Michigan State University Athletics
MSU Women Hosts Wisconsin on Sunday on Girl Scout Day
1/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State returns home to open a two-game homestand at the Breslin Center, opening by hosting Wisconsin on Sunday, Jan. 25 in a 4 p.m. ET tip-off. Sunday's match-up between the Spartans and Badgers will be streamed on BTN2Go.
| Michigan State (9-10, 1-7 B1G) vs. Wisconsin (7-11, 3-5 B1G) | |
| Date | Thursday, January 25 |
| Time | 2 p.m. ET |
| Location | East Lansing, Mich. | Breslin Center |
| Tickets | Click To Purchase |
| Television | None |
| Radio | WJIM 1240AM | SpartanSportsNetwork.com |
| Game Notes | Michigan State | Wisconsin |
| Statistics | Michigan State | Wisconsin |
| Internet Coverage | BTN2Go | |
| Promotions | Girl Scout Day |
| Social Media | @MSU_WBasketball  | Facebook  | Instagram  |
ABOUT WISCONSIN
The Badgers bring a 7-11 overall and 3-5 Big Ten record into Sunday's game. Wisconsin has lost its last two in a row, three of its last four and five of its last seven, and are 2-5 on the road so far this season. Wisconsin is coming off an 89-72 home loss to No. 16/15 Nebraska on Jan. 22, that coming on the heels of a 73-63 loss to No. 24/22 Rutgers on Jan. 18, also at home. The Spartans and Badgers do not have any common non-conference opponents, but do have B1G foes Michigan, Northwestern, Indiana and Nebraska in common, with Wisconsin beating Michigan for the only win of either team against those four teams.
Wisconsin's leading scorer on the stat sheet is senior forward Michala Johnson with 12.8 points per game, but she is out for the season after suffering a knee injury on Dec. 4, just six games into the season. The Badgers are currently led by junior guard Nicole Bauman with 12.3 ppg, making nearly half of the Badgers' three-pointers by netting 35-87 (.402) behind the arc and adding 3.6 assists per game. Junior guard Dakota Whyte adds 10.3 points per game, and leads the team with 3.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Senior forward Cassie Rochel is the team rebounding leader with 7.5 boards per game. In B1G action, senior forward Jacki Gulczynski averages 11.9 ppg and 5.6 rpg, while Bauman adds 11.7 ppg and Whyte notches 10.1 ppg. Rochel leads the team with 9.0 rpg during league play.
Wisconsin is 14th in the B1G in scoring offense (60.3), while ranking eighth in scoring defense (64.1), to rank 13th in scoring margin (-3.7). The Badgers are also 11th in field goal percentage (.413), 11th in three-point field goal percentage (.327) and seventh in free throw percentage (.717). Wisconsin is 11th in rebounding (38.1 rpg) and 10th in rebounding margin (+0.4), along with fourth in blocked shots (5.6).
In B1G play, Wisconsin is 12th in scoring offense (60.8) and fourth in scoring defense (65.8) to rank 11th in scoring margin (-5.0). The Badgers are 11th in field goal percentage (.383), sixth in three-point shooting (.323) and sixth in free throw percentage (.761). Wisconsin leads the league in blocked shots (6.3), while ranking third in rebounding (40.9 rpg) and fourth in rebounding margin (+2.1).
SPARTANS VERSUS BADGERS HISTORY
Michigan State and Wisconsin will be meeting for the 66th time in the series, with MSU holding a 40-25 advantage, including 24-6 in East Lansing. The Spartans have won the last six meetings overall, including the last three match-ups in the Breslin Center. MSU swept the two meetings last season by winning, 71-67, in East Lansing on Jan. 30, 2014 and in Madison, 76-66, on Feb. 20, 2014. This is the lone regular-season meeting between the Spartans and Badgers.
LAST TIME AGAINST WISCONSIN - Spartans 76, Badgers 66 - Feb. 20, 2014
Becca Mills scored 15 points to lead a balanced offense as No. 23 Michigan State topped Wisconsin 76-66 on Feb. 20, 2014 in Madison. Michigan State's margin of victory matched its largest lead of the game, as Wisconsin (10-16, 3-11) stuck with the Spartans throughout the contest. Michala Johnson's free throws cut the Michigan State lead to 70-66 with 1:53 left. The Spartans responded as Mills scored with 59 seconds remaining and Aerial Powers went 4 of 4 from the line in the final 30 seconds to preserve the win. Tori Jankoska had 14 points, seven assists and five steals for MSU. Powers (13), Annalise Pickrel (12), Jasmine Hines (10) and Branndais Agee (10) also reached double figures. Taylor Wurtz and Johnson had 15 points apiece for Wisconsin. Jacki Gulczynski added 11.
CAREER NOTES VERSUS WISCONSIN
Senior forward Becca Mills and senior center Jasmine Hines have both had solid performances against Wisconsin. Mill averages 10.5 points and 2.8 rebounds per game in four games, including scoring 15 points in 76-66 win against the Badgers in Madison last season. Hines has even 4.0 ppg and 4.0 rpg average in her three seasons. Aerial Powers has made the most of her two performances against Wisconsin scoring in double figures in both games. She scored 13 points in the meeting in East Lansing and 12 in the matchup in Madison.
FRESHMEN UPRISING
The freshmen duo of guard Lexi Gussert and forward Kennedy Johnson have increased their playing time of late and in doing so, have increased their stats. Gussert has started three of the last five games, and has played at least 20 minutes in seven games, including four of the last six. Against Northwestern on Jan. 11, Gussert logged four points, one block and one rebound in 22 minutes. Also at Northwestern on Jan. 11, Johnson played a career-high 27 minutes, while netting a career-best seven points, adding three rebounds, along with tying career-highs of two assists and one block. Johnson has snared at least three rebounds in six games this season, highlighted by a career-best five boards in two games. In MSU's win over Illinois, Johnson tallied a career-high two blocks, including one highlight reel rejection, along with four points, two rebounds and one assists in 20 minutes, her third game with 20+ minutes this season. In front of many friends and family at Maryland, Johnson scored six points with two rebounds.
POWERS AMONG B1G M.I.S.
With a 21.4 points per game average this season, Aerial Powers is not only among the leading scorers in the Big Ten, but she is the second-most improved scorer in the B1G from 2013-14 to 2014-15. Powers averaged 13.4 points per game last season as a freshman, for a +8.0 difference to this season. Ashley Morrissette of Purdue tops the list at +9.6 (2.2 to 11.8).
Sunday's match-up against Wisconsin features five of the top 10 most improved scorers in the league, as Powers is followed by Wisconsin's junior guard trio of Nicole Bauman (fifth, +6.2), Tessa Cichy (sixth, +5.8) and Dakota Whyte (ninth, +4.1), along with Michigan State sophomore guard Tori Jankoska (+4.1) on the league's most improved scorers list. Powers and Jankoska are the only two players on the list who averaged double-figures last season.
CLOSE CALLS
Michigan State is 0-3 this season in games decided by four points or less, all of which were Big Ten games. Five of the Spartans' Big Ten losses have been by less than 10 points, including the 52-50 loss to Iowa in East Lansing on Jan. 18. MSU's only B1G defeat by more than 10 points was a 70-51 loss to Indiana on Dec. 31.
FUN FACTS
With nine offensive rebounds, Powers set a new career high. Her previous high was six against Temple last season.
LENDING A HELPING HAND
Senior Becca Mills dished out a career-high six assists on Jan. 18, topping her previous career-best of four done twice in her career, including once this season, against Eastern Michigan in the season-opener, and it was her fourth game this season with three or more helpers. Mills' 13 rebounds Sunday was her second-straight game with double-figure rebounds as part of the fourth time this season and eighth of her career. Aerial Powers also had six assists in the loss to Iowa. With one block on Jan. 18, Mills now has 81 career blocks, needing just one more to tie former teammate Annalise Pickrel (2010-14) for No. 8 on MSU's career blocks list with 82.
