With her team tied at halftime with No. 12-seed Bowling Green, she was assigned to guard Bowling Green star scorer Lauren Prochaska.

Instead of letting the tough first half get to her, Thomas rose to the occasion and was a key catalyst in MSU’s 72-62 win against the Falcons at Freedom Hall, scoring 11 points with six rebounds, two assists and two steals in 28 minutes.

“She was really big for us in the second half in little ways,” MSU head coach Suzy Merchant said. “A couple of offensive rebound putbacks, she got to the rim, she dumped it, she hit a couple shots. I thought that was a really good sign for her future.”

When Thomas has struggled this season, she hasn’t been able to turn it around.

That’s what made Saturday’s effort so surprising for those involved.

Merchant said before the team’s Feb. 25 game against Purdue she was presented with a statistic that showed if Thomas didn’t make her first shot, she went on to struggle, so Merchant sat Thomas down and had a little chat.

“If she makes her first shot, she becomes a different player,” Merchant said.

“I talked to her about that. That’s not a stat you want to be known for — if you don’t make your first shot, you’re going to be zero for the day. I said, ‘That’s just more of a mental thing. You’re very capable, you’ve got a great stroke, you’ve got a pull-up jumper nobody can get to, you’re quick, you can get to the rim. You have more gifts whether you make your first shot or not.’”

Since that talk, during a span of four games, Thomas has shot 42 percent from the field, raising her field-goal percentage from 33.1 percent to 35.8 percent, and has scored in double figures three times.

“Earlier in the season I had trouble with my shooting percentage and field goals, but coaches talked to me, teammates talked to me, just letting me know to keep shooting, that I’m not going to make every shot,” Thomas said.

“That really stuck in my mind.”

Thomas’ 13 field-goal attempts Saturday were a career high. She said she was nervous heading into her first NCAA Tournament game and is happy the first one is out of the way.

When Merchant inserted Thomas into the starting lineup for the Jan. 24 game against Minnesota, it started a new phase of the season for the Spartans — one of success, as MSU is 11-2 this season when Thomas starts.

That move is paying off now more than ever.

Against Bowling Green, Thomas secured a career-best four offensive rebounds and made a backbreaking play. She got her hand in the way of a pass to Prochaska near halfcourt and took it all the way for a breakaway layup to give MSU a 64-53 lead, its largest of the game, with five minutes left.

She said she didn’t see the ball, but knew it was coming because of how the coaching staff prepared the team for Bowling Green’s offense.

“I just had to get my hands up,” Thomas said, laughing.

It was the crowning moment of the half for Thomas, one in which she held Prochaska to two field goals.

“Instead of going with size and strength against Lauren, they went with their quickest player,” Bowling Green head coach Curt Miller said.

“Credit where credit’s due. Thomas’ speed didn’t allow us to run as many plays for her.”