No. 24 Spartans Finally Back At Home Monday Vs. Cincinnati
12/25/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 25, 2003
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No. 24 MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS (8-1) vs. CINCINNATI BEARCATS (7-4) When Monday, Dec. 29, 2003, 7 p.m. EST Site East Lansing, Mich. (Breslin Center) Radio The Fan 730 AM TV Comcast (Ch. 13 East Lansing/Ch. 17 Lansing) Coaches MSU: Joanne P. McCallie (Northwestern, 1987) Overall: 221-117 (12th season); MSU: 54-44 (Fourth season) UC: Laurie Pirtle (Ohio State, 1980) Overall: 344-260 (22nd season); UC: 261-244 (18th season)
Opening Tip
Michigan State plays a home game for the first time in over a month when the Spartans host Cincinnati Monday, Dec. 29, at 7 p.m. The Spartans have not played in the Breslin Center since a 79-62 victory over Eastern Michigan Nov. 28. MSU's last five games have been played on the road, with MSU posting a 4-1 record during that stretch, winning the final four games.
Opponents Cold As Ice
UCLA was held to just 31.5 percent field goal shooting by Michigan State Dec. 19, and surprisingly, that was the best performance by any of MSU's last four opponents. The Spartans held Kent State (.298), Toledo (.294) and Pepperdine (.274) below 30 percent shooting in the three previous contests. In the last four games, MSU's opponents have combined to shoot just 29.4 percent from the field while averaging just 48.8 points per game.
Road Warriors
Michigan State's win at UCLA Dec. 19 was not only MSU's fourth straight win, but a fourth straight win on the road. The last time MSU won four straight road games was during the 1990-91 season. More impressively, MSU had not won four straight road games with no home games in between since the 1977-78 season. Michigan State is trying to post its best road record during head coach Joanne P. McCallie's four seasons in East Lansing, having won six road games last season, seven in 2001-02 and three in her first season in 2000-01.
Scouting The Bearcats
Cincinnati has three starters and eight letterwinners back from last year's squad which finished 23-8 overall and 11-3 (second place) in Conference USA. The Bearcats reached the NCAA Tournament last season, falling in the first round to Arkansas, 71-57. This season, UC snapped a three-game losing streak with a 59-48 home victory over Loyola Marymount Dec. 21. The Bearcats are 2-2 on the road this season, including a 73-69 loss at Michigan Nov. 17 in the Preseason WNIT second round.
Cincinnati is led by senior guard Valerie King, who is averaging 17.7 points per game, while sinking 30 three-pointers in the Bearcats' first 11 games. King, who had a 46-point performance earlier this season against Charleston Southern, ranks second on Cincinnati's career scoring list with 1,856 career points, and has made more three-pointers (285) than anyone in UC history.
Junior forward Debbie Merrill adds 17.3 points per game and a team-best 8.0 rebounds per game, and has led the team in scoring in each of its last two games. Freshman guard Treasure Humphries scores 10.4 points per game, while sophomore guard Micah Harvey has a team-high 31 assists.
The Bearcats like to use the three-pointer as a weapon, averaging over five made treys per game. Turnovers have also been a key for Cincinnati, as UC has forced 42 more turnovers than it has committed (195-153). Cincinnati also outrebounds its opponents by 4.7 boards per game.
Series Records
Michigan State has won all three previous meetings between the teams, even though all three games took place in Cincinnati. The last time they met was in the 2000 WNIT second round, with MSU earning an 88-83 win. Prior to that, the team hadn't played since Nov. 25, 1989, when MSU won 63-50. The first meeting took place March 10, 1977, with MSU earning a 96-61 victory.
Last Game: MSU Slips Past UCLA, 47-43
It was ugly and it was sloppy, but most importantly it was a win for No. 24 Michigan State Dec. 19 at UCLA. The Spartans scored a season-low in points and committed a season-high 26 turnovers, but held on for a 47-43 victory over the Bruins for MSU's fourth straight road victory.
Liz Shimek posted her second straight double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds to lead MSU. Kristin Haynie added 11 points, six rebounds, six assists and five steals, while Lindsay Bowen had 10 points and three steals.
Things started well for the Spartans, as MSU scored the game's first six points while holding UCLA scoreless for the first 5:37 of the game. However, once the Bruins did score, they reeled off eight straight points to take their only lead of the game.
Two straight baskets by Julie Pagel, who had seven points and six rebounds, gave MSU a 12-8 lead with 9:22 left in the first half. A steal and layup by Haynie stretched the advantage to 19-10 as the Spartan run was extended to 13-2. After a UCLA bucket, Bowen hit a three and Shimek scored down low to give MSU its biggest lead at 24-12 with 2:30 left in the half, before the Bruins trimmed the deficit to 25-17 at halftime.
Shimek scored the first basket of the second half, but UCLA answered with four quick points and the lead hovered in single digits the rest of the way, as both teams struggled to put points on the board. MSU still had a seven-point lead at 38-31 after two Haynie free throws with 10:42 left before the Spartans went scoreless for over five minutes.
UCLA sliced the lead to 38-36, but Bowen scored to end the drought for MSU with 5:37 remaining. The Bruins again inched within two twice more moments later, but both teams Shimek came up with a basket to provide a cushion for the Spartans.
The Spartans seemed to have control with the ball and a 46-40 lead with just over a minute left, but UCLA wouldn't go quietly. After a Spartan missed basket, the Bruins quickly hit a trey - their only one of the game in 13 attempts - with 59 seconds left to trim the lead to three.