PACKING THE HOUSE
The Spartans have been packing the house this season. The attendance of 8,923 against No. 22/21 Iowa on Jan. 18 was a season-high for Michigan State and the most during a Big Ten Conference league game this season, as well as the second-most of any game in the B1G this season. MSU leads the B1G in attendance, averaging 6,051 fans at home this season. Purdue is second in attendance with an average of 6,047 fans at home this year.
THE VERSATILE ONE, Kelsey Kuipers
MSU's newest addition to its roster is Kelsey Kuipers, who joined the team last week. While Kuipers is new women's basketball in green and white, the number 34 jersey is now her third different sport to play at Michigan State, playing four seasons (2010-13) on the Spartans' volleyball team, where she averaged 1.3 kills with a .264 attack percentage, adding 0.6 blocks per set for her four-year career. Kuipers was also on the MSU track & field team for one season (2014), competing in the high jump, posting a season-best of 1.58 m/5'-2.25".
POWERS AMONG THE NATION'S LEADERS
With 15 double-doubles in 19 games this season, sophomore forward Aerial Powers is tied for first in the nation and tops in the Big Ten in double-doubles. She is tied for first in the NCAA with Oregon's Jillian Alleyne. The sophomore had double-doubles in the first six games and has achieved the feat in seven of the last eight games, including six in Big Ten action, ranking second among the league leaders during conference play. Powers has had a double-double in every game in which she has snared double-digit rebounds. For her career, Powers now 25 double-doubles, after registering 10 as a freshman.
FACING THE BEST OF THE BEST
When the Spartans faced No. 7/6 Maryland, it was Michigan State's third game against a top-10 team with losses to No. 9 Baylor and No. 3 Notre Dame. Overall this is the seventh ranked team that MSU has played. The Spartans are 1-6 against ranked teams this season. The Spartans have faced three teams during Big Ten that are ranked, including Maryland, then-No. 21/22 Iowa and then-No. 19/18 Nebraska.
CARA'S CAREER DAY
Junior guard Cara Miller had a career day against No. 19/18 Nebraska on Jan. 8. Miller made her first-ever start in the green and white uniform. Miller made the most of her start, netting MSU's first basket of the game, as well as making her first three-pointer of the season, finishing the game with a career-high 12 points, all in the first half. Miller tied her career-high two three-pointers with a pair of treys in the first half.
POWERFUL AERIAL HAS DOMINATING PERFORMANCE
Against Nebraska on Jan. 8, sophomore forward Aerial Powers posted a career-high 35 points, which is tied for the second-most in Michigan State women's basketball history behind the program-record 41 points by Maxann Reese against Iowa on Jan. 22, 1999. The 35 points ties Eileen Shea's 35 points vs. Oklahoma State (3/16/91). The 35 points were the most scored in a Big Ten game this season. Powers registered her 12th double-double of the season and 22nd career double-double with 35 points and 11 rebounds against the Huskers on Jan. 8.
Powers finished the night with a career-high seven treys, going 7-12 behind the arc. The seven three-pointers is tied for the third-most in MSU single-game history, tying Maxann Reese with seven against Wisconsin (1/30/98). It was the second-straight game that Powers made three or more treys after four three-pointers at Michigan (1/4), and the third time overall this season with three vs. Oakland (11/26).
Powers has scored 20+ points in 11 games this season and scored more than 30 points three times including twice in the last three games, most recently with 33 against Illinois on Jan. 15.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE TOIL AND TROUBLE
Powers has 15 double-doubles on the season, which currently not only leads the Big Ten, but is second in the NCAA as well. Powers is tied with Jillian Alleyne of Oregon who also 15 double-doubles this season In the B1G, Powers is just ahead of Amanda Zahui of Minnesotaei who has 13 double-doubles. Betnijah Laney of Rutgers and Whitney Bays of Purdue are just behind with 12 double-doubles apiece.
