Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Travel to Evanston for Matchup With Northwestern
1/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 27, 2010
rv/rv MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS (13-7, 4-5) at
NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS (12-8, 3-6)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 28
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Evanston, Ill.
Arena: Welsh-Ryan Arena
TV: none
Radio: WVFN 730 AM (Rick Berkey - play-by-play)
Internet: Live audio and stats at MSUSpartans.com
ABOUT NORTHWESTERN
The Wildcats enter the week 12-8 overall and 3-6 in the Big Ten. Northwestern has lost two straight and six of its last seven games. Amy Jaeschke leads the Wildcats, averaging 16.2 points (fifth in the Big Ten), 7.4 rebounds (fourth in the conference) and 3.6 blocks (first in the Big Ten). Jaeschke is also third in the conference with a 48.7 field goal percentage. Beth Marshall is fifth in the Big Ten in assists with 3.9 and leads the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.33).
AGAINST THE WILDCATS
Michigan State leads the all-time series, 32-22, but trail 16-13 in Evanston. The Spartans have won the last 11 meetings, including five-in-a-row in Welsh-Ryan Arena, and 21 of the last 23 games. Two Spartans have averaged double-figures against Northwestern in their careers, as Allyssa DeHaan has posted 14.7 points in six games and Kalisha Keane has scored 14.3 points, including two 20+ efforts, in four games. Lykendra Johnson tallied a double-double in her lone trip to Evanston last year, scoring 13 points and grabbing a career-high 15 rebounds.
HOW THE COMPUTERS RANK MSU
The Spartans are second in the Big Ten, behind Ohio State, in RPI this season, ranking 16th according to CollegeRPI.com, 17th in the NCAA RP and 21st by RealTimeRPI.com. The MSU schedule is the toughest among conference foes and ranks sixth nationally, by both CollegeRPI.com and RealTimeRPI.com. In non-conference action, CollegeRPI.com has MSU fifth nationally in RPI. As a conference, the Big Ten is fourth in RPI and second in strength of schedule on CollegeRPI.com.
HISTORIC COMPANY
Senior Allyssa DeHaan is one of only five Spartans to rank in the top-10 in both career points and rebounds. She became the sixth Spartan to score 1,500 career points vs. Ohio State on Jan. 9 and currently has 1,534 points. Maxann Reese (1996-00) is fifth with 1,589. DeHaan moved into fifth all-time with 851 rebounds against Purdue last Thursday, and now needs eight to match Jack Carter (1979-83) for fourth. In addition, she is third with 326 made free throws and sixth with 590 made field goals in MSU career record books.
SWATTING HER WAY INTO THE NCAA RECORD BOOKS
Senior Allyssa DeHaan entered her senior season on pace to break the NCAA Division I blocked shots record. At Indiana, she moved into second all-time and currently has 463 blocks, needing only 18 to surpass the record held by Sandora Irvin of TCU (2001-05).
DeHaan became the Big Ten's all-time blocked shots leader during MSU's Big Ten Tournament game against Wisconsin on March, 6, 2009. She surpassed Ohio State's Jessica Davenport (384) for the record. In addition, in last season's win over Stony Brook (Nov. 16, 2008), she became the fastest in conference history to reach the 300-block plateau, needing only 72 games.
11th TO 1,000 AND 600
Redshirt senior Aisha Jefferson became 11th Spartan to total 1,000 points and 600 rebounds in their career. She is currently 17th all-time with 1,087 points and 16th with 607 rebounds. On Dec. 6 against Indiana, Jefferson became the 20th 1,000 point scorer in MSU history, knocking in a free throw with 7:30 on the clock in the first half. In addition, she is 13th with 434 made field goals and 20th with 207 made free throws.
FREEBIES
Michigan State leads the Big Ten in free throw attempts this season, going to the line 22.1 times overall and 21.8 times in conference play. The Spartans have been taking advantage of their opportunities more of late, hitting 71.1% of their free throws over the last seven games, in comparison to 64.7% in their first 13 games.