After another MSU miss, UCLA had a chance to tie with a three-pointer in the closing seconds, but Lisa Willis misfired and Kristin Haynie was fouled with 10 seconds left. Haynie, who had only missed one free throw in 25 attempts all season, missed the front end of the one-and-one, but the ball went out of bounds off of UCLA. Pagel was then fouled and hit the first of two shots for the final nail in the coffin.
Michigan State finished the game shooting 38.8 percent (19-of-49), but held UCLA to just 31.5 percent shooting (17-of-54). The Spartans were outrebounded for the first time all season (39-35), but did force 24 UCLA turnovers as the teams combined for 50 miscues.
Streaky And Freaky
Michigan State is on a four-game winning streak for the second time this season. The last time MSU won four straight games twice in the same season was during the 2001-02 season - a season which started eerily similar to this season. Both this year and that, MSU started with 4-0 records before losing a road game. In 2001, MSU then won its next five games to move to 9-1 before losing the Big Ten opener at home against Indiana. This year, with a win vs. Cincinnati, MSU would again move to 9-1 entering the Big Ten opener, which once again is at home vs. Indiana.
Uncharacteristic Sloppiness
Michigan State overcame some unusual sloppiness to post victories in its two games in California. MSU had just eight assists and 22 turnovers at Pepperdine, before totalling nine assists and a season-worst 26 turnovers at UCLA. Prior to the 17 assist/48 turnover road trip, MSU had collected 110 assists and only 101 turnovers in the first seven games of the season.
On The Rebound
Liz Shimek posted a career-best 19 rebounds in MSU's 71-55 victory at Pepperdine Dec. 17, 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. She followed that performance with another double-double, totalling 14 points and 11 boards two nights later at UCLA.
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. 27.
Quick Hitters
* The team leading at halftime has won all nine MSU games
* MSU is 2-0 this season when scoring fewer than 60 points
* The Spartans are 6-0 when they lose the opening tip
* Only one MSU player has fouled out of a game this year (Julie Pagel at Oklahoma State)
Scoring In Bunches
Despite a season-low 47-point effort in MSU's last game at UCLA, the Spartans are averaging 69.8 points per game, and have scored at least 71 points in six of their first nine games. 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 eight of their first nine opponents, and have a +9.2 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 held to a season-low four points at UCLA Dec. 19, but still, MSU's bench has scored at least 20 points in all but two games this season. MSU's bench has outscored the opponent's bench in five of nine games, including a 28-1 edge at Dec. 6 at Kent State. Michigan State's bench has been responsible for 198 of MSU's 628 points this season (31.5 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 nine 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.
Turning Up The Heat On 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 54.4 points per game and opponents are shooting just .361 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 92 steals and 45 fast-break points.
The More The Merrier
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, no player is averaging more than 32 minutes per game. Nine players are averaging at least 10 minutes per game for MSU, and only three (Lindsay Bowen - 32.0; Liz Shimek - 31.9; Kristin Haynie - 30.0) average 30 or more 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.
Class Act
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 and rebounding over the freshmen. A look at MSU's production from the four classes so far this season:
Points ReboundsSeniors 77 (12.3%) 47 (14.5%)Juniors 153 (24.4%) 66 (20.4%)Sophomores 213 (33.9%) 107 (33.0%)Freshmen 185 (29.5%) 104 (32.1%)
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 127 assists in nine games while committing 149 turnovers. Conversely, Spartan opponents have just 101 assists while turning the ball over 158 times.
Useless Stat of the Game
Michigan State's record this season when practicing in a parking lot the day before the game is 1-0. A scheduling snafu forced MSU to take to the parking lot outside of Pepperdine's gymnasium for a portion of practice the day before the Spartans' 71-55 victory. Despite the success, it is doubtful MSU will continue that practice during the Big Ten season.
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 Dec. 13 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 Dec. 17, but fell to 38.8 percent at UCLA.
Jackson Returns....Finally
Redshirt junior Candice Jackson made her return to the court for the first time since Nov. 24, 2002, during the Dec. 13 victory at Toledo. Jackson, who scored the Spartans' last bucket of the game, 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 the Toledo game, Jackson had missed more games due to injury during her career (48) than she had played (47).
Pusateri's Back As Well
For the second straight season, Theresa Pusateri joins the Spartan squad in mid-season after completing the field hockey season. Last season, Pusateri joined the MSU squad as a walk-on after a series of injuries left MSU with only eight available players. This season, after completing her senior season on the field hockey team and taking some time off over the holidays, Pusateri is set to rejoin the Spartan squad for the second semester.
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 has used offensive rebounds to its advantage, outscoring seven of nine opponents in second-chance points. This season, MSU has outscored its opponents in second-chance points, 146-83, 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 45 consecutive games as a team, thanks largely to sophomore Lindsay Bowen, who has made at least one triple in 36 of her 38 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 almost as many free throws (134) as their opponents have attempted (140). 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 .784 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, Illinois, Iowa, Kent State, Michigan, Toledo, Pepperdine and UCLA have all been listed among the "Others Receiving Votes" for the Top 25 this season.
Spartan Outlook
Michigan State entered its 32nd season of varsity competition expecting it 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.
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 will open the Big Ten season Jan. 2 when the Spartans entertain Indiana at 7 p.m. in the Breslin Center. The Hoosiers, who are 6-4, have a Dec. 31 game at Ball State prior to visiting East Lansing.
