Michigan State University Athletics
Women's Basketball Entertains Iowa
2/18/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 18, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
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MICHIGAN STATE (15-10 OVERALL, 5-9 BIG TEN)VS. IOWA (15-9 OVERALL, 8-6 BIG TEN)When Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2002, 7 p.m. ESTSite East Lansing, Mich. (Breslin Center)Radio The Fan 730 AMTelevision AT&T Cable (Lansing/East Lansing only)Coaches MSU: Joanne P. McCallie (Northwestern 1987) Overall: 192-101 (10th year), MSU: 25-28 (2nd year) IOWA: Lisa Bluder (Northern Iowa 1983) Overall: 392-161 (18th year), IOWA: 36-19 (2nd year)
Tip-Off - Michigan State (15-10 overall, 5-9 Big Ten) closes out the home portion of its regular season, entertaining Iowa (15-9 overall, 8-6 Big Ten) this Wednesday (Feb. 20), at 7 p.m., at the Breslin Center. Wednesday's game also will mark Senior Day Celebration as Vnemina Reese and Abby Salscheider will be honored in a post-game ceremony.
Wednesday's game is very important for both teams as each school is looking for a win. MSU has been off since a 62-59 overtime loss to Penn State on Feb. 14, while Iowa fell to Michigan, 91-80, also on Feb. 14.
Notes of The Game
Thank You Seniors - The Spartans will honor a pair of seniors following the Iowa game on Wednesday night as Abby Salscheider and Vnemina Reese will play their final regular-season contest at the Breslin Center. Forward Salscheider is a two-time team captain. She has appeared in 16 games this year, starting 10. The Bluffton, Ind., native is averaging 3.6 points and 1.9 rebounds for her career.
Guard Vnemina Reese is a junior athletically after receiving a medical redshirt as a freshman. However, Reese is on pace to graduate this May and will not return next year. The Fort Wayne, Ind., native has played in all 25 games this year and is averaging 6.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists.
Who Are The Starters - Michigan State had used 10 different starting line-ups during the 2001-02 season. For the second-straight contest, MSU used a different set of starting five at Penn State. MSU started Julie Pagel and Abby Salscheider at forward, Joy Johnson at center and Candice Jackson and Vnemina Reese at guard.
Scouting Michigan State - Michigan State carries a 15-10 overall, 5-9 Big Ten mark into Wednesday's game. The Spartans have been off since a 62-59 overtime loss at Penn State Feb. 14.
Junior forward Syreeta Bromfield leads the Spartans, averaging a team-leading 16.0 points and 7.0 rebounds. Sophomore forward Julie Pagel is averaging 9.4 points and 5.7 rebounds. Freshman guard Kristin Haynie (8.1 ppg), freshman center Kelli Roehrig (7.6 ppg) and junior guard Vnemina Reese (6.8 ppg) round out the top five scorers.
MSU is averaging 62.1 points per game, while allowing 60.6 points. MSU is connecting on 40.7 percent (575-of-1413) of its shots from the field and 68.5 percent (311-of-454) of its shots from the free throw line.
MSU Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie - McCallie is in her second season at the helm of the MSU basketball program. McCallie was named to the position on March 27, 2000 becoming just the fourth coach in MSU women's basketball history. She is in her 10th year overall as a head coach, compiling a 192-101 (.655) overall mark. Prior to her arrival at MSU, McCallie spent eight years as the head coach at Maine, guiding the Black Bears to a 167-73 mark including six straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
She is joined on her staff by associate head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson, assistant coach Felisha Legette-Jack and assistant coach Janel Grimm.
Last Time Out - Despite a valiant effort, MSU dropped a 62-59 overtime loss at Penn State last Thursday (Feb. 14). The Spartans trailed by three (25-22) at the half and sent the game into the extra session on a Julie Pagel layup with 2.9 seconds left. However, MSU was outscored 9-6 in overtime. Syreeta Bromfield led MSU with 28 points, while PSU was paced by Rashana Barnes with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
Scouting Iowa
The Hawkeyes - Iowa brings a 15-9 overall, 8-6 Big Ten slate into Wednesday's game. The Hawkeyes, under the direction of second-year head coach Lisa Bluder, have won only two of their last six games. Iowa dropped a 91-80 decision to Michigan Feb. 14.
Ones To Watch - Three Hawkeyes are averaging in double figures led by Preseason All-Big Ten honoree Lindsey Meder, who is averaging 17.3 points. Jennie Lillis is averaging 14.8 points, while Jerica Watson is averaging 12.7 points and 9.0 rebounds.
The Last Meeting - Iowa jumped out to a 21-2 lead and never looked back in cruising to a 75-55 victory in Iowa City Jan. 24. Syreeta Bromfield led MSU with 15 points and eight rebounds. Kristin Haynie added 10 points and Cortne Ellis finished with eight points. Three Hawkeyes scored in double figures led by Jennie Lillis with 20 points. Lindsey Meder finished with 18 points and Leah Magner, 15.
Series History - Wednesday's game will mark the 40th meeting between the schools. Iowa holds a 26-13 lead in the all-time series which began with an 83-54 Spartan victory on Feb. 7, 1976. The Hawkeyes have won three-straight meetings in the series, including a 75-55 victory in Iowa City earlier this season.
Spartan Notebook
Syreeta's Day - Junior forward Syreeta Bromfield had a career day at Penn State. She finished with a season-best 28 points, including 21 in the second half. It marked her 19th game in double figures and her ninth game with 20 or more points this season.
More On Bromfield - Bromfield equaled her best game in terms of field goal percentage at 66.7 percent (8-of-12). She also shot 14 free throws, canning 12 (.857).
Some Numbers Don't Lie - Syreeta Bromfield accounted for 47.5 percent of the team's offense (28 of MSU's 59 points). The Kingston, Jamaica, native scored more points than MSU's starting five which combined for 20 points (Julie Pagel - 6 points, Joy Johnson - 6 points, Abby Salscheider - 2 points, Candice Jackson - 4 points and Vnemina Reese - 2 points).
Upcoming - MSU closes out the Big Ten Conference regular season at Minnesota on Sunday, Feb. 24. Tip-off at Williams Arena is slated for 12 p.m. CST as the game will be televised live on Fox Sports Chicago.
The Magic Number - The Spartans are 12-4 when scoring 60 or more points. MSU scored just 59 points at Penn State, and held the Nittany Lions to 62 points.
At The Breslin Center - The Spartans are 8-4 at the Breslin Center this season, including a perfect 5-0 mark in non-conference action. Since moving into the Breslin Center prior to the 1989-90 season, MSU has posted an all-time mark of 113-54 (.677) record.
The State of Iowa Connection - Associate Head Coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson is a former two-year letterwinner (1988-90) at Iowa. Coach Abe, who transferred to Iowa from Georgia, was a member of two Big Ten title teams and in 1988-89, Iowa advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16. Katie is a native a Cedar Rapids.
Assistant Coach Janel Grimm hails from Sigourney, a town just 65 miles from Iowa City. Grimm played collegiately at Iowa State, where she was a four-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree.
Did You Know? -
* The Spartans have played two overtime contests this season. The last time MSU played two overtime games in a season was in 1999-2000. The school record for overtime games in a season is four, set by the 1998-99 squad.
* MSU is 13-3 when the game is tied or the Spartans are leading at the half, but just 2-7 when trailing at the break. In MSU's last outing, the Spartans trailed Penn State 25-22 at the half and fell in overtime, 62-59.
* MSU ranks 10th in the Big Ten in scoring offense (62.1 ppg), but leads the Big Ten in scoring defense (60.6 ppg).
* MSU is 15-4 when allowing 69 points or less.
* Syreeta Bromfield has led the team in scoring 13 times this season. The Spartans are 8-5 when Bromfield is the leading scorer.
* The Spartans have two players shooting 50.0 percent or better from the field. Kelli Roehrig leads MSU and ranks ninth in the Big Ten in field goal percentage at 54.4 percent, while Julie Pagel is second and 13th in the Big Ten at 51.3 percent.
* MSU has already surpassed its win total from the 2000-01 season. The Spartans, who finished with a 10-18 overall mark last year, are 15-10 this season.
* The Spartan bench has outscored its opponent in each of the last nine games. MSU held a 39-to-11 point advantage off the bench at Penn State.
* The 82 points scored by Purdue (Feb. 1) was the second-most points the Spartans have given up all season. MSU allowed 86 points in a double overtime loss to Wisconsin Jan. 10.
Minnesota Game Time Change - Due to water damage at the Sports Pavilion, the Michigan State and Minnesota women's basketball game on Sunday, Feb. 24 has been moved to Williams Arena. The game, which was originally scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. CST, will now be played at 12 p.m. CST. The game will be shown live on Fox Sports Chicago.
A Struggle From Three - MSU is shooting 28.3 percent (91-of-322) from the three-point line, a mark which ranks 10th in the Big Ten statistics. Over the past two games, MSU is just 0-for-16 (.000) from the three-point arc. The Spartans missed all seven shots at Penn State and missed nine attempts at Illinois.
Overall in the past eight games, the Spartans are connecting on just 24.1 percent (19-of-79) of their shots from three-point range.
In 2000-01, Michigan State shot 31.4 percent (120-of-382) for the year.
The Last Time This Happened - A pair of Spartans hauled down double digit rebounds at Penn State. Guard Candice Jackson pulled down a career-best 10 boards, while center Jennifer Callier hauled down a season-high 10 rebounds. The last time MSU had two players pull down double-digits in rebounds was Nov. 23, 2001 vs. Monmouth (Syreeta Bromfield - 10 and Julie Pagel - 10).
Roehrig Struggling With Back Injury - Freshman center Kelli Roehrig missed the Penn State game with a back injury. She has been hampered by the injury since the Jan. 30 Wisconsin game. Since scoring 15 points vs. Purdue (Feb. 1), Roehrig was held scoreless at Indiana and vs. Illinois, playing for a combined 32 minutes.
