Women's Basketball Visits Oklahoma State Tuesday
12/1/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 1, 2003
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No. 24 MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS (4-0)vs. OKLAHOMA STATE COWGIRLS (1-3)When Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2003, 7 p.m. CSTSite Stillwater, Okla. (Gallagher-Iba Arena)Radio The Fan 730 AMTelevision NoneCoaches MSU: Joanne P. McCallie (Northwestern, 1987) Overall: 217-116 (12th season); MSU: 50-43 (Fourth season) Oklahoma State: Julie Goodenough (Texas-Arlington, 1991) Overall: 197-78 (11th season); OSU: 9-24 (Second season)Opening Tip
Michigan State hits the road for the first time this season, when the Spartans visit Oklahoma State Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. Central time. Michigan State opened the season with an unblemished four-game homestand, but now the Spartans play the first of five consecutive road contests. For the Cowgirls, it will be the first home game of the season. Oklahoma State has played two road games, as well as a pair of games at neutral sites.
Rank You Very Much
For the first time in seven seasons, Michigan State has cracked a national Top 25 poll. The Spartans are in this week's Associated Press Top 25, checking in at No. 24. It is the first time that MSU has earned a national ranking since the final poll of the 1996-97 season when MSU was ranked No. 21 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 24 in the AP poll. The ESPN/USA Today coaches poll for Dec. 1 was not yet available at the time these notes were completed.
Going For Five
Michigan State will look to win its fifth straight game to start the season Tuesday at Oklahoma State, which is something that has only happened three times previously in MSU history. The 1999-2000 team had the best ever start in MSU history, racing to a 7-0 start. Prior to that, you have to go back to the 1984-85 season to find an MSU squad that won its first five games (that team lost its sixth game). The 1983-84 team was the first to start 5-0, and won a sixth game before finally losing.
Scouting The Cowgirls
Oklahoma State returns five letterwinners but just one starter from last year's team which finished 8-21 overall and 3-13 (tied for ninth) in the Big 12 in head coach Julie Goodenough's first year at the helm. OSU has suffered losses to Tulsa (58-56), at Wichita State (54-49) and at Washington (89-65), with its lone victory coming vs. Yale (74-51).
Senior center Trisha Skibbe was named to the Seattle Times Classic All-Tournament team last weekend after averaging 28.5 points and seven rebounds in two games. For the season, Skibbe, who was a second-team All-Big 12 pick last year, is averaging 20.0 points and 8.5 rebounds. Junior guard Nina Stone is the only other player scoring in double figures, averaging 15.0 points and a team-high 3.5 assists. Junior center Elis Gomes, a 6-4 junior college transfer, adds 7.0 points, 4.3 boards and 2.0 blocks per game.
Last Year's Meeting: Michigan State 91, Oklahoma State 39
In a dominating performance not seen at MSU since the early years of the program, the Michigan State women's basketball team hammered Oklahoma State, 91-39, in front of 4,316 fans Sunday in the Breslin Center. The 52-point margin of victory was the largest in a game for MSU since a 91-36 win against Wayne State, Jan 3, 1978. The victory, MSU's fourth in its last five games, improved the Spartans' record to 6-4, while Oklahoma State slipped to 3-7.
Syreeta Bromfield had her second double-double of the season with 24 points and 12 rebounds and added five assists and five steals with no turnovers for MSU. Kelli Roehrig also had a double-double, the first of her career, with 10 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. Lindsay Bowen had a career-high with 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting, while Liz Shimek added 16 points and nine rebounds.
MSU rolled to a 48-13 halftime lead, tying a then-Breslin Center record for fewest points allowed in a half, and allowed its fewest points in a game (39) since defeating Samford 63-35 Dec. 8, 2000. Offensively, MSU shot 50 percent from the floor (32-of-64) en route to its most points scored since getting 101 against Chicago State Nov. 26, 2000.
The game was never close, as MSU scored the first seven points, and had built a 29-4 lead with 8:40 left in the opening half. A Bromfield bucket just before the half gave MSU its biggest first-half lead, 48-13, at intermission. MSU made seven-of-12 three-pointers in the opening 20 minutes, outrebounded OSU 27-13, and forced 14 turnovers while committing just five to build the big lead. Oklahoma State shot just 25 percent in the opening period, making six of its 24 shots.
