Spartan Women's Basketball Opens Regular Season Sunday

Nov. 14, 2014

#14/15 Michigan State (0-0) vs. Eastern Michigan (1-0)
Date	Sunday, November 16
Time	2 p.m. ET
Location	East Lansing, Mich. \| Breslin Center
Tickets	Click To Purchase
Internet Stream	BTN Plus (pay)
Radio	WJIM 1240AM \| SpartanSportsNetwork.com
Game Notes	Michigan State \| Eastern Michigan
Statistics	Michigan State (2013-14) \| Eastern Michigan
Social Media	@MSU_WBasketball \| Facebook

ABOUT EASTERN MICHIGAN
The Eagles are coming off a 18-14 season in 2013-14, including a berth to the Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI). Eastern Michigan returns its top two scorers - Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year Cha Sweeney (17.4) and Janay Morton (13.0).

The Eagles opened their season on Friday afternoon with a 127-40 victory over Kent State-Tuscarawas. EMU was led by 31 points, nine rebounds, nine steals and six assists off the bench by freshman Sasha Dailey. Eastern Michigan shot 57.6% from the field and held Kent State-Tuscarawas to 22.8%

AGAINST THE EAGLES
Michigan State leads the all-time series 17-3 against Eastern Michigan, and are 10-1 against the Eagles in East Lansing, including winning the last seven meetings. MSU has won 14 of the last 15 meetings overall, with the lone loss occuring when a Suzy Merchant-led Eagle team beat Michigan State 66-59 on Dec. 3, 2000 at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids.

AGAINST IN-STATE SCHOOLS
Michigan State has had great success against other collegiate programs in the state of Michigan over the past 11 seasons. Since the beginning of the 2002-03 season, the Spartans are 41-2 (.953) against in-state rivals, including a 26-2 (.929) mark under Coach Merchant. All-time, Michigan State is 174-57 (.753) against other Michigan schools.

IN OPENERS
All-time, the Spartans are 27-15 in season openers, but 19-2 when the opener is in East Lansing. Coach Merchant is 4-3 in season openers at MSU, and has won 10 of her last 13, including her time at Eastern Michigan.

Michigan State is 33-8 in home openers , and have won 14 of their last 15. The Spartans are 6-1 under head coach Suzy Merchant in their first game at Breslin Center. Coach Merchant has won 12 of her last 13 home openers dating back to her time at EMU.

Senior Becca Mills has posted double-digit points in each of her first three season openers - 12 vs. Villanova, 10 vs. UT Arlington and 15 at Notre Dame. She is also averaging 8.0 rebounds per game. Sophomore Tori Jankoska poured in 14 points in her collegiate debut last season.

IN THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER
The Spartans are 98-35 (73.7%) all-time in the month of November. Under Coach Merchant, Michigan State is 37-8 (82.2%) in November, with five of the eight losses coming against top-10 opponents. The Spartans have won 13 of their last 14 in the month.

PRESEASON POLLING
Michigan State opens the season No. 14 in the preseason Associated Press poll and No. 15 nationally in the preseason USA Today coaches' poll. It is MSU's highest preseason ranking since beginning the 2009-10 season at No. 10 in both rankings.

Seven of MSU's 2014-15 opponents are also currently ranked - Notre Dame (3/3), Baylor (8/9), Maryland (10/8), Nebraska (16/16), Iowa (19/19), Syracuse (24/25) and Rutgers (24/rv). In addition, Purdue, Penn State, Minnesota, Northwestern and Ohio State are receiving votes in one of the two polls.

PRESEASON BIG TEN OUTLOOK
Michigan State women's basketball was selected second in both polls, while redshirt sophomore guard Aerial Powers was a preseason All-Big Ten selection by the coaches. The Spartans are up a step in both polls after being selected third in both polls last season.

Big Ten newcomer Maryland was picked first in both the coaches and the media polls. In the coaches poll, Iowa took the third spot, while Nebraska was picked third by the media. Minnesota's senior guard Rachel Banham was named Preseason Player of the Year in both the coaches and media polls.

EXHIBITION RECAP
Behind all five starters scoring in double-figures with three posting double-doubles, No. 14/15 Michigan State routed Grand Valley State, 70-51, last Sunday at the Breslin Center. Sunday was the Spartans' lone exhibition of the 2014-15 season.

