Michigan State University Athletics
Thursday, November 1
East Lansing, Mich.
7 PM
Michigan State University
vs
Hillsdale
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell
MSU Women Open Season With Exhibition Against Hillsdale
10/31/2018 5:05:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The 2018-19 Spartans begin action on Thursday.
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State opens up the 2018-19 campaign with its only exhibition against Hillsdale, a Division II team out of Hillsdale, Michigan. This will be the first time in over a decade that the Chargers faced a Big Ten team in an exhibition.
The Spartans return four of their top five scorers from last season in redshirt-junior Shay Colley (12.4 ppg), junior Taryn McCutcheon (10.2 ppg), senior Jenna Allen (9.9 ppg) and sophomore Sidney Cooks (9.5 ppg). MSU does say goodbye to All-Conference honorees Branndais Agee and Taya Reimer who are both playing overseas. Michigan State finished last season 19-14 overall and 7-9 in the Big Ten, advancing to the third round of the WNIT.
• The Spartans return four of their top five scorers from last season in redshirt-junior Shay Colley (12.4 ppg), junior Taryn McCutcheon (10.2 ppg), senior Jenna Allen (9.9 ppg) and sophomore Sidney Cooks (9.5 ppg). MSU does say goodbye to All-Conference honorees Branndais Agee and Taya Reimer who are both playing overseas. Michigan State finished last season 19-14 overall and 7-9 in the Big Ten, advancing to the third round of the WNIT.
• In Merchant's 11 seasons, Michigan State has now earned 39 All-Big Ten selections, as Taryn McCutcheon, Branndais Agee, Shay Colley and Jenna Allen earned honors. In every season under Coach Merchant, MSU has had at least two players earn All-Big Ten honors. Coach Merchant has also coached the only Big Ten Player of the Year honoree as Kalisha Keane collected the accolade in 2010-11.
• Junior guard Taryn McCutcheon ended the season averaging 5.2 assists per game. Her 173 assists were fourth on the single-season Spartan list.
• New to Michigan State are three freshmen in guard Nia Clouden from Owning Mills, Maryland, Tory Ozment from Buford, Georgia and Kayla Belles from Ithaca, Michigan. After tearing her ACL in the first practice of the season last year, Claire Hendrickson is back as a redshirt-freshman.
THE SCHEDULE
For the first time since the 2015-16 season, the Big Ten will have an 18-game schedule after two seasons of a 16-game docket. The conference played an 18-game league schedule in both 2015-16 and 2014-15. It is the sixth time in the last 12 years the conference has played an 18-game schedule.
The Spartans will spend the Thanksgiving holiday in Mexico at the Cancun Challenge, November 22-23. Michigan State will take on N.C. State on Thursday Nov. 22, before facing Kennesaw State on Friday, Nov. 23. The Spartans will close out the month of November hosting Virginia on Wednesday, Nov. 28 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
During the 2018-19 season at least 12 Michigan State women's basketball games will be televised on either the ESPN2 or the Big Ten Network. MSU will also have seven regular-season home contests aired on BTN Plus.
The Big Ten will have at least 67 women's basketball broadcasts on BTN during the 2018-19 season. ESPN2 will carry at least nine Big Ten women's basketball contests this year. BTN will televise the first 12 games of the 2019 Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament, covering the first round through the semifinals from March 6-9, with ESPN2 set to broadcast the tournament championship game on March 10.
FREQUENT FLIER
Redshirt-junior guard Shay Colley spent time overseas this summer playing for the Canadian National Team. Playing in Europe, Colley helped guide Canada to the quarterfinals of the FIBA Women's World Cup.
CHARGERS RETURN TO BRESLIN
Hillsdale has several players who are familiar with the Breslin Center. Makenna Ott, Brittany Gray and Jaycie Burger all played in Michigan high school state championship games on that court, with Gray (2014, 2015) and Burger (2016, 2017) both winning championships there. Hillsdale returns three starters and seven of its top nine players from last year's conference championship team.
FANS CONTINUE TO PACK THE BRESLIN
Michigan State women's basketball continues to pack the Breslin Center, finishing the 2017-18 season 10th in the nation and second in the Big Ten home attendance. The Spartans averaged 5,689 fans in 16 home games this season. MSU had a total of 91,026 fans pass through the gates. This is the 14th-straight season that the Spartans have been ranked in the top 15 nationally in attendance. MSU has had a total attendance of at least 80,000 since 2005-06.
COLLEY EARNS PRESEASON HONOR
To kickoff the beginning of Big Ten Women's Basketball Media Week, the conference released the Preseason Coaches and Media Polls, in addition to the preseason All-Big Ten teams on Monday. Michigan State redshirt-junior guard Shay Colley was earned Preseason All-Big Ten honors by the coaches.
Maryland was voted to finish first in both the coaches and the media polls, while Iowa was picked second in both. In the coaches poll, Michigan was voted third, while Minnesota earned the third spot in the media poll. Reigning Big Ten Player of the Year Megan Gustafson of Iowa was voted Preseason Player of the Year by both the coaches and the media.
Last season, Colley led the Spartans in scoring and was 23rd in the Big Ten, averaging 12.4 points per game. Colley was also tied for eighth in assists with 4.3 apg. In her first season with the Spartans, the guard also ended the season tied for fifth in steals with 1.9 spg.
The Spartans finished the 2017-18 season with a 19-14 record, advancing to the Sweet 16 of the WNIT. Michigan State will return four of its top scorers last season led by All-Big Ten honorees Colley, Taryn McCutcheon and Jenna Allen.
