Kevin Borseth was about to turn around and walk toward the Michigan locker room for halftime. Michigan State forward Kalisha Keane’s 3-pointer had hit the back of the rim in the Breslin Center and, most times, that shot would fall aimlessly away.

Except it didn’t. Keane’s shot fell through, a single-digit deficit for the Michigan women's basketball team went back to a double-digit one and Borseth stopped, almost stunned for a second, shook his head and muttered.

For as poorly as his Michigan team played in stretches Sunday, Keane’s up, up and in 3-pointer was the biggest momentum killer in the No. 11 Michigan State's 69-56 win over the Wolverines.

“It definitely takes something out of you,” Michigan senior guard Veronica Hicks said. “Because you go from cutting the lead to single digits to taking you back to double digits. You went and scraped your way back in there, and to turn the ball over to go from a five-to-10 point deficit, and then for that shot to drop. We’re down 10 to start the second half and climb out of this hole against this crowd.”

Michigan State opened up the second half on a 14-4 run and made that deficit almost impossible to come back from.

In the first sellout in Michigan State women’s basketball history at the Breslin Center — although in reality the last four or five rows of the upper bowl at the Breslin Center were largely empty — this was part of Michigan’s problem.

Michigan’s offense played without rhythm the entire game, mostly because of Michigan State’s defense.

The Spartans challenged the Wolverines to shoot by laying off of their guards and shooters in an attempt to both guard the Michigan post players from the front and to try and mess with their entry pass angles.

This was something Hicks said Michigan worked on constantly in the past week. Then Sunday, the Wolverines struggled to find their shots.

“It was a huge part,” Hicks said. “We did the things we continuously practice every day, which is stepping around to pass it in, and we didn’t do that. We did what we normally do, which is stand there, look at the post and just bounce it.

“They just have really quick hands, and they were doing a really good job of contesting, but laying off to where if you didn’t step around them and try to bounce it along the side, tip.”

This became especially frustrating for Michigan when it tried to pass inside to Rachel Sheffer or Sam Arnold from the wing. Michigan State’s players often guarded Hicks, Courtney Boylan and Jenny Ryan with their hands down, again preferring an outside shot to allowing the ball to reach Sheffer or Arnold.

“It was really hard to get the ball in there at all,” said Boylan, who scored 11 points. “Especially with (Kalisha) Keane. … She’s a very good defender and goes out and pressures the wing.

“Then, even trying to get it in the post was tough, too. They did a very good job fronting. I just think we needed better spacing on offense.”

Michigan State had nine steals, led by Keane with four. Overall, both Michigan (14-10, 7-5 Big Ten) and Michigan State (22-3, 10-2) both had 10 assists and 16 turnovers. For the Wolverines, the assist total was 4.5 assists under their average.

Even when Michigan placed the ball in the post, it didn’t do much. Sheffer missed her only two shots. Carmen Reynolds missed all four of her shots and Sam Arnold was 2-of-7.

Much of that, Borseth said, was due to Michigan State’s strength. Spartans forward Lykendra Johnson had 13 points and 12 rebounds. Keane led the Spartans with 18 points.

“Their strength, we could not contend with their strength,” Borseth said. “Very strong. Cut to the basket and they are strong. Cut to the basket and they are just strong. They just move you where they want to move you when they want to move you.

“The only thing you didn’t see on us was a wheel, a steering wheel, because they move you when they want to move you.”

Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein