Rutgers Passes Road Test; Beats Spartans

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Rutgers played so well on the road, the Scarlet Knights probably won't mind doing it again. Kia Vaughn had 12 of her 16 points in the first half to help fourth-seeded Rutgers beat Michigan State 70-57 on its home court Tuesday night in the second round of the Greensboro Regional.

Rutgers' reward?

The Scarlet Knights (24-8) play the top-seeded Duke Blue Devils (32-1) Saturday in Greensboro, N.C. - about 50 miles from their campus.

Rutgers snatched command of the game with a 13-2 run in the first half while holding the Spartans without a field goal for nearly eight minutes.

That dominating stretch put the Scarlet Knights up 22-16 midway through the first half, and they maintained the lead with relentless defense and clutch shooting.

After trailing by 13 early in the second half, Michigan State woke up its fans by pulling within six, but Rutgers responded with five straight points to quiet the crowd.

Big Ten freshman of the year Allyssa DeHaan was held scoreless until the 12:42 mark of the second half, and she finished with six points - less than half of her average.

Victoria Lucas-Perry scored 17, Rene Haynes had 14 points and Aisha Jefferson added 13 for the Spartans (24-9).

Rutgers' Essence Carson had 15 points and freshman Epiphanny Prince scored 14.

Vaughn did more than just score in the first half.

The 6-foot-4 center grabbed four rebounds, blocked four shots, had two steals. She also used strength and aggressiveness to make the 6-9 DeHaan uncomfortable, pushing her out of comfortable spots on the block.

Vaughn didn't score as much in the second half, but she didn't have to because Prince scored 10 of her 14 after halftime and other teammates seemed to make shots whenever Michigan State seemed to generate momentum.

In the second half, Vaughn made both of the shots she attempted and finished with seven rebounds, six blocks and four steals.

It was a performance that didn't surprise Michigan State coach Joanne P. McCallie, who coached Vaughn last summer on USA Basketball's under-20 national team.

Rutgers earned a spot in the regional semifinals for the third straight year.

Michigan State, which advanced to the 2005 national championship game, fell to 2-5 in second-round games.