MSU Women's Hoops To Spend Thanksgiving In Memphis
11/27/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 27, 2002
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
MICHIGAN STATE (1-2) ATLADY TIGER THANKSGIVING CLASSICVS. MERCER (0-1), VS. MEMPHIS (2-0)/TENN. STATE (0-1)When Friday-Saturday, Nov. 29-30, 2002Site Memphis, Tenn. - Elma Roane Fieldhouse (2,800)Radio The Fan 730 AMTelevision NoneCoaches MSU: Joanne P. McCallie (Northwestern, 1987) Overall: 197-106 (11th year); MSU: 30-33 (Third year) Mercer: Brenda Welch-Nichols (Sam Houston State, 1989) Overall: 0-1 (First year); MU: 0-1 (First year) Memphis: Loye Lee-McNelis (Southern Miss, 1984) Overall: 197-131(12th year); UM: 197-131 (12th year) Tennessee State: Valencia Jordan (Austin Peay, 1986) Overall: 11-42 (Third year); TSU: 11-42 (Third year)
TIP-OFF: Michigan State hits the road for the first time this season when the Spartans visit Memphis for the Lady Tiger Thanksgiving Classic. Host Memphis plays Tennessee State at 6 p.m. Friday in the tournament's opening game, and MSU will play Mercer at 8 p.m. in the night's second contest. The consolation game will be played Saturday at 2:30 p.m., followed by the championship contest at 5 p.m. The Spartans hope a change of scenery will do them good as MSU dropped two of its first three games at home, by a combined five points.
THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD: Michigan State is 14-16 all-time in road openers (including games at neutral sites). The Spartans are 1-1 in the first road game during the Joanne P. McCallie era, falling to Virginia Tech in Tallahassee, Fla., in 2000, before winning at Arkansas State, 70-59, last season.
HOPEFULLY, EIGHT IS ENOUGH: Michigan State, which opens the season by playing seven games in 14 days, has just eight available players remaining to share the minutes. Junior guard Candice Jackson is the latest Spartan to join the bench in street clothes, after tearing her left ACL in Sunday's game against Miami (Ohio). The Spartans, who started with a roster of 12 players, already lost senior Maria Recker and freshman Patrice McKinney to injuries, and junior transfer Caroline Nixon from Australia has not been cleared to play by the NCAA.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION: Mercer dropped its season opener to Lipscomb, 70-58 on Monday, Nov. 25. The Bears were led by senior forward April Dyer, who posted 20 points and 12 rebounds. Freshman guard Karen Hickman and sophomore center Ramona Wright added nine points each. Mercer owned a 45-30 rebounding advantage, but committed 33 turnovers and shot just 37.1 percent from the field. Mercer has two starters and eight letterwinners back from last year's squad that finished 16-13 overall and 12-8 in the Atlantic Sun.
Memphis is 2-0 after opening with wins vs. Austin Peay (56-50) and at Louisiana-Lafayette (63-50). Senior center Shannon Hamp is the only player averaging double-digit in scoring, contributing 12.0 points per game while adding 5.0 rebounds. Junior center Jordie Soso is averaging 9.5 points and 8.0 rebounds off the bench, junior guard Princess Swilley averages 9.0 points and 3.5 assists. The Tigers have struggled shooting the ball, hitting just 31.5 percent of their shots, but outrebounded their first two opponents by nearly 10 rebounds per game. Hamp averaged 15.1 points last year to lead Memphis to an 11-17 overall record, including a 5-9 mark in Conference USA.
Tennessee State lost its opener at Belmont, 84-65, Nov. 23. The Lady Tigers were led by sophomore guard Markeice Harris and junior forward Odessa Kelly, who had 14 points each, while Kelly added eight rebounds. Tristin Johnson is the leading returning scorer from last year's 3-22 team after averaging 5.6 rebounds last year, and she had seven points and nine rebounds in the opener.
SERIES RECORDS: There are no details to give about the series history between Michigan State and the other three teams in the tournament, as MSU has never played Mercer, Memphis or Tennessee State.
SPARTANS EDGED BY TOLEDO: Michigan State held the lead for nearly 33 of the last 36 minutes of its game vs. Toledo Tuesday night, but Toledo led when it mattered most - at the final horn. Junior post player Julie Hillis, who had just two points to that point, drained the second three-point basket of her career with 12 seconds left, and Tia Davis swatted away a desperation three-pointer by Kristin Haynie at the horn to preserve the victory.
