No. 24 Spartan Women Host Western Michigan Sunday
11/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
EAST LANSING, Mich. - No. 24 Michigan State women's basketball opens the season against Western Michigan on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. at the Breslin Center. All-time, the Spartans are 28-15 in season openers, but 20-2 when the opener is in East Lansing. Coach Merchant is 5-3 in season openers at MSU, and has won 11 of her last 14, including her time at Eastern Michigan.
| No. 24 Michigan State (0-0) vs. Western Michigan (1-0) | |
| Date | Sunday, Nov. 15 |
| Time | 2 p.m. ET |
| Location | East Lansing, Mich. | Breslin Center |
| Tickets | Click To Purchase |
| Television | None |
| Radio | Spartan Sports Network | WJIM-AM 1240 |
| Game Notes | Michigan State | Western Michigan |
| Statistics | Michigan State | Western Michigan |
| Internet Coverage | |
| Promotions | Camper Appreciation |
| Social Media | @MSU_WBasketball  | Facebook  | Instagram  |
STARTING FIVE
• Michigan State opens the 2015-16 season on Sunday, Nov. 15 against Western Michigan at 2 p.m. at the Breslin Center.
• All-time, the Spartans are 28-15 in season openers, but 20-2 when the opener is in East Lansing. Coach Merchant is 5-3 in season openers at MSU, and has won 11 of her last 14, including her time at Eastern Michigan.
Michigan State is 34-8 in home openers , and have won 15 of their last 16. The Spartans are 7-1 under head coach Suzy Merchant in their first game at Breslin Center. Coach Merchant has won 13 of her last 14 home openers dating back to her time at EMU.
• Michigan State opens the season No. 24 in the preseason Associated Press poll and received votes in the USA Today Coaches poll.
• Western Michigan head coach Shane Clipfell and MSU head coach Suzy Merchant are well acquainted. Clipfell was an assistant coach under Merchant at both Eastern Michigan and Michigan State. He was an assistant at EMU during the 1998-99 season. He also was an assistant at Michigan State for five seasons.
• The Broncos have other Spartan connections as assistant coach Rick Albro was also an assistant coach at MSU under Merchant. WMU assistant coach Cetera Washington was a player for the Spartans, graduating in 2011. She finished 11th all-time at MSU with 60 blocks and had a career line of 3.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.
ABOUT WESTERN MICHIGAN
Western Michigan ended last season 20-13 overall and 11-7 in the Mid-American Conference. The Broncos were picked third in the West Division behind Eastern Michigan and Ball State. The 2014-15 campaign was one of Western Michigan's most successful in program history, as the team was one victory shy of tying the school record for wins (21) set in 1978.
The Broncos opened the season against UW-Parkside in Kalamazoo on Friday with a 56-49 win. Teagan Reeves led WMU with 21 points and six rebounds. Meredith Shipman added 12 points and four assists.
POWERS EARNS PRESEASON HONOR
Michigan State junior forward Aerial Powers was named Associated Press honorable mention preseason All-America. Powers, a native of Detroit, Michigan, earned honorable mention All-American honors by both the AP and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) following her sophomore campaign. She is one of seven All-Americans in Michigan State history.
The forward had a record-setting season in 2015, establishing new Spartan single-season records for points (678) and rebounds (375). She also became just the second Michigan State women's basketball player to average over 20 points per game. Powers also broke the MSU record for scoring average with a 21.9 points per game. She shattered a 40 year-old record, as Linda Stoick averaged 20.4 ppg during the 1975 season.
LAST TIME OUT: MSU 74, MICHIGAN TECH 43
Four Michigan State women's basketball players scored in double figures to pace the Spartans past Michigan Tech, 74-43, Sunday in exhibition action at the Breslin Center.
