MSU Scores 90-56 Spartan Spooktacular Exhibition Win Over SVSU Sunday

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State women's basketball didn't need to use any tricks and were treated to a 90-56 exhibition win over Saginaw Valley State behind balanced scoring on offense combined with a swarming defense Sunday afternoon at the Breslin Center in MSU's Spartan Spooktacular.

Before the game, there was trick-or-treating, games and prizes on the Breslin Center concourse with several different MSU Athletics teams playing games and handing out candy. At halftime there was a costume contest for the young fans in attendance.

Following the game, MSU head coach Suzy Merchant addressed the crowd, and acknowledged the connections with SVSU, as she started her head coaching career there (1995-98), and MSU assistant coach Dean Lockwood was the head mens' coach from 1998-04. Merchant then talked about current SVSU head coach and former MSU player (2005-06) Jenny Pruett, before wrapping up with having everyone wish Coach Lockwood Happy Birthday and the team presented him with a cake, complete with lit candles.

To wrap up the event, the Spartans had a meet-and-greet, signing the 2022-23 schedule poster and taking photos with the fans.

In the game, MSU had 12 of the 14 players in uniform score and all had at least three points, with three newcomer guards leading the way in double-figures. Junior transfer Gabby Elliott and graduate senior Kamaria McDaniel netted 14 points apiece, while freshman guard Theryn Hallock added 13 points off the bench in not just her debut for the Green & White, but college basketball.

Sunday's exhibition was the opener of the 2022-23 season for the Spartans, and they were steady out of the gates, with Saginaw Valley hanging close, until the Spartans pulled away in the second half.

"I didn't like how we played in the first half, especially the first quarter, we had so many easy looks and just didn't make shots," Merchant said. "I thought the kids were a little wild at the rim at times, K-Mac (Kamaria McDaniel) had some of those early, but she settled in a little better in the second half just like all of us did. I liked how she got downhill, that kid can really get to the free throw line and she shoots it well from there."

McDaniel finished the night going 8-of-9 from the charity stripe, as the Spartans ended making 21 of their 34 free throws.

"Some really positive things but we're still trying to figure each other out a little bit when it comes to how each other plays and things like that," Merchant said. "I thought Gabby was really good out of the gates in the second half. She had 14 points and that was consistent with what she did against Louisville. She wanted to get a double-double, we think she can be a double-double player for us, but she was a couple rebounds short of that, but still her rebounding effort is really good."

Elliott ended with eight rebounds, spearheading MSU's 47 boards, while senior forward Taiyier Parks added seven boards and sophomore guard DeeDee Hagemann snared six rebounds. Parks also swiped five steals and added two blocks, part of the nine rejections by the MSU defense, with two coming on the same SVSU possession, before Hallock had a steal to get MSU a fast break layup at the other end. Sophomore forward Isaline Alexander led the way with three blocks. Elliott and Hallock added three steals apiece, while Hagemann added two.

SVSU was led by Tori DePerry's game-high 16 points, while Kaityln Zarycki was the only other Cardinal in double-figures with 12 points.

The Spartans jumped out to a 17-12 lead at the end of the first quarter, boosted by a 6-0 run. A total of six different MSU players scored at least two points in the quarter, led by four points apiece from Elliott and McDaniel. Meanwhile, the Spartan defense forced 10 SVSU turnovers, converting into 10 points off turnovers.

An Elliott fast break layup at the 2:31 mark of the first half gave the Spartans their largest lead of the first half at 30-19. MSU maintained a 32-24 advantage at intermission, behind seven points from Elliott with McDaniel close behind with six, as eight different Spartans had at least two points in the first half. SVSU was led by eight points from DePerry.

After the Cardinals closed the gap to six points on two different occasions in the early going of the second half, the Spartans went on a 12-6 spurt, capped by a 3-pointer from sophomore guard/forward Matilda Ekh for a 46-32 lead with 6:20 on the third-quarter clock. SVSU never got within single digits the rest of the game. MSU's lead swelled to 20 points for the first time at 60-40 on a fast break layup by graduate guard Stephanie Visscher, another newcomer seeing her first action as a Spartan, and the Green & White had a 62-42 lead with three quarters in the books.

The home team Spartans were able to get all the reserves into the game in the fourth stanza, as Hagemann stretched MSU's lead to 30 points for the first time at 80-49 on a layup with 3:57 to go. Sophomore center Brooklyn Rewers made a bucket at the 1:15 mark and then a free throw with 44 seconds remaining for not just MSU's largest lead of the game at 34 points, but the final score of the day.

MSU returns to the court on Monday, Nov. 7, hosting Delaware State in a special Noon tip-off for the Spartans' School Day game, with local elementary schools as special guests.

MSU Scores 90-56 Spartan Spooktacular Exhibition Win Over SVSU Sunday

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Team Stats

Gabby Elliott

Kamaria McDaniel

Theryn Hallock

Taiyier Parks