Women's Basketball Completes Road Trip With Contest At UCLA
12/19/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 19, 2003
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No. 24 MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS (7-1) vs. UCLA BRUINS (3-3)
When Friday, Dec. 19, 2003, 7 p.m. PSTSite Los Angeles, Calif. (Pauley Pavilion)Radio The Fan 730 AMTV NoneCoaches MSU: Joanne P. McCallie (Northwestern, 1987) Overall: 220-117 (12th season); MSU: 53-44 (Fourth season) UCLA: Kathy Olivier (UNLV, 1982) Overall: 151-142 (11th season); UCLA: SameOpening Tip
Michigan State completes a five-game road swing when the Spartans visit UCLA Friday at 7 p.m. MSU is currently 3-1 in the first four games of the road trip, winning three straight after dropping the first road game. The Spartans will finally return home for a Dec. 29 game vs. Cincinnati, more than a month after the last MSU home game, vs. Eastern Michigan Nov. 28.
On The Rebound
Liz Shimek posted a career-best 19 rebounds in MSU's 71-55 victory at Pepperdine Wednesday night, becoming one of just eight players in MSU history to record 19 or more rebounds in a game. The 19 rebounds was tied for the ninth-best single-game rebounding total in Spartan history, and was the most for any Spartan since Kristin Rasmussen grabbed 20 boards vs. Penn State Dec. 30, 1997. Shimek surpassed her previous career high of 16 rebounds, which she had accomplished twice previously.
Road Warriors
Michigan State's win at Pepperdine Wednesday was not only MSU's third straight win, but a third straight win on the road. MSU has won three straight road games as recently as last season, but those games were not in succession. The last time MSU won three successive games all of which were away from home was Dec. 17-21, 1996, but one of those games was at a neutral site. The last time MSU won three successive games, all of which were road games was Feb. 10-17, 1995.
Scouting The Bruins
UCLA has three starters back from last year's squad which finished 18-11 overall and 12-6 (fourth place) in the Pac-10. The Bruins are coming off a 74-66 victory over Cal-State Northridge Wednesday night, and have already played a pair of Big Ten teams. UCLA earned a 68-56 home victory over Illinois, and was edged by Purdue, 58-57, last Saturday in Indianapolis.
The Bruins are led by sophomore guard Nikki Blue, a 2003 All-Pac-10 performer who averages 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists. Sophomore guard Lisa Willis is the only other player averaging double-figure points, scoring 13.0 per game, while senior forward Whitney Jones has averaged nine points in two games, including 14 vs. Northridge, since joining the team after completing the soccer season. Freshman forward Noelle Quinn averages a team-best 6.8 rebounds per game, but missed the Northridge game.
UCLA has struggled with its shooting touch, hitting just 38.5 percent of its shots including 29.5 percent from three-point range, but the Bruins like to take advantage of turnovers, forcing 20.8 per game while holding a +4.0 average turnover margin. UCLA has been outrebounded by 4.8 boards per game, however.
Series Records
Michigan State and UCLA have played twice previously, with each team winning once. The Spartans won the last meeting, 67-63, overcoming a 36-point performance from UCLA's Michelle Greco in the championship game of the 2001 Spartan Classic in East Lansing. UCLA was victorious in the first meeting, 82-57, Dec. 29, 1992 in a game played at USC.
Last Game: MSU Dumps Pepperdine, 71-55
Michigan State earned its third straight road victory, defeating Pepperdine, 71-55, Wednesday night, behind 12 points and a career-best 19 rebounds from Liz Shimek.
Lindsay Bowen scored a team-high 20 points, Rene Haynes added 14 and Julie Pagel had 10 for the Spartans to complement Shimek. The Spartans had a 43-32 rebounding advantage and shot 83.9 percent from the free throw line (26-of-31), including 14 straight made free throws at one point.
The Spartans were as hot as the California weather in the opening period, shooting 59.1 percent (13-of-22) to open a 40-26 halftime lead. The Spartans used a 12-0 run midway through the first half to pull away from a 13-13 tie and take control of the game. Haynes and Bowen both nailed three-pointers during the spurt, and Shimek added four of the 12 points.
The Spartans led by as many as 15 in the first half before settling for the 14-point halftime lead. Shimek nearly had a double-double by halftime, with 10 points, nine rebounds and three steals.
In the second period, the Spartans came out cold, scoring just six points in the first 11 minutes of the half as Pepperdine closed within 46-41. After the teams traded baskets, a Shimek layup started an 8-0 run that pushed the lead to 56-43 with 5:20 left. Pepperdine got within nine points at 61-52 with 2:17 remaining, but MSU scored 10 of the last 14 points to pull away.
Shimek's 19 rebounds were tied for the ninth most in a single game in MSU history, and the most by any Spartan since Kristin Rasmussen pulled down 20 rebounds Dec. 30, 1997 vs. Penn State.
Despite its rebounding advantage, MSU allowed 22 second-chance points while scoring just 12, marking the first time the Spartans had been outscored in that category this season.
MSU finished the game shooting 47.6 percent from the field (20-of-42), while Pepperdine hit just 27.4 percent of its shots (17-of-62). The Waves' biggest advantage came in the turnover department, as the Spartans committed 22 turnovers to just 11 for Pepperdine.
Rank You Very Much
For the first time in seven seasons, Michigan State is in a national Top 25 poll. The Spartans jumped into the Dec. 1 Associated Press Top 25 poll, checking in at No. 24, and are back at the 24th position this week. It is the first time that MSU has earned a national ranking since the final poll of the 1996-97 season when MSU was ranked No. 21 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 24 in the AP poll. The Spartans just missed being ranked in this week's coaches poll, coming in at No. 29.
Scoring In Bunches
This year's Michigan State team has the ability to be one of the highest scoring teams in Spartan history. The Spartans are averaging 72.6 points per game, and have scored at least 71 points in six of their first eight games. The MSU record for scoring average in a season is 76.8 points per game.
In each of head coach Joanne P. McCallie's years at MSU, her teams have improved offensively. In her first season, her team averaged 59.3 points per game in 2000-01, before averaging 64.5 points in 2001-02 and increasing the average again to 68.7 points last season.
Boarding School
Despite often playing with a three-guard lineup that includes no one over 6-1, MSU is off to another strong start on the boards. The Spartans have outrebounded each of their first eight opponents, and have a +10.9 average rebounding margin. MSU outrebounded Notre Dame, 40-20, and did not allow an offensive rebound in the first half. The Spartans had a 50-24 edge on the boards at Toledo. Last year, MSU ranked 11th nationally with an average rebounding margin of +7.7.
Bench Production
Michigan State's bench was responsible for 22 of MSU's 71 points in Wednesday's victory at Pepperdine. MSU's bench has scored at least 20 points in all but one game this season, and has outscored the opponent's bench in five of eight games, including a 28-1 edge at Dec. 6 at Kent State. Michigan State's bench has been responsible for 194 of MSU's 581 points this season (33.4 percent).
Balance The Key
Much of MSU's early season success can be attributed to the Spartans' balance. So far this season, seven MSU players have scored in double figures, and five different players have led the team in scoring in the first eight games.
Also, three players average double-figure points and nine players are averaging at least 10 minutes per game. And it's not just the scoring that's balanced, as five different players have held or shared the team lead in steals and blocks, four players in rebounding and three players in assists.
Tis Better To Give AND To Taketh Away
MSU's quick start has been fueled by unselfish play, aggressive defense, and an ability to take care of the ball. The Spartans have 118 assists in eight games while committing 123 turnovers. Conversely, Spartan opponents have just 92 assists while turning the ball over 134 times.
Turning up the Defense
As always, Michigan State was one of the Big Ten's top defensive teams last season. The Spartans ranked second in the league in scoring defense, allowing just 60.7 points per game. MSU was also third in field goal percentage defense (.402).
This season, the numbers have gotten even better, as MSU is allowing just 55.9 points per game and opponents are shooting just .367 from the field. With more healthy bodies available and with increased athleticism, the Spartans are turning up the pressure on defense. More full-court pressure and trapping from the Spartans has resulted in 82 steals and 41 fast-break points.
Spreading The Wealth
Last season, injuries took their toll on MSU's depth, and as a result, four MSU players averaged 32.8 minutes per game or more. This year, with 11 players now available, every player is averaging less than 32 minutes per game. Nine players are averaging at least 10 minutes per game for MSU, and only two (Lindsay Bowen - 31.6; Liz Shimek - 31.6) average over 30 minutes.
Bouncing Back
Michigan State continued its recent trend of bouncing back after a loss when MSU beat Kent State Dec. 6 after suffering its only loss Dec. 2 at Oklahoma State. The Spartans are now 9-3 over the past two seasons after a defeat. At one point last season, MSU won seven consecutive games after a loss, including three wins over nationally-ranked teams.
Head Of The Class
Despite having four returning starters from last season, MSU is still a young team, with five freshman and two sophomores among the 11 players on the roster. And the youngsters are contributing heavily, as MSU gets almost two-thirds of its points and rebounds from underclassmen, with the sophomores holding a slight edge in scoring over the freshmen and the freshmen and sophomores tied in rebounding. A look at MSU's production from the four classes so far this season:
Points ReboundsSeniors 70 (12.0%) 41 (14.0%)Juniors 140 (24.1%) 60 (20.5%)Sophomores 189 (32.5%) 96 (32.8%)Freshmen 182 (31.3%) 96 (32.8%)Useless Stat of the Game
Michigan State's all-time record in its last game before Christmas is 19-8. MSU has won its last four games played just before the holiday, and 10 of the last 11. The Spartans are 10-3 when the last game is played at home, 7-4 when the last game is a road contest and 2-1 when the game is played at a neutral site.
Cooling Off
After a hot start from the field this season, MSU's shooting touch has begun cooling off. The Spartans shot 58.2 percent from the floor in a victory over Temple in the second game of the season, and then shot 56.7 percent vs. Notre Dame. The Spartans slipped to a 42.0 percentage vs. Eastern Michigan, dropped to .411 at Oklahoma State, and fell to 33.3 percent Dec. 6 at Kent State. MSU did bounce back last Saturday at Toledo with its best shooting game since the Notre Dame game, hitting 47.4 percent of its shots, and made an almost identical 47.6 percent of its shots at Pepperdine Wednesday.
Jackson Returns....Finally
Redshirt junior Candice Jackson made her return to the court for the first time since Nov. 24, 2002, during last Saturday's victory at Toledo. Jackson, who scored the Spartans' last bucket, has suffered three knee injuries in four seasons. Jackson suffered a partial tear in her right knee ligament just prior to the start of practice, forcing her to miss the first six games. Jackson missed the final 15 games of her freshman season (2000-01) after tearing her left ACL, and redshirted last year after tearing the ACL again during the second game of the season. Prior to Saturday's game, Jackson had missed more games due to injury during her career (48) than she had played (47).
Beating The Best
Michigan State's victory over No. 17/20 Notre Dame Nov. 26 was fourth-year head coach Joanne P. McCallie's seventh victory over a nationally-ranked squad since taking over at MSU. Last year, MSU had a 3-4 record in games against ranked opponents, with victories over No. 7/6 Purdue (67-62), No. 10/10 Minnesota (74-71) and No. 22/24 Ohio State (65-64). The Spartans also had three wins against ranked teams in 2001-02. The most victories MSU has ever had over ranked opponents in a season was five during the 1996-97 Big Ten Championship campaign.
Fantastic Facts
There were several noteworthy achievements during MSU's 92-63 victory over No. 17/20 Notre Dame, including:
* It was the second-largest margin of victory ever for MSU over a nationally-ranked team, trailing only an 82-52 victory over No. 7/7 Vanderbilt Jan. 15, 1997.
* The 92 points scored by MSU were the most by the Spartans since a 101-52 victory over Chicago State Nov. 26, 2000, and the third most points ever scored by MSU against a ranked team.
* The 92 points was the most given up by Notre Dame since a 96-75 loss to Connecticut in the 1999 Big East tournament.
* MSU handed Notre Dame its worst regular-season loss since a 105-70 setback to No. 1 Tennessee Jan. 7, 1994.
* Other than Tennessee, no team has beaten Notre Dame by 29 points since Purdue defeated the Irish by 33 (74-41) Dec. 4, 1992. In 17 tries, Connecticut has never beaten Notre Dame by as many as 29 points.
A Second Chance
Michigan State held a 43-32 rebounding advantage Wednesday night at Pepperdine, but was beaten on the offensive boards, 17-10. As a result, Pepperdine became the first team this season to outscore MSU in second-chance points, 22-12. This season, MSU has outscored its opponents in second-chance points, 141-72, including a 25-2 edge at Toledo Dec. 13.
Threes Company
MSU showed that it has several players who can hit from downtown when five Spartans connected for at least one three-point basket in a 78-40 victory over Temple Nov. 23. Julie Pagel sank a pair of treys, while Lindsay Bowen, Rene Haynes, Patrice McKinney and Liz Shimek each had one. The last time MSU had five different players make at least one three-point basket was March 19, 2002, in a 79-61 win in the quarterfinals of the WNIT against Alabama. Seven MSU players have made at least one three-point basket this season.
In addition, MSU has made at least one three-point basket in 44 consecutive games as a team, thanks largely to sophomore Lindsay Bowen, who has made at least one triple in 35 of her 37 career games. Bowen was 0-of-5 from downtown Dec. 6 at Kent State, stopping a string of 31 straight games with at least one made three-point basket.
Make More Than They Take
Free throws continue to be a key to MSU's success, as the Spartans have made more free throws (128) than their opponents have attempted (126). The story was much the same last year, as MSU made 390 free throws, while opponents shot just 362. The Spartans made their free throws at a .783 rate last season, which was fifth best in the nation, and are shooting .790 from the stripe so far this season.
What's Up With That?
Speaking of free throws, last year Lindsay Bowen started her college career by making her first 37 free throws before a miss. This season, she missed her very first attempt. Bowen has actually already missed twice as many free throws this season (six - 22-of-28) as she did her entire freshman season (three - 63-of-66).
Tournament Tidbits
Senior Julie Pagel was named MVP of the Dean Trailways of Michigan Spartan Classic after averaging 11.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and shooting .571 in two games, while freshman Rene Haynes and sophomore Liz Shimek were also named to the All-Tournament team. Haynes averaged a team-best 15.0 points, while Shimek added 12.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. MSU is now 25-7 all-time in the Spartan Classic and has won nine of the 16 tournament titles. The Spartans are 15-1 in first round games and 9-6 when playing in the championship contest.
Overtime Troubles
Liz Shimek nearly sent MSU's game at Oklahoma State into overtime, narrowly missing two field goals just before the buzzer that would have tied the game. Perhaps its just as well that Shimek missed, as MSU has not fared well in extra periods. MSU has lost its last nine consecutive games that have gone into overtime, including three double overtime games. The Spartans have not won in overtime since an 80-78 victory at Texas Nov. 29, 1997. However, the Spartans have not played an overtime game since a 2002 Big Ten Tournament double overtime loss to Ohio State, meaning that only four of the 11 players on the current roster (Julie Pagel, Candice Jackson, Kristin Haynie and Kelli Roehrig) have taken part in an overtime game at MSU.
Opening Act
By defeating Davidson 74-68 in the season opener, MSU improved to 20-12 all-time in season openers, including a 12-2 record when the opener is at home. The Spartans have now won five straight season-opening games.
Fresh Faces
For the second consecutive year, a freshman led MSU in scoring in its season opener. Rene Haynes poured in 19 points to lead MSU to a 74-68 victory over Davidson last Saturday, sinking seven-of-12 shots. Last season, Lindsay Bowen scored 26 points in her debut vs. Fresno State. Bowen went on to earn Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.
MSU's five freshman combined to average 27.5 points and 13.0 rebounds in MSU's two victories in the Spartan Classic.
Our New Favorite Magazine
Michigan State is ranked No. 16 in the nation according to the Athlon Sports college basketball preseason magazine. The Spartans are the third-highest ranked Big Ten team of the five conference schools to make the list, joining No. 6 Penn State, No. 11 Purdue, No. 17 Ohio State and No. 21 Minnesota.
Playing The Best
Michigan State will likely play at least eight games against five teams that have earned Top 25 rankings. The Spartans play Penn State, Purdue and Ohio State twice each and Minnesota once, and have already played then-No. 17/20 Notre Dame.
In addition, MSU opponents Cincinnati and UCLA are currently receiving votes for the Top 25, and Illinois, Iowa, Kent State, Michigan, Toledo and Pepperdine have also been listed among the "Others Receiving Votes" this season.
Spartan Outlook Michigan State expects its 32nd season of varsity competition to be one of its best ever. A young Spartan squad advanced to the NCAA Tournament last year for the first time since 1997 with a core of just six players. Five of those players return, and with added depth this season, MSU appears to be fully loaded.
Last year was a breakthrough year for the Spartans, who finished 17-12 overall and tied for fourth in the Big Ten with a 10-6 record. Expectations for this season are even higher, although MSU will still field a young team. Only one senior letterwinner, Julie Pagel, is on the roster, while seven of the 11 players on the roster are underclassmen.
However, players responsible for roughly three-fourth of the points, rebounds, assists and steals from last year are back, lending optimism that last year's NCAA Tournament appearance was a prelude to even better things this season.
Gimme Five
Michigan State has five players on its roster who have earned All-Big Ten honors during their careers. Junior Kristin Haynie and Kelli Roehrig and sophomores Lindsay Bowen and Liz Shimek all earned honorable mention all-conference honors last season, while senior Julie Pagel was honorable mention All-Big Ten after her freshman year.
Depth At Guard
Junior point guard Kristin Haynie and sophomore guard Lindsay Bowen will likely have to get used to something different this season - sitting on the bench from time to time. Injuries depleted MSU's backcourt last year and as a result, Bowen averaged a team-high 37.4 minutes, while Haynie played 34.4 minutes per night. In Big Ten games, those numbers increased to 38.6 and 37.2 minutes, respectively. This season, redshirt junior Candice Jackson and redshirt freshman Patrice McKinney return from ACL injuries, and a pair of newcomers will push for playing time, giving the Spartans much more depth.
Haynie excelled at the point last season, averaging 10.1 points and 5.0 assists to earn honorable mention All-Big Ten honors. Her 144 assists were the fourth most ever in a single-season by an MSU player.
Bowen was named co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year with teammate Liz Shimek after averaging 13.3 points and shooting the lights out. Bowen ranked fourth nationally making 46.4 percent of her three-point shots, and she led the Big Ten by making 63-of-66 (95.5 percent) from the free throw line.
Jackson was a starter before an injury in last season's second game knocked her out for the year. She also started the final 13 games of the 2001-02 season and provides leadership on the court, although she missed the start of the season due to another injury.
McKinney was an all-state pick as a senior in high school and displayed tremendous athleticism before being injured in the preseason. Her quickness should provide immediate dividends this winter.
The newcomers include Rene Haynes and Victoria Lucas-Perry. Lucas-Perry, from Flint, Mich., was runner-up for Michigan Ms. Basketball last year and led Powers Catholic High School to two state championships. Haynes, a native of Columbus, Ohio, is a two-time first-team all-state pick who has twice been named her district's player of the year.
The Front Court
The Spartans may not have as much depth in the front court as the back court, but there is no lack of quality. Senior forward Julie Pagel, junior center Kelli Roehrig and sophomore forward Liz Shimek are a talented trio that should excel this year.
Pagel battled through nagging injuries to average 5.4 points and 4.7 rebounds, and unofficially led the team in knockdowns while setting screens. Her toughness on and off the court is invaluable and as the team's only scholarship senior, she will once again need to be a leader.
Roehrig averaged 11.8 points and 5.2 rebounds while ranking third in the Big Ten with a .582 field goal percentage last season. If she can continue to avoid foul trouble (she fouled out of only one game last year), she could post more dominating performances like her three outings with 25 or more points last year (27 vs. Minnesota, 25 vs. Ohio State and at Providence).
Shimek shared co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors with Lindsay Bowen last year after averaging 10.4 points and ranking second in the Big Ten by pulling down 9.1 rebounds per game. Although she is a tough, physical low-post player, Shimek has improved her outside game and may see time in the back court this year.
Added to the mix are freshmen Myisha Bannister and Katrina Grantham. Grantham, from Saginaw, Mich., was an all-state pick who led Heritage High School to the state title and finished fourth in the Ms. Basketball voting. Bannister, a Cleveland native, averaged 12.2 points, 8.2 rebounds 3.2 blocks and 2.3 steals as a senior and scored over 1,000 points in her career.
Shooting Stars
Michigan State was one of the nation's top shooting teams last season, and there's no reason to believe the trend won't continue this year. Last year MSU ranked third nationally in three-point field goal percentage (.397), fifth in free throw percentage (.783) and 30th in field goal percentage (.448). The returning players could improve those numbers, as they combined to shoot 42.6 percent from three-point range, 81.6 percent from the charity stripe and 46.8 percent from the field - all numbers that are significantly better than last year's figures.
Youth Is Served
Although MSU has a much more experienced squad this season, it is still a young team consisting largely of freshmen and sophomores. In fact, research completed by Sara Day of Loyola College indicated that at the time of the survey in September, Michigan State had tied for the eighth youngest team in the country with an average age of 19.2 years.
Spartans Sign Four
Michigan State women's basketball coach Joanne P. McCallie has announced that four players have signed national letters of intent to join the Spartan women's basketball program in 2004-05.
The signees include Courtney Davidson (PG, 5-5, Youngstown, Ohio/Ursuline High School), Maggie Dwyer (G, 6-0, Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven High School), Laura Hall (C, 6-4, Temperance, Mich./Bedford High School) and Melanie Small (F, 5-10, Copley, Ohio/Copley High School).
Davidson was a Street & Smith honorable mention All-American in 2003, and is ranked as the No. 33 player in the nation by National Roundball Journal and the No. 43 player by All-Star Girls Report. As a junior in 2002-03, she averaged 19 points per game, was named first-team Division III All-State and the Northeast Ohio Player of the Year and was an all-conference selection. This past summer, she was named an adidas Top Ten Camp Upperclass All-Star, and was an AAU 16-Under All-American.
Davidson is already Ursuline's all-time leading scorer with 1,512 career points entering her senior season. She has averaged 19.7 points per game during her career, along with 8.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 steals. She is a career 41 percent three-point field goal shooter, and has sunk 82 percent of her free throws.
Dwyer has started all 84 games during her four-year high school career as of Nov. 10, and went over the 1,000 career point mark earlier this year. She was averaging 15.4 points, 12.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.8 steals per game as of Nov. 10. Dwyer, who moved to point guard this year after spending three seasons playing on the wing, led Grand Haven to a 19-3 record last season and the O-K Red Conference title.
Dwyer, ranked No. 161 nationally by All-Star Girls Report, was MVP of the all-state camp in Midland this summer, was an all-state special mention selection and a Detroit Free Press second-team all-state pick in 2002 and has been first-team all-conference every year of high school. She was a first-team all-area pick by the Grand Rapids Press last season, and has been named to the Muskegon Chronicle's all-area first-team every season. The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press both ranked her as the state's fifth-best player prior to her senior season.
Hall led Bedford to an 18-0 record and a No. 4 Class A ranking as of Nov. 10 by averaging 13.9 points and 7.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game while shooting 53 percent from the field despite double- and triple-team defenses. On Nov. 6, she became the first player in school history to surpass the 1,000 career point mark. Hall was named a Street & Smith's honorable mention All-American last season and is picked as the nation's 138th-ranked player by All-Star Girls Report. She was selected as the state's sixth-best player prior to her senior season by the Detroit Free Press, and the No. 9 player by The Detroit News.
Hall, a team captain, was named the Monroe Evening News Player of the Year as a junior after averaging 13.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game, while leading the Mules to a school-best 21-5 record, their first regional championship and first district title since 1983. She was named first-team all-conference as a junior and as a sophomore, when she averaged 11.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks.
Small averaged 17.5 points and 8.5 rebounds while being named All-Northeast Ohio Inland District and special mention All-Ohio her junior season to help Copley earn a share of the Suburban League title. The Indians reached the district championship before ending their season with a 21-3 record. As a sophomore, she averaged 15.0 points and led Copley to a 19-4 record while being named to the Ohio Girls Basketball Magazine All-Sophomore team.
Small, who has been a starter since her freshman year, was one of 12 players named to the All-Sun team by Sun Newspapers as both a sophomore and a junior, and was a first team All-Suburban League selection as a freshman, sophomore and junior. All-Star Girls Report ranks Small as the No. 130 player in the nation.
On Deck
Michigan State finally plays a home game for the first time in over a month when the Spartans host Cincinnati Dec. 29 at 7 p.m. in the Breslin Center.
