Shay Colley's last-second shot lifts Michigan State basketball past Toledo in WNIT

EAST LANSING - Shay Colley admits she felt a bit of a rush.

But at the end of the day, the sophomore guard is just happy to have another opportunity this season to step on the court.

And it was Colley's clutch play that ensured the Michigan State women's basketball team would continue its season at least another few days and remain alive in the WNIT.

Colley hit the winning shot with just under two seconds remaining to lift the Spartans to a 68-66 victory over Toledo in a WNIT second-round contest Monday at Breslin Center.

"It feels very good (to hit a winner), but at the end of the day you've just got to come back and get mentally ready for the next team," Colley said.

Colley's shot vaulted the Spartans (19-13) into the third round of the WNIT where they will travel to face South Dakota at 8 p.m. Thursday.

Colley, who was voted the Spartans' co-player of the year, had 12 of her 14 points in the second half and scored the last six points for MSU. That included her late drive to the basket following a timeout that produced the winning bucket.

"She doesn't need much," MSU coach Suzy Merchant said. "If she can get to the rim, she's usually got a pretty good shot at finishing that layup."

Freshman Sidney Cooks had 15 points and Taya Reimer added 10 points for the Spartans.

Kaalya McIntyre had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Toledo (18-15).

MSU was tested all night by a Toledo team it routed in late October during a preseason scrimmage. The teams traded the lead 12 times, including a few instances in the fourth quarter.

Merchant said her team has struggled a little from an energy standpoint and with the fact it missed out on making the NCAA tournament.

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"For us we have different expectations a little bit," Merchant said. "I appreciate the opportunity to survive and advance and play in the WNIT, but for my team it's like a mental challenge. They want to be in the NCAA tournament and you should be. That's what you come here for.

"For us it's been a little bit of a struggle to get their minds set and that's a little bit of that leadership piece. I think teams that have great leadership and back it up with consistent play are usually the ones that have success. This team has got to learn a little bit that leadership really matters and consistency really matters and it matters on both ends of the floor."

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