Women's Basketball Hosts No. 17/20 Notre Dame Wednesday
11/25/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS (2-0) vs.No. 17/20 NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH (2-1)When Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2003, 7 p.m. ESTSite East Lansing, Mich. (Breslin Center)Radio The Fan 730 AMTelevision NoneCoaches MSU: Joanne P. McCallie (Northwestern, 1987) Overall: 215-116 (12th year); MSU: 48-43 (Fourth year) UND: Muffet McGraw (Saint Joseph's (Pa.), 1977) Overall: 453-180 (22nd year); UND: 365-139 (17th year)
Opening Tip
Michigan State plays its first game of the season against a nationally-ranked squad when No. 17/20 Notre Dame visits the Breslin Center. The Spartans opened the 2003-04 season by winning the Dean Trailways of Michigan Spartan Classic last weekend. MSU defeated Davidson, 74-68, in the opener Saturday, before crushing Temple, 78-40, in Sunday's championship game.
Beating The Best
Today's game will be the first of several for MSU against nationally-ranked squads this season. Last year, MSU had a 3-4 record in games against ranked opponents, with victories over No. 7/6 Purdue (67-62), No. 10/10 Minnesota (74-71) and No. 22/24 Ohio State (65-64). The Spartans also had three wins against ranked teams in 2001-02. The most victories MSU has even had over ranked opponents in a season was five during the 1996-97 Big Ten Championship campaign.
Tournament Tidbits
Senior Julie Pagel was named MVP of the Dean Trailways of Michigan Spartan Classic after averaging 11.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and shooting .571 in two games, while freshman Rene Haynes and sophomore Liz Shimek were also named to the All-Tournament team. MSU is now 25-7 all-time in the Spartan Classic and has won nine of the 16 tournament titles. The Spartans are 15-1 in first round games and 9-6 when playing in the championship contest.
Scouting the Fighting Irish
Notre Dame returns four starters from last year's team that went 21-11 overall, 10-6 (fifth place) in the Big East and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. The Fighting Irish have already faced two nationally-ranked teams, defeating No. 25/25 Auburn (77-64) while falling to No. 16/20 Colorado (67-63) in overtime.
Notre Dame's post game is its biggest strength, as all three front line starters are back, led by two-time All-Big East forward Jacqueline Batteast. Batteast, a junior, led the team in scoring (13.9 ppg), rebounding (8.3 rpg) and blocks (1.56 bpg) last season, and is repeating that feat this year, averaging 18.3 points, 8.3 boards and 2.0 blocks. Sophomore forward Courtney LaVere earned Big East All-Rookie team honors last year after averaging 12.4 points and 5.6 rebounds, although her averages are down to 7.3 points and 5.0 rebounds this year. Junior forward Katy Flecky has added 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.
In the backcourt, senior Le'Tania Severe has averaged 11.0 points and 5.0 assists this season, while sophomore point guard Megan Duffy has added 10.0 points and 4.3 assists per game this season.
Series Records
Michigan State leads the all-time series with Notre Dame, 7-4, although the Fighting Irish have won the last two meetings. The teams have not met since Dec. 11, 1999, when the Irish earned an 84-54 victory in East Lansing. MSU won the first four meetings and seven of the first nine, but has not beaten Notre Dame since an 87-83 overtime contest in the Breslin Center Dec. 21, 1995.
MSU Crushes Temple to Win Spartan Classic
Michigan State won the Dean Trailways of Michigan Spartan Classic title in impressive fashion, hammering Temple, 78-40, Sunday afternoon in the Breslin Center.
Julie Pagel had 12 points, five rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal to earn tournament Most Valuable Player honors. Two other Spartans also made the all-tournament team: Rene Haynes, who had 11 points, three boards and three assists, and Liz Shimek, who had 13 points, four rebounds, three blocks and two assists. MSU stormed to a 41-23 halftime lead, then kept on rolling, outscoring Temple 37-17 in the second half to pull away to the 38-point victory, which was the largest margin of victory in the 16-year history of the Spartan Classic. MSU shot 58.2 percent from the field (32-of-55), including a blistering 64.3 percent (18-of-28) in the first half, and outrebounded Temple 37-29, including a 23-11 edge in the second half.
