GREEN & WHITE BASKETBALL

MSU women rally past Penn State in home finale

Brian Calloway

Lansing State Journal

Michigan State's Tori Jankoska, left, gets a layup against Penn State's Jaida Travascio-Green, right rear, and Kaliyah Mitchell in the closing moments of the game to ice the win Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017, in East Lansing, Mich. Michigan State won 73-64.

EAST LANSING – It was a night to celebrate Tori Jankoska.

And Kennedy Johnson helped make sure the Michigan State women’s basketball team gave a proper send off to one of the most decorated players in program history.

The junior forward provided a spark off the bench with the best scoring performance of her career to help the Spartans to a 73-64 come-from-behind victory over surging Penn State at Breslin Center in their final regular season home game.

Johnson had a career-high 12 points off the bench – 10 in the second half - as MSU overcame a 19-point second-half deficit to win its third straight and pick up an important Big Ten victory.

"(Kennedy) was the reason we came back and won that game," MSU coach Suzy Merchant said. "She had some really big minutes. She was trying to take charges, she was aggressive, she was scoring the ball.

"The one thing about Kennedy - every year she's been here - she's good to come out of nowhere and help us win. She probably didn't even make the scouting report for Penn State."

Jankoska overcame a slow start to deliver another strong performance in a career that has featured plenty. The senior guard led the Spartans (19-9, 9-6 Big Ten) with 21 points – all in the second half – and added 12 rebounds in the latest victory.

"I think my emotions kind of got the best of my first half, but the second half it's time to win," Jankoska said. "That's really all my focus was. It was a great comeback for us and a win we really needed"

Taya Reimer added 13 points and hit the go-ahead basket with just under five minutes remaining that gave the Spartans the lead for good. That was part of a 12-3 run MSU closed the game on to prevail in a matchup of teams tied for fourth in the Big Ten. Jankoska made a pair of free throws to cap the run and exited the game by kissing the Spartan head at mid-court and then to an ovation from the Breslin Center crowd in the closing seconds.

Michigan State's Tori Jankosaka kisses the floor as she comes out of the game against Penn State as teammates Kennedy Johnson (55), Taya Reimer, rear, Branndais Agee (10) and Taryn McCutcheon (4) cheer her on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017, in East Lansing, Mich. Michigan State won 73-64.

“Going out and kissing the Spartan head – that was one of the best moments of my life," Jankoska said. "The emotions going through (my head), that we were able to get the win (and) I was able to come out and give all my coaches and all of my teammates a hug. Kissing that floor - where I left everything I had for four years straight – that was really special to me.”

Teniya Page had 23 points to lead Penn State, which had its four-game winning streak halted.

The Nittany Lions (18-9, 8-7) led by 19 in the early portion of the second half, but the Spartans fought their way back with 11-0 and 10-0 runs during the third quarter.

Johnson gave MSU its first lead of the night with an inside basket early in the fourth quarter. The lead switched back and forth a few times before Reimer put the Spartans ahead for good.

"I think it was really important to win on senior night," Johnson said. "It would be awful to lose your last game here.

"We just did it for (Tori). She came out and she had zero at half, so she was kind of down. We tried to pick her up."

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