Junior guard Tori Jankoska led the charge with 21 points to lead all scorers, also adding seven rebounds and two steals. Senior center Jasmine Hines made a triumphant return to the lineup after missing much of last season with an injury. Hines scored 15 points and added eight boards. Senior forward Akyah Taylor also returned to the MSU lineup, matching Hines with 15 points to go along with six rebounds. The fourth Spartan in double figures was redshirt-sophomore Branndais Agee, who missed all of last season with an injury. Agee scored 11 points and added four boards, three steals and three assists.
All 13 Michigan State players that dressed got into the game, as the Spartans looked to get experience for their young squad. Sophomore guard Morgan Green also shined in her MSU debut with eight assists and eight rebounds.
Michigan Tech was led by 20 points by Morgan Anderson, the only Husky player in double-figures, while Brenna Heise pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.
IN THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER
The Spartans are 102-36 (73.9%) all-time in the month of November. Under Coach Merchant, Michigan State is 41-9 (82.0%) in November, with six of the nine losses coming against top-10 opponents. The Spartans have won 17 of their last 19 in the month.
AGAINST IN-STATE SCHOOLS
Michigan State has had great success against other collegiate programs in the state of Michigan over the past 12 seasons. Since the beginning of the 2002-03 season, the Spartans are 44-4 (.917) against in-state rivals, including a 29-4 (.879) mark under Coach Merchant. All-time, Michigan State is 177-59 (.750) against other Michigan schools.
WHO'S BACK
This season the Spartans return their top two scorers from last season in All-Big Ten honorees Aerial Powers and Tori Jankoska. Both had monster sophomore campaigns with Powers averaging 21.9 points and 12.1 rebounds per game. Jankoska was second on the team in scoring averaging 17.5 ppg and was first in assists with 3.9 apg. Sophomores Lexi Gussert and Kennedy Johnson are back with a year under their belts. Due to an injury plagued season last year both played 29 games. Senior Cara Miller also so significant time last season, playing in 30 games and starting 11.
Michigan State also had three players returning to the lineup. Senior Jasmine Hines missed most of the 2014-15 season with injury, while redshirt-sophomore Branndais Agee was out all of last season. Senior Akyah Taylor comes back to East Lansing after two seasons at St. Francis. Taylor played in 16 games during the 2012-13 season.
FANS CONTINUE TO PACK THE BRESLIN
Michigan State women's basketball continues to pack the Breslin Center, finishing the 2014-15 season 10th in the nation in home attendance. The Spartans averaged 6,119 fans in 16 home games this season. MSU had a total of 97,906 fans pass through the gates. This is the 11th-straight season that the Spartans have been ranked in the top 15 nationally in attendance. MSU has had a total attendance of at least 80,000 since 2005-06.
ON THIS DATE
Michigan State is 5-1 all-time on November 15, winning its last four on this date. In 2012, the Spartans defeated Eastern Michigan 60-49 on Nov. 15. MSU's last loss on this date was to LSU 64-41 in 2007.
Aerial Powers GOLD MEDALIST
Junior forward Aerial Powers has a very eventful offseason. She helped guide the United States to a gold medal in the World University Games. The U.S. defeated Canada in the gold medal game, as Powers led the team with 27 points and nine rebounds. Powers also led the team in scoring for the tournament with 18.0 points per game on 51.4 percent shooting from the floor. She averaged 6.0 rebounds per game in six games. The United States finished with a perfect 6-0 record after going 3-0 in the group stage and sweeping through the medal round. USA Basketball women's teams have participated in 18 World University Games and collected a record 10 golds, six silvers and one bronze medal. Team USA has won gold medals in the past six World University Games
in which it has competed (2001, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015).
WELCOME BACK JASMINE
After missing much of the 2014-15 season with a concussion, senior center Jasmine Hines will come back for the 2015-16 season. Hines played in eight games last season, averaging 8.4 points and 6.6 rebounds. She was averaging 23.5 minutes per game.
