Michigan State University Athletics
No. 18/21 MSU Women Travels to Florida to take on Baylor and Syracuse This Weekend
12/18/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State travels to Winter Park, Fla., for two games at the Florida Sunshine Classic in a three-team tournament. On Saturday, Dec. 20, the Spartans take on No. 9/9 Baylor at 4 p.m. ET. The Bears hold a 2-0 advantage against Michigan State. MSU will conclude the tournament on Sunday, Dec. 21 against No.19/22 Syracuse at 4 p.m. ET. This is the first meeting between the Spartans and the Orange.
| #18/21 Michigan State (7-2) vs. No. 9/9 Baylor (8-1) | |
| Date | Saturday, December 20 |
| Time | 4 p.m. ET |
| Location | Winter Park, Fla. | Warden Arena |
| Tickets | Click To Purchase |
| Television | None |
| Radio | WJIM 1240AM | SpartanSportsNetwork.com |
| Game Notes | Michigan State | Baylor |
| Statistics | Michigan State | Baylor |
| Internet Coverage | Watch Live (Fee Required) | Live Stats |
| Social Media | @MSU_WBasketball  | Facebook  |
ABOUT NO. 9/9 BAYLOR
The No. 9 Bears have won seven-straight games last defeating in-state foe Stephen F. Austin, 96-57, in Waco, Texas on Dec. 14. Baylor's only loss of the season came at No. 11/10 Kentucky, 74-64, on Nov. 17. Overall, BU is 8-1 overall, including going 7-0 at home. The Bears and the Spartans have had no common opponents this season. Baylor leads the all-time series 2-0. The last time the teams met was in 2010 when the Bears stopped the Spartans, 78-52 in Waco. The first meeting came in the 2005 National Championship game in Indianapolis, Ind. Baylor won that match up 84-62.
Baylor is led by Nina Davis who averages 23.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Davis is one of four Bears to average in double figures. Baylor scores 91.8 ppg, while allowing only 55.8. The tough Bear squad is also strong defensively, averaging 9.3 steals per game.
The women's basketball team is not the only Michigan State to prepare for a big game with Baylor. The No. 8 MSU football team will face the No. 5 Baylor squad at the 79th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on Jan. 1.
ABOUT NO. 19/22 SYRACUSE
This is the first meeting between the Orange and the Spartans. Just like Baylor, Syracuse is currently 8-1. The Orange have won four-straight games with their only loss coming against No. 1 South Carolina, 67-63. Syracuse and Michigan State have not had any common opponents this season, but the Orange did take on the Spartans' Big Ten rival, Penn State. Syracuse stopped the Lady Lions 61-39.
Alexis Peterson leads the team in scoring, averaging 13.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. Briana Day is balanced for the Orange with 11.2 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. As a team, Syracuse scores 72.6 ppg, while allowing only 52.9 ppg.
MICHIGAN STATE VERSUS Big 12 AND ACC CONFERENCES
The Spartans have faced several teams from both the Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conferences. MSU is 11-14 against the Big 12, including a 0-2 record against Baylor. Michigan State is 22-28 against the ACC with this being the first meeting between the Spartans and the Orange. MSU is 9-8 against Notre Dame, including a loss earlier this season, as well as holding a 2-0 record against North Carolina State.
IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER
The Spartans are 158-89 (.640) all-time in the month of December. Under Coach Merchant, Michigan State is 41-19 (.683) in the 12th month of the calendar year. The Spartans have won 13 of their last 19 games in December. Michigan State is playing on Dec. 16 for the first time since the 2012-13 season.
WELL ROUNDED
Sophomore guard Aerial Powers has proven how well rounded a player that she is. Powers is the only player in the Big Ten Conference to lead the team in scoring, rebounding, assists and blocks. She is tops in scoring (18.9 ppg), rebounding (12.1 rpg), assists (4.6 apg) and blocks (1.2 bpg).
AWARD WATCH
Michigan State sophomore Aerial Powers was named to the John R. Wooden Women's Preseason Top 30 on Monday, November 24. She was one of five players in the Big Ten. The list is comprised of 30 student-athletes who are the early front-runners for college basketball's most prestigious honor. The list was chosen by a preseason poll of national women's college basketball media members. She is also one of 50 women's basketball players chosen for the Naismith Trophy watch list. The list will be trimmed at midseason with a list of 30 announced on Feb. 11.