Defense ruled as both teams shot well under 40 percent from the field. MSU sank just 19-of-53 field goals (35.8 percent), while Toledo fared even worse, making 22-of-65 (33.8). Haynie had team-highs of 13 points and nine rebounds to pace the Spartans. Jennifer Callier was the only other Spartan to reach double figures, scoring a season-best 12 points.
Both teams started ice cold, but Toledo was coldest. After taking a 4-2 lead with 17:05 left, Toledo would go 8:26 without a point. Unfortunately for the Spartans, they didn't exactly light it up during that time, but they did score 12 straight points to open a 14-4 edge after a three-point bomb by Syreeta Bromfield with 8:52 left in the half.
Toledo chipped away at the lead, and a pair of Rocket free throws in the final second of the first stanza narrowed the gap to 25-23 in MSU's favor at intermission. MSU shot 34.6 percent in the half, while Toledo made just 10 of its 30 shots and missed all five three-point attempts.
After a pair of ties early in the second half, back-to-back buckets by Callier gave MSU a 36-31 cushion with 14:13 remaining. Toledo answered, taking its first lead since 4-2 on Hillis' only other basket of the game, giving the Rockets a 41-40 edge with 10:09 left.
MSU appeared to take control with an 8-0 run to grab a 48-41 lead with 6:59 left. The lead was still five at 54-49 after a Haynie bucket with 5:03 remaining, but MSU would score just one point the rest of the way. On its next 10 possessions, MSU missed eight shots and had two turnovers as Toledo grabbed a 55-54 lead with 1:04 remaining.
Liz Shimek grabbed her own miss and was fouled with 25 seconds left, but missed the first free throw. Shimek sank the second to tie the score, before Hillis' heroics.
MSU owned a 45-38 edge on the boards, including eight rebounds by Bromfield and six each by Shimek and Kelli Roehrig. The Spartans also shot 14 more free throws than Toledo, but made just 15 of its 24 attempts while the Rockets converted nine of their 10 chances. The Spartans also committed 16 turnovers while forcing just 12.
NIGHT AND DAY: MSU's game vs. Toledo was dramatically different than the Spartans' first two contests. In games against Fresno State and Miami (Ohio), there was an average of 160 total points scored per game. Tuesday night, MSU and Toledo combined to put just 113 points on the scoreboard.
PUTTING IN OVERTIME: Michigan State's injuries and subsequent lack of depth have forced players into playing more minutes than they otherwise might have. Freshman guard Lindsay Bowen has been on the court for 109 of a possible 120 minutes already this season, averaging 36.3 minutes per game. Freshman Liz Shimek is averaging 31.3 minutes, while senior Syreeta Bromfield has averaged 29.7 minutes. Sophomore guard Kristin Haynie, who played just 13 minutes in the opener after recovering from an illness, has averaged 31 minutes in the last two games.
CALLIER'S BIG NIGHT: Senior Jennifer Callier had just five points and two rebounds in MSU's first two games combined, but then exploded for 12 points on five-of-eight shooting and added four rebounds and a block vs. Toledo. Callier now has five double-digit scoring games during her career.
BROMFIELD, ROEHRIG EARN ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS: Syreeta Bromfield and Kelli Roehrig were named to the Spartan Chevrolet Classic All-Tournament team at the conclusion of the tournament Nov. 24. Bromfield averaged 19.5 points and seven rebounds in two games, including 28 points and nine boards Nov. 24 vs. Miami (Ohio). Roehrig had 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting vs. Fresno State before adding 13 points vs. Miami. Joining the Spartans on the All-Tournament team were tournament MVP Heather Cusick and Jana Butler from Miami (Ohio), Jeanette Gray from Valparaiso and Lindsay Logan from Fresno State.
FAB FRESHMEN: Michigan State received big boosts from its freshmen in its opening weekend. Lindsay Bowen scored 26 points and grabbed eight rebounds against Fresno State in her Spartan debut Nov. 23, and added 10 points against Miami (Ohio) the next afternoon. Liz Shimek posted double-doubles in both contests, collecting 10 points and 14 rebounds vs. Fresno State and 10 points and 11 boards vs. Miami.
OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION: Michigan State started its season by scoring 82 points in the season opener against Fresno State, then 84 points vs. Miami (Ohio). Last season, it took 27 contests before the Spartans scored 80 or more points in a game. MSU had not started a season with two games of 80+ points since 1994.
BROMFIELD LIGHTS IT UP: Syreeta Bromfield had possibly the best all-around game of her career Nov. 24 vs. Miami (Ohio). The senior equalled a career-high with 28 points, and established a new career-best by sinking six three-point baskets in nine attempts. Bromfield also added nine rebounds, tied a career-high with five assists and added a block and an steal.
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARDS: Last season Michigan State outrebounded its opponents by 4.3 rebounds per game. This year the Spartans are off to an even better start. MSU has outrebounded its opponents by an average of 11.7 rebounds per game through three games. MSU has been particularly impressive on the offensive boards, pulling down 22 offensive rebounds vs. Miami while the RedHawks managed only 18 defensive rebounds, and grabbing 18 offensive boards vs. Toledo.
JUST SHOOT ME: The Spartans appear to have improved their shooting touch during the offseason, as MSU has hit 43.1 percent of its shots during the first two games, including 35.7 percent from three-point distance. Last year, MSU shot 41.7 percent from the field and 30.4 percent from downtown. MSU also sank 71.8 percent of its free throws in the opening three games - an improvement from last year's 69.4 percent.
OPENING ACT: By defeating Fresno State 82-68 in the season opener, MSU improved to 19-12 all-time in season openers, including an 11-2 record when the opener is at home. The Spartans have now won four straight season-opening games.
DOUBLE TROUBLE: Freshman Liz Shimek proved that it was no fluke that she was named Ms. Basketball for the state of Michigan last year. Shimek started her MSU career with two double-doubles, scoring 10 points against both Fresno State and Miami (Ohio) while grabbing game-high rebounds total of 14 vs. Fresno State and 11 vs. Miami.
USELESS STAT OF THE WEEK: Last season, Michigan State had a 13-7 record in games in which Syreeta Bromfield scored an even number of points, and the Spartans were just 6-6 when she had an odd point total. This season has bucked that trend, as MSU won its opener when she had an odd point total (11), but lost its next two games when she scored an even number of points (28 vs. Miami, 6 vs. Toledo).
INJURY BUG: Michigan State has seen its depth depleted by injuries already this season. Junior guard Candice Jackson was the latest casualty, going down with a torn left ACL Nov. 24 vs. Miami (Ohio). Jackson is expected to be out for the season.
Freshman guard Patrice McKinney suffered a torn ACL in her right knee during an individual workout Oct. 3, and is expected to redshirt this season. Senior forward Maria Recker has had a lingering shoulder injury since her freshman season that will keep her out of action this year.
Junior guard Caroline Nixon (hamstring) was held out of the game against Athletes In Action, while junior forward Julie Pagel has been suffering from a back injury, which kept her out of the second exhibition contest.
In addition, sophomore center Kelli Roehrig fractured a bone in her left (non-shooting) thumb in late October, but did not miss any action. Sophomore guard Kristin Haynie suffered from mononucleosis this summer, and an illness kept her out of the Oct. 26 Green-White scrimmage.
THE BACK COURT: Sophomore Kristin Haynie is a returning starter at guard, while senior Syreeta Bromfield returns at the wing. Haynie set MSU freshman records with 177 assists and 77 steals last year and was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman team. She averaged 7.8 points, 3.7 assists and 2.4 steals last year, ranking seventh in the Big Ten in steals and 11th in assists. Bromfield was MSU's leading scorer (15.6 ppg) and rebounder (6.5 rpg) last year, while earning second-team All-Big Ten honors.
One newcomer who is seeing plenty of action is freshman Lindsay Bowen. Bowen was a four-time class C all-state pick at Dansville High who is the third leading scorer in Michigan High School history. Bowen was runner-up to current teammate Liz Shimek for Michigan Ms. Basketball honors last season.
THE FRONT COURT: The Spartans return forward Julie Pagel and centers Jennifer Callier and Kelli Roehrig from last year's team. Pagel ranked second for MSU averaging 9.6 points and 5.8 rebounds. Callier started 13 of the 31 games in which she played and averaged 3.3 points and 3.2 rebounds, while Roehrig poured in 8.2 points and grabbed 3.7 boards while starting 16 games.