SPARTANS RANKED IN PRESEASON POLL
Michigan State women's basketball will open the 2015-16 season ranked No. 24 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, which was released Tuesday. Complete Rankings
This marks the third-straight season that the Spartans are ranked in the Preseason AP Poll after being No. 20 in 2013-14 and No. 14 in 2014-15. It is also the sixth time under head coach Suzy Merchant that MSU has had a preseason AP ranking with a No. 17 ranking in her first year at the helm of the Spartans in 2007-08, along with No. 10 in 2009-10 and No. 25 in 2010-11. The Spartans are one of four Big Ten Conference teams in this year's Preseason AP Top 25, joined by No. 6 Ohio State, No. 9 Maryland and No. 19 Northwestern. Additionally, Rutgers and Iowa were among others receiving votes.
Those three opponents make up a total of five preseason ranked foes on the Spartans' 2015-16 schedule, along with No. 5 Baylor, No. 8 Louisville.
UP NEXT
Following the season opener against the Broncos, the Spartans prepare for a busy week with two games next week. MSU will have a re-match with Georgia on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. Last season, the Lady Bulldogs edged the Spartan 69-60 in Athens on Dec. 7. Michigan State will then take on Idaho State for the first time in school history on Saturday, Nov. 21. The time of the game is still to be determined.
MSU SIGNS NATIONALLY RANKED RECRUITING CLASS
Michigan State women's basketball head coach Suzy Merchant announced the signing of three National Letters of Intent on Wednesday, including Mardrekia Cook (Muskegon, Michigan/Muskegon), Nia Hollie (Minnetonka, Minnesota/Hopkins) and Taryn McCutcheon (Parkersburg, West Virginia/Parkersburg South). The three players are currently ranked No. 11 by ESPN Hoopgurlz.
Cook is a 6-0 forward from Muskegon, Michigan, who plays for head coach Rodney Walker at Muskegon High School. She is ranked No. 37 in the nation by both ESPN's Hoopgurlz and Dan Olson's Collegiate Girls Basketball Report. As junior, Cook averaged 22 points and 14 rebounds, leading Muskegon back to the district finals. In just three seasons, she surpassed the 1,000-point mark and is a three-time all-conference selection. Last season, she also added first-team all-state accolades to her resume. She has also played AAU for Michigan Crossover and head coach Emez Oliver, which took second place at the Nike Nationals in July of 2015. She is the daughter of Sabrina Ware and Mardrekus Cook.
Hollie is a 6-0 forward from Minnetonka, Minnesota, who plays for head coach Brian Cosgriff at Hopkins High School. Hollie is also ranked No. 27 by Prospect Nation and No. 33 by the All-Star Girls Basketball Report. Last season, Hollie led Hopkins High School to the class 4A state championship, while earning all-tournament honors. She scored a game-high 26 points in the championship game, as the Royals ended the season with a 30-1 record. She is also a three-time all-conference honoree, as well as earning all-state accolades as a sophomore and a junior. For her high school career, she has averaged 15.7 ppg and 4.6 rpg. Hollie also played AAU for the Minnesota Stars and head coach Tracy Martin. She is the daughter of Hortense Hollie and Alton Brown III.
McCutcheon is a 5-5 guard from Parkersburg, West Virginia, who plays for head coach Scott Stephens at Parkersburg South High School. She is ranked No. 71 in the country by ESPN's Hoopgurlz and No. 70 by Dan Olson's Collegiate Girls Basketball Report. McCutcheon is also ranked No. 59 by Prospect Nation and No. 82 by Blue Star Basketball. She is a three-time first-team all-state honoree. McCutcheon is also a three-time Two Rivers Athletic Conference and Ohio Valley Athletic Conference selection. In her first three years of high school, McCutcheon and the Parkersburg South have accumulated a 68-13 overall record, including winning the state title as a freshman. In high school, she has averaged 15.0 ppg 7.0 apg. In 2015, McCutcheon was also named the West Virginia Player of the Year as a junior. She also played AAU for the West Virginia Thunder under head coach Scott Johnson She is the daughter of Deana and Jason McCutcheon, who were both collegiate athletes.