The lead continued to build throughout the second half, growing to 40 points at 57-17 and 50 points at 77-27 with 5:19 still to play. Two free throws by Jennifer Callier gave MSU its largest lead of 58 points at 91-33 with 44 second left as MSU threatened the school record for margin of victory, which stands at 61. However, six points in the final 30 seconds by the Cowgirls erased any chances of that happening, and also prevented OSU from setting a new Breslin Center record for fewest points in a game (38 by Indiana, 2/11/90).
MSU dominated the statistics, finishing with a 49-25 rebounding advantage, holding Oklahoma State to 28.1 percent shooting (16-of-57) and forcing 23 turnovers while committing 15. MSU made 19-of-24 free throws (79.2 percent) while OSU sank just four of its six attempts. The Cowgirls also made only three of their 14 three-point tries while MSU nailed 8-of-16, including four treys by Bowen and three by Bromfield.
Kristin Haynie added seven points, five assists, tied a career-high with five steals and had no turnovers for MSU, which collected 15 steals during the game.
Series Records
Michigan State and Oklahoma State will be meeting for only the third time. Last year's meeting at the Breslin Center was the second meeting, and was nothing like the first meeting, which was a classic. In the only other previous encounter, Oklahoma State earned a 96-94 win in triple overtime in an NCAA Tournament second round game vs. MSU on March 16, 1991, in Stillwater.
Last Game: MSU Cruises Past Eastern Michigan, 79-62
Michigan State picked up right where it left off after last Wednesday night's pummeling of nationally-ranked Notre Dame, racing to a 46-19 halftime lead en route to a 79-62 victory over Eastern Michigan last Friday night at the Breslin Center. The Spartans improved to 4-0 while handing Eastern Michigan its first loss of the season after the Eagles had won their first three games by an average of 42.7 points.
Julie Pagel had 14 points, nine rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks to lead the Spartan effort. Lindsay Bowen was the team's leading scorer for the second straight game, scoring 16 points on six-of-10 shooting, while Kristin Haynie added 10 points and four assists.
MSU's frenetic defense helped the Spartans control the game, as MSU forced a season-best 27 turnovers, converting them into 35 points. Conversely, the Spartans had 15 turnovers resulting in 12 Eagle points. Michigan State also hit 54.5 percent of its shots in the first half (18-of-33) to help build the large halftime cushion.
The Spartans sank their first three shots to take a quick 7-0 lead and never looked back. Eastern Michigan trailed just 20-14 midway through the period, but MSU scored the next nine points, all on three-pointers, and 13 of the next 14 to take a 33-15 lead.
The Eagles scored four quick points to close within 33-19, but MSU ended the half on a 13-0 run, with five different players scoring during the spurt, to take a the 46-19 edge into the lockerroom.
Over the final 11:42 of the first half, Michigan State outscored EMU 26-5. The Eagles hit just 2-of-14 shots during the decisive stretch while committing 11 turnovers. Meanwhile, the Spartans made 9-of-17 shots during the stretch.
In the second half, Eastern Michigan scored the first seven points to cut the margin to 46-26, and got as close as 14 points on two occasions, thanks largely to the three-point shooting of Sarah VanMetre, who hit five of her seven treys in the second half on her way to a game-high 25 points.
But MSU had an answer every time, scoring just enough to keep Eastern Michigan at bay despite 30.6 percent shooting in the second period. MSU finished the game shooting a season-low 42.0 percent from the field (29-of-69), but did sink four-of-nine three-pointers and made 89.5 percent (17-of-19) of its free throws.
MSU had a 39-36 edge in rebounds, led by Pagel's nine and seven from Patrice McKinney, who also added eight points. MSU had 21 offensive rebounds to own a 22-12 advantage in second-chance points, and held a 36-20 lead in points in the paint.
Boarding School
Despite often playing with a three-guard lineup that includes no one over 6-1, MSU is off to another strong start on the boards. The Spartans have outrebounded each of their first four opponents, and have a +10.8 average rebounding margin. MSU outrebounded Notre Dame, 40-20, and did not allow an offensive rebound in the first half. Last year, MSU ranked 11th nationally with an average rebounding margin of +7.7.
MSU is doing it with balance, as five players are averaging at least 4.0 rebounds per game, including three who average 5.5 or better per game.
Tis Better To Give AND To Taketh Away
MSU's quick start has been fueled by unselfish play, aggressive defense, and an ability to take care of the ball. The Spartans have 65 assists in four games while committing only 52 turnovers. Conversely, Spartan opponents have just 46 assists while turning the ball over 76 times.
