Michigan State Heads Into Conference Play Against Indiana
12/26/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 26, 2006
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EAST LANSING, Mich. - While the Michigan State women's basketball team may have played five opponents for the first time in the non-conference portion of the schedule, the opening of the Big Ten Conference season means many familiar opponents, with perhaps none as familiar as Indiana and its first-year head coach Felisha Legette-Jack.
Legette-Jack, who served as an assistant coach under MSU head coach Joanne P. McCallie for two seasons, joined the Hoosiers' program this season after four years at Hofstra. She has quickly led the Hoosiers to an 11-2 record and currently has the team receiving votes in the Associated Press national poll.
McCallie, meanwhile, has been dominant against Indiana during the last four seasons, winning six straight meetings. She has also kept the Spartans in the national rankings for more than 60 straight polls. While picking up her 300th career win this season, she has coached the Spartans to a 9-2 record.
The Spartans will take the court with the conference's leading helper (senior Rene Haynes, 4.55 assists per game) and shot-blcoker (freshman Allyssa DeHaan, 4.64 blocks per game). The Hoosiers are led by junior Nikki Smith's 12.9 points and 2.15 3-pointers per game.
Spartan Notables
• Michigan State has come from behind in the second half to win each of its last two games.
• MSU has won six straight overtime games, encapsulating a three-year span since beating Northwestern, 67-57, on Jan. 22, 2004.
• MSU had four players score in double figures for the third time this season against Cal State Northridge.
• Freshman Allyssa DeHaan's 51 blocked shots is just six shy of the school record of 57 set by Kristen Rasmussen in 1998-99.
• DeHaan posted 18 rebounds, the most for a Spartan since Liz Shimek pulled in 19 against Pepperdine on Dec. 17, 2003.
• Junior Alisa Wulff has three 3-pointers in the last two games, all hit with the Spartans behind in the game.
• The Spartans have been outscored just once in the second half through the first 11 games.
• Senior Victoria Lucas-Perry is within nine points of becoming the 28th player in school history to reach 900 in her career.
• Senior Rene Haynes is two steals shy of becoming the sixth player in school history to reach 200 career swipes.
• South Florida, which shot 45 percent from the field, is the only team to shoot over 36 percent against the Spartans this year.
