No. 23 Michigan St. 73, Providence 35

12/20/2007 1:48 PM

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -Brittney Thomas scored 15 points and Kalisha Keane added 14 to lead No. 23 Michigan State to a 73-35 rout of Providence on Thursday.

The Spartans (8-3) played all but 5 minutes of the first half without 6-foot-9 center Alyssa DeHaan, who drew her second personal foul 3 minutes after the opening tap.

DeHaan, who leads Michigan State in six different categories including scoring and rebounding, played 18 minutes and scored nine points, eight below her season average. She blocked two shots to became the fastest player in NCAA Division I history to reach the 200-block mark while playing in her freshman and sophomore seasons. DeHaan has 201 blocks in 44 career games.

Trinity Hull scored 13 points to led the Friars (8-3), who snapped a four-game winning streak. She was the only Friars player to score in double figures.

Providence only led once, when Hull's 3-pointer made it 3-2.

Hull hit another 3 shot that pulled the Friars to 22-12 with 7:10 left in the first half. But the Spartans capitalized on Providence turnovers and built a 41-20 lead at halftime.

Michigan State scored the first 12 points of the second half, including a pair of 3s by Keane, to take a 33-point lead.

The Spartans forced the Friars into 22 turnovers and held them to 20.3 percent shooting (12-for-59) from the floor.