QUICK HITTERS FROM TUESDAY (No. 18/21 Michigan State 77, Alcorn State 41)
• Michigan State has won 64 of its last 65 games when scoring at least 70 points in a game and the Spartans are now 81-5 (.942) under head coach Suzy Merchant when hanging at least 70 points on scoreboard.
• MSU limited its opponent to 45 or fewer points for the second game in a row and fourth time this season ... The Spartans are also 125-11 (.919) under Merchant when holding the opposition to 60 points or less.
• Michigan State has won 109 of its last 110 games (.991) when leading with five minutes left, including winning 60 in a row ... In Merchant's tenure, MSU is now 151-5 (.968) when holding a lead with five minutes to play.
• The Spartans entered the locker room with the lead for the seventh time this season, improving to 6-1 when leading at intermission.
OFFENSIVE START
Both sophomore Tori Jankoska and Aerial Powers have been off to a fast offensive start over the season's first nine games. The Spartan duo both rank in the top-5 in the Big Ten in scoring, as Powers is third with 18.9 points per game while Jankoska is half a point per game behind in fifth at 18.4 ppg. The duo was also the first pair to reach 20 points in the first two games in program history.
Powers also tallied double-doubles in the first six games, the first Spartan to have accomplished that feat, before having that streak halted with 18 points and nine rebounds at Georgia, but got back on the double-double trail with a double-14 effort at Loyola Chicago with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Powers was three boards shy of a double-double against Alcorn State with 23 points and seven rebounds. She is second in the Big Ten and fourth in the NCAA with seven double-doubles. Powers also is second in the conference and eighth in the country in overall rebounds with 12.1 rebounds per game, as well as also leading the league and ranking second in the NCAA in defensive boards with 9.2 per game. Over her last 15 games, Powers has posted 11 double-doubles. During that stretch, Powers is averaging 16.9 points and 11.3 rebounds. For her career, Powers has 17 double-doubles.
Dating back to last season, Jankoska has scored in double figures in 25 of her last 40 games, averaging 15.0 points during the stretch. MSU is 10-0 in her career when she leads the team in scoring as well as 26-6 in the 32 games in which she scores double digits.
TEAM OF REBOUNDERS
In addition to balanced scoring, MSU is also getting solid rebounding effort across the board, as the Tuesday's game against Alcorn State was the second-straight game and the fourth time this season that at least five players snared five or more rebounds, joining the Eastern Michigan (11/16), Notre Dame (11/19) and Loyola Chicago (12/14) games.
MORE AND MORE MORRISSEY
Senior guard Anna Morrissey has gone from walk-on to starter for the Spartans as the former walk-on has played in 327 minutes this season after only logging 60 minutes in her first three seasons combined at MSU. Morrissey has made the most of her increased playing time, as she has played in an average of a team-leading 36.3 minutes per game in starting all nine games at point guard. She has netted 58 total points this season (6.4 ppg) including 28 in two games against Oakland and Miami (Ohio), after just 23 total points in her first three seasons in a Spartan uniform. She scored double-figures for the first time in her career with 11 points against Oakland on Nov. 26, before netting a career-high 17 points by draining a career-best four three-pointers against Miami (Ohio) on Nov. 30.
GUARDING THE THREE
Michigan State has been stingy in guarding behind the arc so far this season. Spartan opponents have made only 36 three-pointers so far this season, which leads the Big Ten, as well as allowing only 4.0 three-pointers per game, which also leads the Big Ten, while shooting 28.1 percent, which is fifth in the conference.
CRASHING THE BOARDS
The Spartans finished the 2013-14 season second in the Big Ten and 23rd in the nation in rebound margin (+7.3). MSU has been top-40 in the nation in rebound margin in each of Merchant's eight seasons. The Spartans have led the Big Ten in four of the last six seasons.
MSU has out-rebounded the opposition in all nine games of the 2014-15 season as part of 108 of its last 133 opponents (81.2%). The Spartans currently lead the Big Ten and eighth in the NCAA with a +13.6 rebound margin on the season and one of only two Big Ten teams with a double-digit rebounding margin. MSU has had a double-digit margin in five of the last six games as part of six total times this season. The Spartans have had a +20 or greater margin twice this season.