A pair of freshmen have been added to the mix. Liz Shimek, a 6-1 forward from Empire, Mich., was named Michigan's Ms. Basketball last year after averaging 24.0 points and 15.0 rebounds for Maple City-Glen Lake. Megan Osmer, a 6-2 center, joins the Spartans after leading Bellevue (Wash.) High to four league titles and two district championships.
LIKE A FINE WINE: If players, like wine, get better with age, MSU should show continued improvement this season. A year ago the Spartans had seven first-year players on their 12-player roster. This season, MSU has seven players returning who combined to start 109 games last season. Players who scored 77 percent of MSU's points and hauled down 79 percent of MSU's rebounds return this season.
BROMFIELD LEADS THE WAY: Syreeta Bromfield had an impressive first season for Michigan State, and looks to continue her production in 2002-03. Last year, Bromfield led MSU in scoring 15 times and in rebounding 15 times, while also posting a team-best four double-doubles.
EUROPEAN VACATION: Junior Julie Pagel was a member of the 2002 Big Ten Foreign Tour squad during the summer, travelling to the Netherlands and Belgium during her 10-day visit. Pagel averaged team-highs of 11.0 points and 8.6 rebounds while leading the Big Ten team to a 5-0 record.
SECRETARIES OF DEFENSE: One of the cornerstones of McCallie's teams is a stingy defense. Last season MSU ranked second in the Big Ten in scoring defense (62.7 ppg), after ranking first in McCallie's initial season. In addition, the Spartans led the Big Ten by averaging 11.3 steals per game last year.
More of the same should be expected for this season. MSU returns its top three ball thieves from last year, all of whom ranked in the top 13 in the Big Ten in steals. Kristin Haynie, who ranked seventh in the Big Ten in steals, narrowly edged Syreeta Bromfield, who ranked ninth, for the team lead (77 steals to 75). Julie Pagel was third on the team and 13th in the conference with 59 steals.
LOOK, I'M ON TELEVISION: The Spartans will make a minimum of eight appearances on television in 2002-03. Two MSU contests will be featured by FOX Sports Chicago, including a Jan. 30 home game against Michigan and a Feb. 20 game at Purdue. Also, FOX will broadcast all of the Big Ten Tournament games with the exception of the championship, which will air on espn2, meaning at least one more Spartan contest will be on FOX Sports.
In addition, five MSU home games will be televised by AT&T Broadband. Games scheduled to be televised include the Dec. 3 game vs. Kent State, Jan. 23 vs. Minnesota, Feb. 9 against Penn State, Feb. 13 vs. Ohio State and Feb. 24 vs. Illinois.
All of MSU's games will be broadcast live on the radio (The Fan 730 AM) and on the internet at www.msuspartans.com.
SPARTANS SIGN FOUR: MSU head coach Joanne P. McCallie signed four players to national letters of intent to join the Spartans women's basketball program in 2003-04. The signees include Myisha Bannister (C, 6-3, Cleveland, Ohio/Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School), Katrina Grantham (C, 6-1, Saginaw, Mich./Heritage High School), Lorenda "Rene" Haynes (G, 5-10, Columbus, Ohio/The Wellington School) and Victoria Lucas-Perry (F, 5-11, Flint, Mich./Powers Catholic High School).
Bannister earned Division III All-Ohio honorable mention honors as a junior by averaging 11.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and 2.5 steals per game. She helped guide Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School to the district championship and her team, which started five juniors, advanced to the regional finals before falling.
Grantham was a second-team all-state selection in 2001 by The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press after leading Heritage to the state championship game. She is currently in her third season as a captain and has twice been named first-team All-Saginaw Valley.
Haynes has been named team MVP, first team all-league and first-team all-district each of her first three years at The Wellington School. She was named first-team all-state and district Player of the Year as a junior after averaging 27.8 points, 9.2 rebounds 3.8 steals and 2.4 assists per game. Haynes was the league MVP and second-team all-state as a sophomore after averaging 23.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 6.1 steals and 4.1 assists.
Lucas-Perry was averaging 22.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game this season. She has led Powers Catholic to two straight Class B state championships, plus a state runner-up finish. She was a first-team all-state pick as a junior, and was one of 48 juniors in the country to be invited by USA Basketball to play in an Olympic festival last June.