Balance The Key
Much of MSU's early season success can be attributed to the Spartans' balance. Five players average double-figure points and nine players are averaging at least 10 minutes per game. Opponents can't focus on one or two MSU players, as three different players have led the team in scoring in the first four games, and six players have had at least one game with double-digit points. Also, through four games, five different players have held or shared the team lead in steals, four players in rebounding and blocks and three players in assists.
Shooting The Lights Out
Michigan State has been hot from the field this season, shooting an even 50 percent from the field in its first four games, including a season-high 58.2 percent against Temple. Surprisingly, it's not the post players that are shooting the highest percentages, but MSU's backcourt tandem of junior point guard Kristin Haynie and sophomore shooting guard Lindsay Bowen. Bowen has canned 20 of her 35 field goal attempts (57.1 percent), including 9-of-19 from three-point range (.474). Haynie has made 20-of-36 field goal attempts for 55.6 percent this season, in addition to shooting 94.1 percent from the free throw line (16-of-17).
Beating The Best
Michigan State's victory over No. 17/20 Notre Dame last Wednesday was fourth-year head coach Joanne P. McCallie's seventh victory over a nationally-ranked squad since taking over at MSU. 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 ever had over ranked opponents in a season was five during the 1996-97 Big Ten Championship campaign.
Fantastic Facts
There were several noteworthy achievements during MSU's 92-63 victory over No. 17/20 Notre Dame, including:
* It was the second-largest margin of victory ever for MSU over a nationally-ranked team, trailing only an 82-52 victory over No. 7/7 Vanderbilt Jan. 15, 1997
* The 92 points scored by MSU were the most by the Spartans since a 101-52 victory over Chicago State Nov. 26, 2000, and the third most points ever scored by MSU against a ranked team.
* The 92 points was the most given up by Notre Dame since a 96-75 loss to Connecticut in the 1999 Big East tournament.
* MSU handed Notre Dame its worst regular-season loss since a 105-70 setback to No. 1 Tennessee Jan. 7, 1994.
* Other than Tennessee, no team has beaten Notre Dame by 29 points since Purdue defeated the Irish by 33 (74-41) Dec. 4, 1992. In 17 tries, Connecticut has never beaten Notre Dame by as many as 29 points
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 a 78-40 victory over Temple Nov. 23. 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.
Seven of MSU's ten available players have made at least one three-point basket this season.
In addition, MSU has made at least one three-point basket in 40 consecutive games as a team, thanks largely to sophomore Lindsay Bowen, who has made at least one triple in 30 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.
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 57.0 points per game and opponents are shooting just .399 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 32 steals and 22 fast-break points.
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 four games, only one player is averaging 30 or more minutes per game (Lindsay Bowen - 30.8). Nine players are averaging at least 10 minutes per game for MSU.
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. Haynes averaged a team-best 15.0 points, while Shimek added 12.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. 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.
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 last 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 in the Spartan Classic.
Make More Than They Take
Free throws continue to be a key to MSU's success, as the Spartans have made more free throws (62) than their opponents have attempted (51). The story was much the same last year, as MSU made 390 free throws, while opponents shot just 362. The Spartans made their free throws at a .783 rate last season, which was fifth best in the nation, and are shooting .765 from the stripe this season.
What's Up With That?
Speaking of free throws, last year Lindsay Bowen started her college career by making her first 37 free throws before a miss. This season, she missed her very first attempt. Bowen has actually already missed twice this season (nine-of-11), after only missing three free throws her entire freshman season (63-of-66).
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.
Useless Stat of the Game
Tuesday's game at Oklahoma State will be MSU's first game in the month of December. The Spartans are 18-9 all-time in their first game during the month of December, and have won their last two.
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.
RPI is A-OK
It's a little early for the Rating Percentage Index (RPI) to mean anything at this point of the season, but when your team shows up at No. 8 in the RPI according to collegerpi.com, you want people to know about it. The Spartans reached the No. 8 spot as of Sunday, Nov. 30, thanks to a 4-0 record against a schedule that is ranked as the 18th toughest.
Playing The Best
Michigan State has eight games against five teams that are ranked in the current Top 25 polls. The Spartans play Penn State, Purdue and Ohio State twice each, and Minnesota and Notre Dame once.
In addition, MSU plays seven other teams that are receiving votes in one or both polls: Cincinnati, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, 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 through part of December. 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 five-game road swing when the Spartans visit Kent State Saturday, Dec. 6, at 2 p.m. Kent State will be looking for revenge following last year's 85-72 MSU victory in the Breslin Center. Kent State is 2-0 with wins over Rice and Rhode Island entering a Wednesday game at Wisconsin-Green Bay.