Individually, three Spartans are in the top-17 in the Big Ten, as Aerial Powers is second in the league and fifth in the NCAA with 12.1 rebounds per game. Powers also leads the conference and ranks second in the country in defensive rebounds with 9.2 rebounds per game. Senior forward Becca Mills is 16th in the league with 6.7 rpg, as well as 13th in the league in offensive boards with 2.6 rpg. Senior center Jasmine Hines is 17th in the Big Ten with 6.6 rpg, along with ranking fifth in the league in offensive boards (3.3).
Throughout their careers, both Powers and Hines have been efficient rebounders, as Powers is averaging 13.1 rebounds per 40 minutes and Hines is averaging 10.7.
FREE THROWS AT CRUNCH TIME
Michigan State is 14-of-18 (.778) from the free throw line during the last two minutes of regulation and overtime this season.
2014-15 CAPTAINS
Seniors Jasmine Hines and Becca Mills are the team captains for the 2014-15 season. Both are first time captains.
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.
ALL FIVE STARTERS HONORED
Michigan State was well represented on the postseason All-Big Ten teams in 2013-14. All five Spartan starters earned all-conference recognition, led by Aerial Powers being named to the First Team. Joining Powers, Annalise Pickrel earned second team honors, while Klarissa Bell, Becca Mills and Tori Jankoska were honorable mention selections. Powers, who is the first Spartan freshman to be named to the first team, was also on the five-member All-Freshman Team.
Michigan State was the only team in the Big Ten with five players named to the All-Big Ten teams. The five recipients also tied for the most in program history with the 1995-96, 2002-03, 2004-05 and 2008-09 teams. In Suzy Merchant's seven seasons, Michigan State has a Big Ten-best 25 All-Big Ten selections.
IMPROVED DEFENSE
After some defensive struggles early in the season, the Michigan State defense improved in Big Ten games last year. The Spartans led the Big Ten in conference games in points allowed (62.3), field goal percentage defense (38.6%), 3-point field goal percentage defense (28.9%), 3-pointers allowed (3.9) and scoring margin (+10.3). They were also second in rebound margin (+7.5) and third in blocks (5.0) in league games. MSU has led the Big Ten in conference games in points allowed in four of the last five seasons (2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2013-14), while finishing second last season. The Spartans have also led the league in field goal percentage defense in three of the last six seasons (2008-09, 2009-10, 2013-14).
BEING OFFENSIVE
Michigan State had its best offensive season under head coach Suzy Merchant last season. The Spartans averaged 73.3 points and had a 44.5% field goal percentage. The points per game average was six points better than any Merchant-led MSU team (the 2010-11 team averaged 67.3 points) and the field goal percentage was also the highest during the Merchant era (the 2008-09 team shot 42.1%).
Michigan State's 2,420 points last season were the second most in a single-season in program history. All-time, the 73.3 points per game were the fifth-best in program history, behind the 1996-97 team (76.8 points), the 1990-91 squad (74.9), the 1994-95 team (74.6) and the 1976-77 team (73.7).
The Spartans scored 70 or more points in 21 of their 33 games, and 80 or more points in 11. It was the second most times reaching 70 points and the most games scoring 80 points. In Merchant's previous six seasons, Michigan State reached 70 points only 60 times and 80 points only 17 times in 202 games.
HOME COOKING
The 2014-15 basketball season is the Spartans' 26th inside the Breslin Center. MSU is 6-1 at home this season and has an all-time record of 268-88 (.753) at Breslin and have been even more dominant of late in its cozy confines, having won 62 of its last 72 games (.859).
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.
BOUNCE BACK ABILITY
In Coach Merchant's first eight seasons, the Spartans are 54-17 (75.7%) following a loss.
Suzy Merchant RADIO SHOW
The Suzy Merchant Radio Show is typically held on Wednesdays if no conflicts, from 12-1 p.m. at Reno's East on Abbott Road. It can be heard locally on WVFN 730AM or at SpartanSportsNetwork.com. The tentative schedule for the remaining shows is: Jan. 7 (Wed.), Jan. 14 (Wed.), Jan. 21 (Wed.), Jan. 28 (Wed.), Feb. 4 (Wed.), Feb. 9 (Mon.), Feb. 18 (Wed.), Feb. 23 (Mon.), March 4 (Wed.). Note that there will be no show on Dec. 24 and Dec. 31.