Additionally, Powers is one of five players in the Big Ten to average a double-double, joined by Betnijah Laney of Rutgers, Amanda Zahui of Minnesota, Whitney Bays of Purdue and Cyesha Goree of Michigan, who are also the only five players in the Big Ten to average double-figure rebounds per game.
INJURY BUG
It has been difficult keeping players on the court this season for the Spartans after been stung by the injury bug. Against Indiana on Dec. 31, Michigan State was down to seven players after an injury to junior guard Cara Miller. Senior center Jasmine Hines has missed the last seven games. Redshirt-sophomore Branndais Agee and senior Madison Williams will miss the whole season after tearing ACLs in the off-season. With the return of Miller and the addition of former MSU volleyball player Kelsey Kuipers, the Spartans will now dress eight players.
1,000 CAREER POINTS MILLS-TONE
Senior forward Becca Mills reached a Michigan State milestone. Mills' first basket against Michigan on Jan. 4 gave her 1,000 points for her career, becoming the 22nd MSU player with 1,000 career points and first since Lykendra Johnson in 2011-12. This season, Mills is averaging 10.3 points per game. During her career, she has now scored 1,057 points, and moved up to No. 21 on MSU's career scoring list, passing Brenda Jazowski (1980-85) with 1,034 points. Mills needs 18 more points to crack the top 20, as Jamie Wesley (1994-98) holds the No. 20 spot with 1,075 career points.
JANKOSKA CLIMBS THE CHARTS
With one three-pointer against Iowa on Jan. 18, Tori Jankoska became the 12th player in MSU history with 101 career three-pointers, and the first since former teammate Annalise Pickrel (2010-14), who finished her career with 139 treys. With one triples against Maryland on Jan. 22, Jankoska tied Jamie Wesley (1994-98) for No. 11 on MSU's career three-pointers list. Jankoska needs 10 more three-pointers to crack the top 10, as Rene Haynes (2003-07) currently holds the No. 10 spot with 111 career treys. This season, Jankoska has sunk 37 three-pointers to lead the Spartans. She has made 34.3 percent (37 of 109) of MSU's made three-pointers this season.
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. 28 (Wed.), Feb. 4 (Wed.), Feb. 9 (Mon.), Feb. 18 (Wed.), Feb. 23 (Mon.), March 4 (Wed.).
AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
Under Coach Merchant, Michigan State is 21-36 against ranked teams, including 14-11 at home and 5-16 on the road. As a ranked team against fellow ranked team, MSU is 12-19 versus ranked teams.
LEADING FROM TIP TO BUZZER
Michigan State led from start to finish in Thursday's win over Illinois, marking the fifth time this season that the Spartans never trailed in a game, joining IUPUI (11/23/14), Miami (Ohio) (11/30/14), Loyola Chicago (12/14/14) and Alcorn State (12/16/14).
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 81 Big Ten regular season games (70.4%). The Spartans started the 2013-14 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).
AWARD WATCH
Michigan State sophomore forward 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 THURSDAY (No. 7/6 Maryland 81, Michigan State 56 - College Park, Md.)
• Jankoska has scored in double figures in 33 of her last 40 games, averaging 14.7 points during the stretch .
• With nine offensive rebounds, Powers set a new career high. Her previous high was six against Temple last season.
• Jankoska's three-pointer gives her 101 for her career, becoming the 12th player in MSU history with over 100 career treys and the first since former teammate Annalise Pickrel (2010-14), who finished her career with 138 career threes. She is now tied with Jamie Wesley (1994-98) for 11th in MSU history.
• With 11 free throws (11-14), Powers now has three games this season with double-digit free throws. She also had 11 against Loyola Chicago (Dec. 14) and 14 against Illinois (Jan. 15).
• Jankoska registered her fourth double-double of the season, including two in the last three games, and fifth of her career with 11 points and 10 rebounds. She has now reached double figure scoring in 18 of the 19 games this season.
• Three players were in double digits in scoring against Maryland: Powers (28), Mills (11) and Jankoska (11). The only other Spartan to score was Kennedy Johnson with six points.