Kristin Haynie had team-highs of 16 points, six assists and five steals, and got the Spartans going early. After an early 5-0 deficit, Haynie scored 10 of MSU's first 16 points as the Spartans rebounded to take a 16-12 lead.
With the lead at 21-19 with 5:50 left in the half, Shimek scored consecutive baskets that started a 12-0 run. After a Temple basket, Lindsay Bowen hit a three-point basket and Pagel followed with a bucket to extend the run to 16-2 and give MSU a 38-21 lead.
Temple hit two free throws with 11 seconds left in the first half, but Pagel banked in a three-pointer from 25 feet away just before the horn, sending the Spartans to the locker room with a 41-23 lead.
Temple never got closer than the 18-point halftime deficit in the second half, as MSU limited the Owls to just five points over the first 13: 42 of the second half. By that time, the lead had grown to 69-28, and it was just a matter of determining the final score. A basket by freshman Katrina Grantham gave MSU its biggest lead of 74-32, before MSU settled for the 78-40 victory.
MSU held Temple to just 27.3 percent shooting (15-of-55), as the Owls shot less than 30 percent in each half. The Spartans had a whopping 36-12 edge in points in the paint, and had 10 fast break points to just two for Temple. MSU also forced 17 turnovers, collecting 11 steals, while committing just 12 miscues.
Spartans Win Season Opener Vs. Davidson
Michigan State opened the 2003-04 season with a hard-fought 74-68 victory over Davidson Saturday in the opening game of the Dean Trailways of Michigan Spartan Classic.
Rene Haynes scored 19 points in her Spartan debut to pace Michigan State. Sophomore Liz Shimek had 11 points and nine rebounds, while Julie Pagel added 10 points and five assists.
MSU outrebounded Davidson, 40-28, and had two more field goals and 10 more free throws, but Davidson's three-point shooting kept the Wildcats in the game. Davidson sank 11-of-21 three-point field goals, while MSU made just three-of-12.
Shimek converted a three-point play just 33 second into the game to give MSU a 3-0 lead, but Davidson scored 18 of the next 23 points to take an 18-8 lead.
The lead grew to 22-11 when MSU's freshmen jump-started a run that swung the game in the Spartans' direction. MSU's first-year players scored 14 points during a 19-0 run that gave MSU a 30-22 lead. Haynes scored nine points during the run, including seven in a row, Victoria Lucas-Perry had a basket and Patrice McKinney finished the spurt with a three-point play.
Davidson tied the score at 43 early in the second half, but another Haynes jumper started a string of six straight Spartan points that gave MSU a lead it would not relinquish.
The lead grew to eight (55-47) on a Pagel bucket with 9:07 left, but consecutive threes by Katie Hamilton cut the lead to two. Kristin Haynie answered with two baskets to give MSU a cushion.
Davidson again sliced the lead to two (59-57), but Lindsay Bowen hit a three-pointer for MSU. Bowen finished with nine points, six rebounds and five assists for MSU.
The Wildcats trimmed the lead to 64-61, but could get no closer. MSU made four-of-six free throws in the final two minutes to preserve the lead.
MSU owned a whopping 38-14 advantage in points in the paint, and had 24 second-chance points to just six for Davidson.
Fresh Faces
For the second consecutive year, a freshman led MSU in scoring in its season opener. Rene Haynes poured in 19 points to lead MSU to a 74-68 victory over Davidson Saturday, sinking seven-of-12 shots. Last season, Lindsay Bowen scored 26 points in her debut vs. Fresno State. Bowen went on to earn Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.
MSU's five freshman combined to average 27.5 points and 13.0 rebounds in MSU's two victories.
Turning up the Defense
As always, Michigan State was one of the Big Ten's top defensive teams last season. The Spartans ranked second in the league in scoring defense, allowing just 60.7 points per game. MSU was also third in field goal percentage defense (.402).
This season, the numbers have gotten even better, as MSU is allowing just 54.0 points per game and opponents are shooting just .361 from the field. With more healthy bodies available and with increased athleticism, the Spartans are turning up the pressure on defense. More full-court pressure and trapping from the Spartans has resulted in 20 steals and 18 fast-break points.
Boarding School
Despite often playing with a three-guard lineup that includes no one over 6-1, MSU if off to another strong start on the boards. The Spartans outrebounded their first two opponents by an average of 10.0 rebounds per game. Last year, MSU ranked 11th nationally with an average rebounding margin of +7.7.
Rest for the Weary
Last season, injuries took their toll on MSU's depth, and as a result, four MSU players averaged 32.8 minutes per game or more. This year, with 10 players available for each of the first two games, only one player averaged more than 30 minutes in the first two games (Liz Shimek - 33.5). Eight players are averaging double-figure minutes for MSU.
Threes Company
MSU showed that it has several players who can hit from downtown when five Spartans connected for at least one three-point basket in Sunday's 78-40 victory over Temple. Julie Pagel sank a pair of treys, while Lindsay Bowen, Rene Haynes, Patrice McKinney and Liz Shimek each had one. The last time MSU had five different players make at least one three-point basket was March 19, 2002, in a 79-61 win in the quarterfinals of the WNIT against Alabama.
More than five Spartans can shoot the three, as Kristin Haynie, who is tied for ninth in career three-point baskets made at MSU (48), did not even attempt one, and freshman guard Victoria Lucas-Perry did not make her attempt after sinking one in the opener vs. Davidson.
In addition, MSU has made at least one three-point basket in 38 consecutive games as a team, thanks largely to sophomore Lindsay Bowen, who has made at least one triple in 28 consecutive games. Bowen was 0-1 from three-point range against Toledo last season in the third game of her collegiate career, which is the only time as a Spartan she failed to connect at least once from downtown.
Make More Than They Take
Free throws were key to MSU's success in the Spartan Classic, as MSU made more free throws (27) than its opponents attempted (24). The story was much the same last year, as MSU made 390 free throws, while opponents shot just 362. However, the Spartans made their free throws at a .783 rate last season, which was fifth best in the nation, but sank just 67.5 percent of their free throws in the opening two games.
Opening Act
By defeating Davidson 74-68 in the season opener, MSU improved to 20-12 all-time in season openers, including a 12-2 record when the opener is at home. The Spartans have now won five straight season-opening games.
Our New Favorite Magazine
Michigan State is ranked No. 16 in the nation according to the Athlon Sports college basketball preseason magazine. The Spartans are the third-highest ranked Big Ten team of the five conference schools to make the list, joining No. 6 Penn State, No. 11 Purdue, No. 17 Ohio State and No. 21 Minnesota.
Close But No Cigar
Michigan State didn't crack the preseason Top 25 polls, but the Spartans did receive votes in each poll. MSU received 29 points in the Associated Press poll, ranking the Spartans 31st, while the Spartans came in 36th in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll with 27 points.
Useless Stats of the Game
Since this is currently an odd-numbered year, MSU's chances of starting the season 3-0 are greatly improved. In three of the last four seasons that started during an odd-numbered year (1995, 1999, 2001), MSU started the season 3-0. The Spartans have not started an even-numbered year with a 3-0 record since the 1984-85 season. All-time, MSU's record in its first three games during odd-numbered years is 31-14, but the Spartans are just 27-21 in the first three games during even-numbered years.
In addition, when Michigan State's third game of the season is played on an even numbered date in November, the Spartans are just 3-3. But, when the game takes place in an odd numbered year, MSU is 2-0. The Spartans are just 1-3 when the third game is on an even numbered date in November in an even numbered year.
Playing The Best
Michigan State has eight games against five teams that are ranked in the preseason Top 25 polls this season. The Spartans will play Penn State, Purdue and Ohio State twice each, and Minnesota and Notre Dame once.
In addition, MSU plays six other teams that received votes in one or both preseason polls: Cincinnati, Illinois, Iowa, Pepperdine, Toledo and UCLA.
Spartan Outlook
Michigan State expects its 32nd season of varsity competition to be one of its best ever. A young Spartan squad advanced to the NCAA Tournament last year for the first time since 1997 with a core of just six players. Five of those players return, and with added depth this season, MSU appears to be fully loaded.
Last year was a breakthrough year for the Spartans, who finished 17-12 overall and tied for fourth in the Big Ten with a 10-6 record. Expectations for this season are even higher, although MSU will still field a young team. Only one senior letterwinner, Julie Pagel, is on the roster, while more than half of the 12 players on the roster are underclassmen.
