To those unfamiliar with Wisconsin-Green Bay or Michigan State before their respective first-round NCAA tournament games, it didn't take long to identify the stars.
Green Bay senior forward Kayla Tetschlag scored 24 points and dominated Arkansas-Little Rock inside in a 59-55 win, continually catching lob passes and scoring easy buckets against overmatched defenders.
In Michigan State's 69-66 win over Northern Iowa, forward Kalisha Keane got the Spartans off to a good start, scoring 15 of her 17 points in the first half. She also wound up with six rebounds, six assists, three blocked shots and two steals.
Both teams said Monday the inside matchup will be key when fifth-seeded Green Bay (33-1) faces fourth-seeded Michigan State (27-5) at Intrust Bank Arena on Tuesday night, with a berth in the regional semifinals at stake.
''I defintely think they are a team who can post one through five and we are certainly a team that can do that,'' Michigan State coach Suzy Merchant said.
The Spartans have made three previous trips to the regional semifinals, reaching the national championship game in 2005 before losing to Baylor, while Green Bay never has made it past the second round.
There's little question Keane and Tetschlag are the linchpins of their respective teams. Keane, a 6-foot-1 senior, became the first Michigan State player to be named Big Ten player of the year by conference coaches. Tetschlag is a 6-foot senior who shared Horizon League player of the year honors with teammate Celeste Hoewisch.
After Keane's monster first half against Northern Iowa, the Panthers focused on keeping the ball out of her hands and limited Keane to two second-half points on three shot attempts. But Keane still made a decisive defensive play, as her fingers grazed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer by Northern Iowa's Erin Brocka that would have forced overtime.
Merchant said it will be important for Keane's inside mate, 6-foot-1 Lykendra Johnson, to avoid the foul trouble that plagued her against Northern Iowa. The Spartans' length proved difficult for Northern Iowa to overcome and Michigan State will have a size advantage on Green Bay.
''I think their athleticism is definitely an advantage for them,'' Tetschlag said. ''They have a lot of size and obviously we don't match up with that size, but I think we bring a lot to the table, too.''
Namely, speed. Green Bay hopes to use its quickness to make up for the height disadvantage.
''We feel like quickness beats height and that is how we try to play,'' Green Bay coach Matt Bollant said. ''We play fast and we play quick and take advantage of that. There have been very few games this year when we have been taller in stature than the teams we have been playing but we have outrebounded and been the most aggressive team.''
Bollant said the Phoenix's ability to ''seal and hold in the post'' allows their inside players to be effective against taller opponents.
''If you watched Kayla (Sunday) night get somebody outside, she moves her feet and holds that position,'' he said. ''She is phenomenal at that. Julie (Wojta), as well. Honestly that is more than adding a couple of inches, the ability to use your frame and your ability to keep the defender on one side and not letting them guard you on two sides.''
While Northern Iowa and Green Bay use similar styles, Keane didn't think that would be much of an advantage for the Spartans in preparation. But she added that Michigan State is better prepared this season to defend teams looking to use their speed.
''We are able to guard it better compared to last year's team, where we were very big inside and probably wouldn't have been able to guard the perimeter as well as we have been able to this year,'' she said.
