No. 25 Women's Basketball Meets Toledo Saturday
12/10/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 10, 2003
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No. 25 MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS (5-1) vs. TOLEDO ROCKETS (4-2) When Saturday, Dec. 13, 2003, 7 p.m. EST Site Toledo, Ohio (John F. Savage Hall) Radio The Fan 730 AM TV None Coaches MSU: Joanne P. McCallie (Northwestern, 1987) Overall: 218-117 (12th season); MSU: 51-44 (Fourth season) Toledo: Mark Ehlen (Ohio State, 1975) Overall: 303-197 (18th season); UT: 181-67 (Ninth season)
Opening TipAfter a one-week break for final exams, Michigan State plays the middle game of a five-game road swing when the Spartans visit Toledo Saturday, Dec. 13, at 7 p.m. The Spartans have already defeated two Mid-American Conference teams this season, earning wins over Eastern Michigan (79-62) and at Kent State (55-48). Toledo is 4-2 after edging Hampton, 61-60, Tuesday night.
Bench Production
Michigan State's bench was the key to victory at Kent State last Saturday, as the Spartans' reserves outscored Kent State's, 28-1. MSU's bench has scored at least 20 points in all but one game this season, and has outscored the opponent's bench in four of six games. Michigan State's bench has been responsible for 140 of MSU's 438 points this season (32.0 percent).
Balance The Key
Much of MSU's early season success can be attributed to the Spartans' balance. After Victoria Lucas-Perry's team-high 13-point outing last Saturday at Kent State, seven MSU players have scored in double figures this season, and five different players have led the team in scoring in the first six games.
Also, three players average double-figure points and nine players are averaging at least nine minutes per game. And it's not just the scoring that's balanced, as five different players have held or shared the team lead in steals, four players in rebounding and blocks and three players in assists.
Scouting The Rockets
Toledo returns eight letterwinners and three starters from last year's squad that finished 20-10 overall and 12-4 (tied for first) in the Mid-American Conference West Division. The Rockets have won three straight games, and are 2-1 in home games this season, defeating Duquesne (81-57) and Youngstown State (73-50) but losing to Detroit (50-49) in the season opener.
Senior guard Kelly Walker, Toledo's leading returning scorer from last season, tops the squad this year with a 16.2 scoring average. Walker is deadly from outside, draining 21-of-46 three-pointers this season (45.7 percent). Six-foot, four-inch junior center Karin Hoogendam averages 12.3 points and grabs a team-high 8.2 rebounds per game. Freshman guard Danielle Bishop is the other Rocket scoring in double digits, averaging 1.0 points. Senior point guard Mary Blessing averages 4.7 assists per game while adding 8.2 points.
Toledo shoots the same percentage from the field (.377) as it does from the three-point line. The Rockets are outrebounded by 2.5 boards per game, but hold a +3.5 turnover margin, forcing 21.7 turnovers per contest.
Last Year's Meeting: Toledo 58, Michigan State 55
Michigan State held the lead for nearly 33 of the last 36 minutes vs. Toledo, but Toledo led when it mattered most - at the final horn. Then-junior 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.
In a game that was dramatically different from MSU's first two contests, which averaged 160 total points, 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 undermanned Spartans, who dressed just eight players while playing their third game in four days. 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.
Series Records
Michigan State has not fared well vs. Toledo, winning just one of the prior five meetings. Toledo has won the last three contests, including a 58-55 decision last season in East Lansing. The Rockets also won games in 1994 and 1995. MSU's only win came at home on Dec. 15, 1983 (77-68).
Last Game: MSU Outfights Kent State, 55-48
Freshman guard Victoria Lucas-Perry scored a career-high 13 points and Rene Haynes and Julie Pagel hit key 3-pointers down the stretch in No. 24 Michigan State's 55-48 victory over Kent State on Saturday.
Haynes hit a 3-pointer with 7:22 left to give the Spartans (5-1) a 47-43 lead. After a layup by Andrea Csaszar of Kent State (2-2) cut the lead to one, Pagel hit a 3-pointer with 4:17 left to push the lead to 50-46 and start a 8-2 run to finish the game.
MSU jumped to a 13-3 lead before Heather Harris hit the first of five 3-pointers to start a 14-2 run that gave the Golden Flashes a 17-15 lead.
Harris hit two foul shots to give Kent State its biggest lead 32-29 with 15:41 left.
Pagel, who finished with six points, scored on a 3-point play with 12 minutes left to give the Spartans the lead for good, 37-34.
Lucas-Perry hit 4-of-10 shots, including three 3-pointers as the Spartans hit 33 percent of its shots.
Harris was 6-of-11 from the field and hit 5-of-6 3-pointers, finishing with career high 20 points.
Bouncing Back
Michigan State continued its recent trend of bouncing back after a loss, as the Spartans are now 9-3 over the past two seasons after a defeat. At one point last season, MSU won seven consecutive games after a loss, including three wins over nationally-ranked teams.