A trio of Spartans are riding hot streaks from the line. Senior Allyssa DeHaan has made 21 consecutive free throws over her last seven games, to improve her season percentage to 83.6%, good for fifth in the Big Ten. Meanwhile, junior Brittney Thomas has made 24 of her last 28 free throws (84.6%), including her last 12 attempts, over the last 10 games, and freshman Jasmine Thomas has hit 18 of her last 19 free throws (94.7%) over the last 11 games.
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
Michigan State is fourth in the nation in blocked shots this season, averaging 7.1 blocks. Senior Allyssa DeHaan leads the charge, ranking ninth in the nation with 3.1 per game.
The Spartans are also among the nation's top-50 in three other categories, placing 20th in field goal percentage defense (35.0%), 25th in rebound margin (+6.9) and 39th in assists (15.7).
THREE-PLUS YEARS OF SWATTING
Upon Allyssa DeHaan's arrival to East Lansing, the Spartans have been one of the effective teams in the country in protecting the rim. Since the beginning of the 2006-07 season, MSU is second in the nation with 750 blocks. North Carolina is first with 846, followed by MSU, Baylor (727), Duke (723) and Connecticut (704).
The Spartans had been among the NCAA leaders in blocks each of those three years, finishing the season eighth in 2008-09, 11th in 2007-08 and fourth in 2006-07.
NEW LEADER EVERY NIGHT
Each night, a different Spartan has stepped up as the offensive leader, as eight different players have led MSU in scoring. Through nine conference games, six different Spartans have paced the team offensively. In addition, Michigan State is one of two teams in the Big Ten (Northwestern) to have four different player score 20 or more points in a game.
In all, nine different Spartans have scored in double-figures in a game this season, including a school-record six in the win over Florida Gulf Coast. The last time a MSU team had six players in double-digits was Feb. 18, 1996 vs. Michigan.
TOP-10 SPOILER
Michigan State has been a dangerous team this season against teams ranked in the nation's top-10. Up to this point in the season, MSU is one of four teams (California, Connecticut, Oklahoma) to have played four top-10 teams, having gone 2-2. The Spartans knocked off No. 4 North Carolina and No. 8 Xavier, and their two losses (No. 5 Notre Dame and No. 6 Ohio State) have come by a combined four points. In all, teams that have been ranked in the top-10 have had only 22 losses, with two of them coming at the hands of MSU. No. 1 Connecticut has five top-10 wins and No. 2 Stanford also has two.
It was the only the second time in program history that a Spartan team has beaten two Associated Press top-10 teams in the same regular season. The 2002-03 Spartans knocked off No. 7/6 Purdue on Jan. 6 and No. 10 Minnesota on Jan. 23.
PRODUCTION OFF THE BENCH
The depth of the 2009-10 Spartans has paid dividends this season. The MSU bench is averaging 29.2 points, 18.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists, while playing 80.9 minutes per game, compared the opposition's 14.4 points, 14.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 59.1 minutes. The Spartans have received 25 double-figure scoring efforts off the bench this season, including being the leading scorer seven times.
AMONG BIG TEN LEADERS
The Spartans lead the Big Ten in blocked shots (7.05), offensive rebounds (15.15) and total rebounds (43.9). They are also second in scoring offense (69.3), rebound margin (+6.9) and field goal percentage defense (.350), and third in scoring margin (+7.7) and assists (15.65).
Individually, redshirt sophomore Lykendra Johnson ranks among the conference leaders in many categories: offensive rebounds (3.5; 1st), rebounds (8.7; 3rd), blocks (9th; 1.4), field goal percentage (7th; .464) and scoring (23rd; 9.4). Senior Allyssa DeHaan is second in the league in blocks with 3.1, and is also tied for 11th in rebounds (6.3), fifth in free throw percentage (.836), 12th in field goal percentage (.440) and 16th in scoring (11.8).
In conference games, the Spartans lead the Big Ten in blocks (5.89), and rank second in field goal percentage defense (.350) and offensive rebounds (15.11), and third in rebound margin (+4.9). Individually, Johnson leads in offensive rebounds with 3.9, and is also fourth in rebounds (8.9) and tied for sixth in steals (2.11). DeHaan is third in blocks with 2.11 and Brittney Thomas is seventh in assists (3.3).
ON THIS DATE
Michigan State is 0-4 all-time on January 28.