However, players responsible for roughly three-fourth of the points, rebounds, assists and steals from last year are back, lending optimism that last year's NCAA Tournament appearance was a prelude to even better things this season.
Gimme Five
Michigan State has five players on its roster who have earned All-Big Ten honors during their careers. Junior Kristin Haynie and Kelli Roehrig and sophomores Lindsay Bowen and Liz Shimek all earned honorable mention all-conference honors last season, while senior Julie Pagel was honorable mention All-Big Ten after her freshman year.
Depth At Guard
Junior point guard Kristin Haynie and sophomore guard Lindsay Bowen will likely have to get used to something different this season - sitting on the bench from time to time. Injuries depleted MSU's backcourt last year and as a result, Bowen averaged a team-high 37.4 minutes, while Haynie played 34.4 minutes per night. In Big Ten games, those numbers increased to 38.6 and 37.2 minutes, respectively. This season, redshirt junior Candice Jackson and redshirt freshman Patrice McKinney return from ACL injuries, and a pair of newcomers will push for playing time, giving the Spartans much more depth.
Haynie excelled at the point last season, averaging 10.1 points and 5.0 assists to earn honorable mention All-Big Ten honors. Her 144 assists were the fourth most ever in a single-season by an MSU player.
Bowen was named co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year with teammate Liz Shimek after averaging 13.3 points and shooting the lights out. Bowen ranked fourth nationally making 46.4 percent of her three-point shots, and she led the Big Ten by making 63-of-66 (95.5 percent) from the free throw line.
Jackson was a starter before an injury in last season's second game knocked her out for the year. She also started the final 13 games of the 2001-02 season and provides leadership on the court, although she will miss the start of the season due to another injury.
McKinney was an all-state pick as a senior in high school and displayed tremendous athleticism before being injured in the preseason. Her quickness should provide immediate dividends this winter.
The newcomers include Rene Haynes and Victoria Lucas-Perry. Lucas-Perry, from Flint, Mich., was runner-up for Michigan Ms. Basketball last year and led Powers Catholic High School to two state championships. Haynes, a native of Columbus, Ohio, is a two-time first-team all-state pick who has twice been named her district's player of the year.
The Front Court
The Spartans may not have as much depth in the front court as the back court, but there is no lack of quality. Senior forward Julie Pagel, junior center Kelli Roehrig and sophomore forward Liz Shimek are a talented trio that should excel this year.
Pagel battled through nagging injuries to average 5.4 points and 4.7 rebounds, and unofficially led the team in knockdowns while setting screens. Her toughness on and off the court is invaluable and as the team's only scholarship senior, she will once again need to be a leader.
Roehrig averaged 11.8 points and 5.2 rebounds while ranking third in the Big Ten with a .582 field goal percentage last season. If she can continue to avoid foul trouble (she fouled out of only one game last year), she could post more dominating performances like her three outings with 25 or more points last year (27 vs. Minnesota, 25 vs. Ohio State and at Providence).
Shimek shared co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors with Lindsay Bowen last year after averaging 10.4 points and ranking second in the Big Ten by pulling down 9.1 rebounds per game. Although she is a tough, physical low-post player, Shimek has improved her outside game and may see time in the back court this year.
Added to the mix are freshmen Myisha Bannister and Katrina Grantham. Grantham, from Saginaw, Mich., was an all-state pick who led Heritage High School to the state title and finished fourth in the Ms. Basketball voting. Bannister, a Cleveland native, averaged 12.2 points, 8.2 rebounds 3.2 blocks and 2.3 steals as a senior and scored over 1,000 points in her career.
Shooting Stars
Michigan State was one of the nation's top shooting teams last season, and there's no reason to believe the trend won't continue this year. Last year MSU ranked third nationally in three-point field goal percentage (.397), fifth in free throw percentage (.783) and 30th in field goal percentage (.448). The returning players could improve those numbers, as they combined to shoot 42.6 percent from three-point range, 81.6 percent from the charity stripe and 46.8 percent from the field - all numbers that are significantly better than last year's figures.
