assault with 16 points and eight rebounds and was named to the All-WNIT team. Ellis, the tournament MVP with a 23.2-point average, had 15 points and triggered a 23-2 run in the opening minutes. And Monfre, who came in averaging 2.7 points, came off the bench to hit five 3-pointers for the Golden Eagles (21-14).

Freshman Kalisha Keane led all scorers with a career-high 24 points for the Spartans (23-14). Allyssa DeHaan added 11 points and five blocked shots to boost her Big Ten season mark for rejections to 150.

Mia Johnson also had 11 points for Michigan State but was just 3-for-15 from the field and 1-for-8 from long range.

Trailing 7-6, Marquette took total control with a perimeter barrage and precision passing to go up 29-9. The Spartans made their best run late in the first half and cut the deficit to 41-30 with 10 straight points.

Monfre's third wide-open 3 gave the Golden Eagles a 45-33 halftime lead, thanks to 54.5-percent accuracy from the field.

Michigan State never got closer than 10 points again, as Marquette rebuilt its cushion with an 8-0 lead just after the intermission and coasted home with reserves.

The Golden Eagles, who lost five of their last eight games before the WNIT, had 22 assists on 27 baskets and a 42-37 rebounding edge.

The Spartans shot 34.9 percent from the field and just 21.7 percent beyond the arc, a problem all season for a team that never played a WNIT road game.