UP NEXT
Michigan State will begin the regular season with three-straight home games. MSU opens the season hosting Bowling Green on Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. On Sunday, Nov. 11, the Spartans will take on East Tennessee State at 1 p.m., as part of a doubleheader with the MSU men's team. Michigan State will close out the homestand against Wright State on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 1 p.m.
The Spartans return four of their top five scorers from last season in redshirt-junior Shay Colley (12.4 ppg), junior Taryn McCutcheon (10.2 ppg), senior Jenna Allen (9.9 ppg) and sophomore Sidney Cooks (9.5 ppg). MSU does say goodbye to All-Conference honorees Branndais Agee and Taya Reimer who are both playing overseas. Michigan State finished last season 19-14 overall and 7-9 in the Big Ten, advancing to the third round of the WNIT.
• The Spartans return four of their top five scorers from last season in redshirt-junior Shay Colley (12.4 ppg), junior Taryn McCutcheon (10.2 ppg), senior Jenna Allen (9.9 ppg) and sophomore Sidney Cooks (9.5 ppg). MSU does say goodbye to All-Conference honorees Branndais Agee and Taya Reimer who are both playing overseas. Michigan State finished last season 19-14 overall and 7-9 in the Big Ten, advancing to the third round of the WNIT.
• In Merchant's 11 seasons, Michigan State has now earned 39 All-Big Ten selections, as Taryn McCutcheon, Branndais Agee, Shay Colley and Jenna Allen earned honors. In every season under Coach Merchant, MSU has had at least two players earn All-Big Ten honors. Coach Merchant has also coached the only Big Ten Player of the Year honoree as Kalisha Keane collected the accolade in 2010-11.
• Junior guard Taryn McCutcheon ended the season averaging 5.2 assists per game. Her 173 assists were fourth on the single-season Spartan list.
• New to Michigan State are three freshmen in guard Nia Clouden from Owning Mills, Maryland, Tory Ozment from Buford, Georgia and Kayla Belles from Ithaca, Michigan. After tearing her ACL in the first practice of the season last year, Claire Hendrickson is back as a redshirt-freshman.
THE SCHEDULE
For the first time since the 2015-16 season, the Big Ten will have an 18-game schedule after two seasons of a 16-game docket. The conference played an 18-game league schedule in both 2015-16 and 2014-15. It is the sixth time in the last 12 years the conference has played an 18-game schedule.
The Spartans will spend the Thanksgiving holiday in Mexico at the Cancun Challenge, November 22-23. Michigan State will take on N.C. State on Thursday Nov. 22, before facing Kennesaw State on Friday, Nov. 23. The Spartans will close out the month of November hosting Virginia on Wednesday, Nov. 28 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
During the 2018-19 season at least 12 Michigan State women's basketball games will be televised on either the ESPN2 or the Big Ten Network. MSU will also have seven regular-season home contests aired on BTN Plus.
The Big Ten will have at least 67 women's basketball broadcasts on BTN during the 2018-19 season. ESPN2 will carry at least nine Big Ten women's basketball contests this year. BTN will televise the first 12 games of the 2019 Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament, covering the first round through the semifinals from March 6-9, with ESPN2 set to broadcast the tournament championship game on March 10.
FREQUENT FLIER
Redshirt-junior guard Shay Colley spent time overseas this summer playing for the Canadian National Team. Playing in Europe, Colley helped guide Canada to the quarterfinals of the FIBA Women's World Cup.
CHARGERS RETURN TO BRESLIN
Hillsdale has several players who are familiar with the Breslin Center. Makenna Ott, Brittany Gray and Jaycie Burger all played in Michigan high school state championship games on that court, with Gray (2014, 2015) and Burger (2016, 2017) both winning championships there. Hillsdale returns three starters and seven of its top nine players from last year's conference championship team.
FANS CONTINUE TO PACK THE BRESLIN
Michigan State women's basketball continues to pack the Breslin Center, finishing the 2017-18 season 10th in the nation and second in the Big Ten home attendance. The Spartans averaged 5,689 fans in 16 home games this season. MSU had a total of 91,026 fans pass through the gates. This is the 14th-straight season that the Spartans have been ranked in the top 15 nationally in attendance. MSU has had a total attendance of at least 80,000 since 2005-06.
COLLEY EARNS PRESEASON HONOR
To kickoff the beginning of Big Ten Women's Basketball Media Week, the conference released the Preseason Coaches and Media Polls, in addition to the preseason All-Big Ten teams on Monday. Michigan State redshirt-junior guard Shay Colley was earned Preseason All-Big Ten honors by the coaches.
Maryland was voted to finish first in both the coaches and the media polls, while Iowa was picked second in both. In the coaches poll, Michigan was voted third, while Minnesota earned the third spot in the media poll. Reigning Big Ten Player of the Year Megan Gustafson of Iowa was voted Preseason Player of the Year by both the coaches and the media.
Last season, Colley led the Spartans in scoring and was 23rd in the Big Ten, averaging 12.4 points per game. Colley was also tied for eighth in assists with 4.3 apg. In her first season with the Spartans, the guard also ended the season tied for fifth in steals with 1.9 spg.
The Spartans finished the 2017-18 season with a 19-14 record, advancing to the Sweet 16 of the WNIT. Michigan State will return four of its top scorers last season led by All-Big Ten honorees Colley, Taryn McCutcheon and Jenna Allen.
UP NEXT
Michigan State will begin the regular season with three-straight home games. MSU opens the season hosting Bowling Green on Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. On Sunday, Nov. 11, the Spartans will take on East Tennessee State at 1 p.m., as part of a doubleheader with the MSU men's team. Michigan State will close out the homestand against Wright State on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 1 p.m.
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Center
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard/Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's BasketballTuesday, September 22
Sunday, March 15
Sunday, March 01
Wednesday, February 18