Youth Is Served
Although MSU has a much more experienced squad this season, it is still a young team consisting largely of freshmen and sophomores. In fact, research completed by Sara Day of Loyola College indicated that at the time of the survey in September, Michigan State had tied for the eighth youngest team in the country with an average age of 19.2 years.
Jackson Sidelined....Again
Redshirt junior Candice Jackson's streak of bad luck continues this year, as she has suffered her third knee injury in four seasons. Jackson suffered a partial tear in her right knee ligament just prior to the start of practice, and is expected to be out at least through November. Jackson missed the final 15 games of her freshman season (2000-01) after tearing her left ACL, and redshirted last year after tearing the ACL again during the second game of the season.
Spartans Sign Four
Michigan State women's basketball coach Joanne P. McCallie has announced that four players have signed national letters of intent to join the Spartan women's basketball program in 2004-05.
The signees include Courtney Davidson (PG, 5-5, Youngstown, Ohio/Ursuline High School), Maggie Dwyer (G, 6-0, Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven High School), Laura Hall (C, 6-4, Temperance, Mich./Bedford High School) and Melanie Small (F, 5-10, Copley, Ohio/Copley High School).
Davidson was a Street & Smith honorable mention All-American in 2003, and is ranked as the No. 33 player in the nation by National Roundball Journal and the No. 43 player by All-Star Girls Report. As a junior in 2002-03, she averaged 19 points per game, was named first-team Division III All-State and the Northeast Ohio Player of the Year and was an all-conference selection. This past summer, she was named an adidas Top Ten Camp Upperclass All-Star, and was an AAU 16-Under All-American.
Davidson is already Ursuline's all-time leading scorer with 1,512 career points entering her senior season. She has averaged 19.7 points per game during her career, along with 8.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 steals. She is a career 41 percent three-point field goal shooter, and has sunk 82 percent of her free throws.
Dwyer has started all 84 games during her four-year high school career as of Nov. 10, and went over the 1,000 career point mark earlier this year. She was averaging 15.4 points, 12.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.8 steals per game as of Nov. 10. Dwyer, who moved to point guard this year after spending three seasons playing on the wing, led Grand Haven to a 19-3 record last season and the O-K Red Conference title.
Dwyer, ranked No. 161 nationally by All-Star Girls Report, was MVP of the all-state camp in Midland this summer, was an all-state special mention selection and a Detroit Free Press second-team all-state pick in 2002 and has been first-team all-conference every year of high school. She was a first-team all-area pick by the Grand Rapids Press last season, and has been named to the Muskegon Chronicle's all-area first-team every season. The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press both ranked her as the state's fifth-best player prior to her senior season.
Hall led Bedford to an 18-0 record and a No. 4 Class A ranking as of Nov. 10 by averaging 13.9 points and 7.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game while shooting 53 percent from the field despite double- and triple-team defenses. On Nov. 6, she became the first player in school history to surpass the 1,000 career point mark. Hall was named a Street & Smith's honorable mention All-American last season and is picked as the nation's 138th-ranked player by All-Star Girls Report. She was selected as the state's sixth-best player prior to her senior season by the Detroit Free Press, and the No. 9 player by The Detroit News.
Hall, a team captain, was named the Monroe Evening News Player of the Year as a junior after averaging 13.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game, while leading the Mules to a school-best 21-5 record, their first regional championship and first district title since 1983. She was named first-team all-conference as a junior and as a sophomore, when she averaged 11.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks.
Small averaged 17.5 points and 8.5 rebounds while being named All-Northeast Ohio Inland District and special mention All-Ohio her junior season to help Copley earn a share of the Suburban League title. The Indians reached the district championship before ending their season with a 21-3 record. As a sophomore, she averaged 15.0 points and led Copley to a 19-4 record while being named to the Ohio Girls Basketball Magazine All-Sophomore team.
Small, who has been a starter since her freshman year, was one of 12 players named to the All-Sun team by Sun Newspapers as both a sophomore and a junior, and was a first team All-Suburban League selection as a freshman, sophomore and junior. All-Star Girls Report ranks Small as the No. 130 player in the nation.
On Deck
Michigan State continues its opening four-game homestand when the Spartans host Eastern Michigan Friday, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m. in the Breslin Center. It will be MSU's last home game for over a month, as the Spartans will not play another home contest until Dec. 29 vs. Cincinnati