Roehrig is averaging 7.6 points and 3.5 rebounds in 24 games this year.
Big Ten Tournament Information - The Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament will be held at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis Feb. 28-March 4. The first two rounds will be held Feb. 28 and March 1, while semifinals will be played on March 3 and the championship March 4.
Spartan fans can call the MSU Ticket Office at 1-800-GO-STATE to purchase tickets in the MSU section.
Offensive Production Too - MSU ranks 10th in the Big Ten in scoring offense, averaging 62.1 points per game. Over the past five games, MSU is averaging just 60.0 points per game.
MSU has eclipsed the 70-point barrier just four times this season. The Spartans scored a season-high 78 points in the double overtime loss to Wisconsin Jan. 10. It was the third-highest point total for a McCallie-coached team at Michigan State.
The Spartans' lowest point total of the season is a 45-point effort at Michigan (Jan. 2).
Sharing The Wealth - Michigan State has received balanced scoring in the majority of its games this season. The Spartans are 9-4 this season when at least three players score in double digits.
MSU has had four players score in double figures in back-to-back games against Georgia and Minnesota this season.
Still Being Defensive - Michigan State leads the Big Ten Conference in scoring defense at 60.6 points per game. It marks the second-straight season that the Spartans have been ranked near the top of the Big Ten standings in scoring defense.
MSU has held opponents to 60 points or less 12 times this season. The Spartans are 11-2 when holding opponents under 60 points. On the other hand, MSU has allowed 70 or more points just five times this year.
For example, in MSU's 70-49 victory over No. 8/7-ranked Georgia, the Spartans recorded their sixth-straight game holding opponents to 60 points or less. The 49 points marked Georgia's lowest point total of the season and was almost 25 points below its season scoring average (73.6 ppg).
Spreading Out the Minutes - Seven Spartans are averaging at least 16 minutes per contest, led by Kristin Haynie at 31.0 minutes per game and Julie Pagel at 30.6 mpg. In comparison last year, eight Spartans averaged at least 18 minutes per contest.
Stealing It Away - Freshman guard Kristin Haynie continues to pace the Spartan attack in steals with 62, an average of 2.5 per game. That mark ranks fifth in the Big Ten Conference.
The 62 steals is third on MSU's freshman records chart. Haynie needs three more steals to tie and four more to surpass Vnemina Reese's (1999-2000) MSU freshman record for steals with 65.
Also On The Freshman Charts - In addition to the steals, Kristin Haynie sits in third place on MSU's freshman records chart with 86 assists. Haynie also needs just 14 more assists to become just the third Spartan freshman ever to record 100 or more assists in a season.
Haynie is tied for third with 20 three-point field goals while Cortne Ellis is sixth with 12 threes on MSU's freshman records chart for three-point field goals.
In addition, Haynie is 14th on MSU's freshman points chart with 202 points. Teammate Kelli Roehrig is also in the top 20 on MSU's freshman points chart with 182 points, good for 16th place.
With 16 blocks, Roehrig sits in third place on MSU's freshman records chart for blocked shots.
Numbers To Watch For - Several Spartans are approaching both season and career milestones. Below is just a short list to watch for.
* Syreeta Bromfield - Needs 25 rebounds for 200 in a season and 100 points for 500 in a season. Bromfield will look to become the first Spartan since Kisha Kelley (1994-95) to score 500 points and grab 200 rebounds in a season.
* Kristin Haynie - Needs 14 more assists for 100 to become just the third Spartan freshmen to dish out 100 in a season. Also needs eight more rebounds for 100.
* Joy Johnson - Needs five more points to reach 100 for the season and 10 more rebounds to reach 100 for the season.
* Jennifer Callier - Needs six more rebounds for 200 in her career. She enters this week with 194 career boards.
* Vnemina Reese - Needs three more boards to reach 300 for her career. She enters this week for 297 career boards.
Putting In Overtime - MSU played its second overtime contest of the season at Penn State, falling to the Nittany Lions 62-59. The Spartans have now lost eight-straight overtime sessions, dating back to Nov. 22, 1998. The last time MSU beat an opponent in overtime was on Nov. 29, 1997 - a 80-78 win over Texas in Austin.
MSU's first extra session contest of the season was a double overtime loss to Wisconsin (86-78) on Jan. 10. That game was the first overtime session for the Spartans since Feb. 27, 2000. In that game, MSU lost at Minnesota, 75-71.
The UW game also marked just the seventh time in school history that a game has gone at least two extra sessions. The school record for overtimes is three, set against Oklahoma State (L, 96-94) in triple overtime in the NCAA Tournament on March 16, 1991.
Defense Gets Job Done - MSU ranks near the top of several defensive categories in the Big Ten statistics. The Spartans are first in scoring defense (60.6 ppg), fourth in field goal percentage defense (.408, 535-of-1310), third in three-point field goal percentage defense (.307, 121-of-394), third in rebounding margin (+3.8) and first in steals (11.52 spg).