Rank You Very Much
For the first time in seven seasons, Michigan State is in a national Top 25 poll. The Spartans jumped into the Dec. 1 Associated Press Top 25 poll, checking in at No. 24, and are currently ranked 25th. 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 Spartans just missed being ranked in this week's coaches poll, coming in at No. 28.
Scoring In Bunches
This year's Michigan State team has the ability to be one of the highest scoring teams in Spartan history. Even after being held to just 55 points in MSU's last game, the Spartans are averaging 73.0 points per game, and had scored at least 74 points in each of their first four games. The MSU record for scoring average in a season is 76.8 points per game.
In each of head coach Joanne P. McCallie's years at MSU, her teams have improved offensively. In her first season, her team averaged 59.3 points per game in 2000-01, before averaging 64.5 points in 2001-02 and increasing the average again to 68.7 points last season.
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 six opponents, and have a +8.3 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 four players average between 7.2 and 4.2 rebounds 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 92 assists in six games while committing only 85 turnovers. Conversely, Spartan opponents have just 72 assists while turning the ball over 111 times.
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 57.2 points per game and opponents are shooting just .397 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 69 steals and 33 fast-break points.
Spreading The Wealth
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 six games, every player is averaging less than 32.8 minutes per game. Nine players are averaging at least nine minutes per game for MSU, and only two (Liz Shimek - 32.3; Lindsay Bowen - 32.0) average over 30 minutes.
Head Of The Class
Despite having four returning starters from last season, MSU is still a young team, with five freshman and two sophomores among the 11 players on the roster. And the youngsters are contributing heavily, as MSU gets almost two-thirds of its points and rebounds from underclassmen, with the sophomores holding a slight edge in scoring and the freshmen in rebounding. A look at MSU's production from the four classes so far this season:
Points ReboundsSeniors 56 (12.8%) 29 (13.9%)Juniors 102 (23.3%) 41 (19.6%)Sophomores 144 (32.9%) 66 (31.6%)Freshmen 136 (31.1%) 73 (34.9%)
Useless Stat of the Game
All five players that started MSU's last game at Kent State now have field goal percentages that start with a "4" and end with a "1", and are within 40 points of each other. Liz Shimek and Lindsay Bowen are both shooting .491, Patrice McKinney is shooting .481, Kelli Roehrig is shooting .471 and Kristin Haynie is shooting .451.
Cooling Off
After a hot start from the field this season, MSU's shooting touch has begun cooling off. The Spartans shot 58.2 percent from the floor in a victory over Temple in the second game of the season, and then shot 56.7 percent vs. Notre Dame. The Spartans slipped to a 42.0 percentage vs. Eastern Michigan, dropped to .411 at Oklahoma State, and fell to 33.3 percent last Saturday at Kent State.
Beating The Best
Michigan State's victory over No. 17/20 Notre Dame Nov. 26 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 42 consecutive games as a team, thanks largely to sophomore Lindsay Bowen, who has made at least one triple in 33 of her 35 career games. Bowen was 0-of-5 from downtown last Saturday at Kent State, stopping a string of 31 straight games with at least one made three-point basket.
Make More Than They Take
Free throws continue to be a key to MSU's success, as the Spartans have made more free throws (88) than their opponents have attempted (83). 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 .772 from the stripe so far 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 four times this season (15-of-19), after only missing three free throws her entire freshman season (63-of-66).
Overtime Troubles
Liz Shimek nearly sent MSU's game at Oklahoma State into overtime, narrowly missing two field goals just before the buzzer that would have tied the game. Perhaps its just as well that Shimek missed, as MSU has not fared well in extra periods. MSU has lost its last nine consecutive games that have gone into overtime, including three double overtime games. The Spartans have not won in overtime since an 80-78 victory at Texas Nov. 29, 1997. However, the Spartans have not played an overtime game since a 2002 Big Ten Tournament double overtime loss to Ohio State, meaning that only four of the 11 players on the current roster (Julie Pagel, Candice Jackson, Kristin Haynie and Kelli Roehrig) have taken part in an overtime game at 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.
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.
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.
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.
Playing The Best
Michigan State will likely play at least eight games against five teams that have earned Top 25 rankings. The Spartans play Penn State, Purdue and Ohio State twice each and Minnesota once, and have already played then-No. 17/20 Notre Dame.
In addition, MSU opponents Cincinnati and Pepperdine are currently receiving votes for the Top 25, and Illinois, Iowa, Kent State, Michigan, Toledo and UCLA have also been listed among the "Others Receiving Votes" this season.
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 seven of the 11 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 heads west to California to complete a five-game road swing. The Spartans will battle Pepperdine Dec. 17, and visit UCLA Dec. 19. Both games begin at 7 p.m. Pepperdine is 2-3, but all three losses have come against nationally-ranked teams (No. 1 UConn, No. 6 Stanford and No. 14 Oklahoma). The Waves visit Illinois Sunday before hosting the Spartans. UCLA is 2-2 with a victory over Illinois and a game coming up Saturday at Purdue.