Aerial Powers, Becca Mills and Tori Jankoska all registered double-doubles. Powers led the way with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Jankoska logged 15 points and 11 boards followed by Mills with a double-11 with 11 points and 11 boards. Jasmine Hines registered 12 points, while Jasmine Lumpkin tallied 10 points. Lumpkin was one of two Spartans who made their MSU debut, joined by Lexi Gussert.

The Spartan trio of double-doubles helped pace MSU to a 45-32 rebounding advantage. The Michigan State defense limited Grand Valley State to 37.3 percent (19-of-51) field goal shooting. MSU also forced 14 GVSU turnovers, swiping five steals and blocking five shots, led by a game-best two by Mills.

2014-15 CAPTAINS
Seniors Jasmine Hines and Becca Mills will be captains for the 2014-15 season. Both are first time captains.

BIG TEN CHAMPIONS
Michigan State won its fourth Big Ten regular-season championship last season. The Spartans finished the season tied with Penn State atop the conference standings at 13-3. MSU previously won Big Ten regular season titles in 1997, 2005 and 2011.

Michigan State has now won at least 10 Big Ten games in 12-straight seasons. It is the longest active streak in the Big Ten (with Penn State second at four). MSU is 140-58 (70.7%) in conference play over the last 12 seasons, trailing only Ohio State (141-57; 71.2%) in wins.

MSU is one of seven Division I teams to have double-digit conference wins in each of the last 12 seasons - Chattanooga, Connecticut, Duke, Green Bay, Liberty and Stanford also reached 10 conference wins in 2013-14.

The Spartans have finished third or better in the conference in each of the last six seasons - winning the title in 2010-11 and 2013-14, placing second in 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2011-12, and third in 2012-13. In all, MSU has finished no worse than third place in nine of the last 10 years.

More recently, MSU has won 57 of its last 75 Big Ten regular season games (76.0%). The Spartans started this season 4-0 in Big Ten action for the fifth time in program history (1987-88, 1989-90, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2013-14). Also, MSU's 8-2 record was tied for the best 10-game start in program history (1996-97, 2004-05, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2013-14).

20-FOR-11
The Spartans reached the 20-win plateau for the 11th straight season last year. The streak is the longest active streak in the Big Ten (Penn State is second with four in a row). MSU was one of 10 teams in the nation to have won at least 20 games in each of the last 11 seasons - Baylor, Bowling Green, Connecticut, Duke, Green Bay, Marist, Middle Tennessee State, Stanford and Tennessee.

SIX CONSECUTIVE INVITATIONS TO THE BIG DANCE
Michigan State made its sixth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2013-14, and its 11th in the last 12 years. Overall, the Spartans qualified for their 13th straight postseason. It was the first time in program history that MSU has appeared in six-straight NCAA Tournaments. MSU has won at least one game in nine of its last 10 NCAA Tournament trips.

MSU is one of 17 schools, including only two in the Big Ten (Iowa) who have qualified for the last six NCAA Tournaments [Baylor, Connecticut, DePaul, Duke, Fresno State, Georgia, Gonzaga, Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan State, Middle Tennessee, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt].

MERCHANT MARVELS
In Coach Merchant's first seven seasons at MSU, the Spartans have gone 163-72 (69.4%). Her winning percentage is the 10th-best all-time among Big Ten coaches, and second among active conference coaches. Her 163 wins are the fourth-most by a Big Ten coach in their first seven seasons. During her span, the 163 wins are second among Big Ten schools, trailing only Ohio State (166). Merchant has won at least 20 games in 10-straight seasons, not including the shortened 2006-07 season due to her maternity leave. In her career, she has 11 20-win seasons.

In conference games, she is 82-36 (69.5%), ranking her 10th all-time in career winning percentage in Big Ten games and second among active coaches. During her Spartan career, her 82 conference wins are the most in the Big Ten (Iowa and Ohio State-76).

Merchant also owns the most NCAA appearances as MSU head coach (six).

HOME COOKING
The 2014-15 basketball season is the Spartans' 26th inside the Breslin Center. MSU has an all-time record of 262-87 (.751) at Breslin and have been even more dominant of late in its cozy confines, having won 56 of its last 65 games (.862).

FANS CONTINUE TO PACK THE BRESLIN
The Spartans ended last season ranked seventh in the nation and second in the Big Ten with 7,145 fans per game. It marked the 10th-straight season that the Spartans have been among the nation's top-15 in attendance, and the fifth consecutive year they have been in the top-10. The average is the third best in program history.

ON THIS DATE
Michigan State is 2-0 all-time on November 16, picking up wins in 2001 and 2008.