No. 23 MSU Women's Hoops Hosts Georgia Wednesday
11/17/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
EAST LANSING, Mich. - No. 23 Michigan State women's basketball continues a three-game homestand against Georgia on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Breslin Center. The MSU volleyball team will take on Northwestern at 6:30 p.m. at Jenison Field House. Volleyball fans can get into the women's basketball with their ticket from the MSU volleyball game.
| No. 23 Michigan State (1-0) vs. Georgia (1-0) | |
| Date | Wednesday, Nov. 18 |
| Time | 7:30 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 | Georgia |
| Statistics | Michigan State | Georgia |
| Internet Coverage | |
| Promotions | Get in free with MSU volleyball ticket |
| Social Media | @MSU_WBasketball  | Facebook  | Instagram  |
STARTING FIVE
• Michigan State continues its season-long three-game homestand against Southeastern Conference powerhouse Georgia on Wednesday, Nov. 21 at 7 :30 p.m. MSU finishes the week hosting Idaho State on Saturday, Nov. 21 at Noon. MSU volleyball starts at 6:30 p.m. against Northwestern. Fans can get in free to the women's game with a ticket from volleyball.
• Michigan State moved up to No. 23 in the first Associated Press poll and received votes in the USA Today Coaches poll.
• With 971 career points, junior guard Tori Jankoska looks to become the 25th Spartan to pass the 1,000-point mark. Last season, Becca Mills and Aerial Powers both passed 1,000 points. Powers did it in just her second season in the green and white. Jankoska needs only 29 points to reach 1,000 after scoring 20 points in her season debut against Western Michigan on Nov. 15.
• Michigan State and Georgia will be meeting on the hardwood for the sixth time overall and the second in as many years, after the Spartans' trip to Athens last season, losing 69-60. The Lady Bulldogs currently lead the all-time series, 4-1, with UGA winning the last two meetings after MSU's lone win, which came on Jan. 5, 2002 in the last meeting in East Lansing, where MSU is 1-1 in the series, while UGA has won all three meetings in Athens.
• No. 23 Michigan State moves to 29-15 in season openers, including 21-2 when the opener is in East Lansing. The Spartans are 6-3 in openers under head coach Suzy Merchant. The Spartans move to 30-4 against in-state rivals under Merchant.
ABOUT GEORGIA
The Lady Bulldogs bring a 1-0 record into Wednesday's match-up after beating Stetson, 76-55, in the season-opener last Sunday, which was also UGA's 900th win in program history, as well as the first under new head coach Joni Taylor. Georgia had four starters in double-figures, led by senior guard/forward Shacobia Barbee's triple-double with 13 rebounds, 10 points and 10 assists, while sophomore Mackenzie Engram posted a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Senior guard Tiaria Griffin led UGA in scoring with 21 points and senior forward Merritt Hempe added 16 points. The Lady Bulldogs had only 11 bench points in Sunday's win.
Barbee, who headlines the Lady Bulldogs' four returning starters as part of 10 returners, was a Preseason All-SEC Second Team selection and returns to UGA's line-up after her 2014-15 campaign was cut short with a season-ending fractured fibula injury suffered in late January. Barbee was ranked in the top-15 in the conference in scoring (No. 14 at 12.0 ppg), rebounding (No. 11 at 7.0 rpg), steals (No. 4 at 2.4 spg) and assists (No. 15 at 3.0 apg),before her season-ending injury. Another returning starter is senior guard Tiaria Griffin, who finished the 2014-15 season ranked second on the team in scoring (11.3 ppg) and led the Lady Bulldogs in three-pointers made (115) and minutes played (30.6).
Taylor is in her first season at the leash of the Lady Bulldogs' program after serving as an assistant for the previous four years. She is only the second full-time coach for Georgia, as she replace women's basketball legend and Hall of Fame head coach Andy Landers, who retired last March after 36 seasons leading the UGA program.
LAST TIME AGAINST GEORGIA - No. 19 UGA 69, No. 16 MSU 60
Tiaria Griffin scored 15 points, including four free throws in the final minute, and No. 19 Georgia, which led by 23 points in the first half, held off No. 16 Michigan State, 69-60. MSU twice cut the lead to five points in the final minute with baskets by Tori Jankoska, who had 16 points. Georgia iced the win with free throws from Griffin and Marjorie Butler. Krista Donald had 12 points for Georgia, which improved to 10-0. Aerial Powers had 18 points and nine rebounds for the Spartans, who slid to 5-2 on the season, ending her streak of six straight double-doubles. Jasmine Hines tallied 12 points and Becca Mills added eight points and 10 rebounds. Georgia's big lead was 36-13 late in the first half, before the visiting Spartans cut into gap and their comeback came up short.
MSU AGAINST THE SEC
Michigan State is 10-15 all-time against the Southeastern Conference, including 2-1 against Alabama, 1-4 versus Georgia, 3-2 against Kentucky, 0-3 versus LSU, 0-1 against Mississippi State, 0-1 versus Missouri, 1-2 against Tennessee, 1-0 versus Texas A&M and 2-1 against Vanderbilt, having not played Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Ole Miss, South Carolina. Under head coach Suzy Merchant, the Spartans are 0-2 against the SEC, with last season's loss to Georgia and a loss to LSU in her first season of 2007-08.
JANKOSKA NEARS MILESTONE
Junior guard Tori Jankoska is nearing another milestone. With 971 career points, Jankoska looks to become the 25th Spartan to pass the 1,000-point mark. Last season, Becca Mills and Aerial Powers both passed 1,000 points. Powers did it in just her second season in the green and white. Jankoska needs only 29 points to reach 1,000 after scoring 20 points in her season debut against Western Michigan on Nov. 15. Last season, she scored 543 points to get her more than half way to 1,000.
GET YOUR SUNBLOCK READY
Michigan State hits the road for the first time next week taking on Cincinnati and No. 5/4 Baylor in Freeport, Bahamas at the Junkanoo Jam, Nov. 27-28. The Spartans will spend Thanksgiving in the Bahamas. Last season, the Spartans faced the Bears in the Florida Sunshine Classic. The Bears reached the Elite Eight last season. MSU last played in this tournament in 2009 when the Spartans won the Lucaya Division with a double overtime win over Oklahoma State. Senior Allyssa DeHaan was named the Lucaya Division's most valuable player, while Kalisha Keane joined her on the all-tournament team.
NEWCOMERS MAKING AN IMPACT
Michigan State had six players make their Spartan debuts against Western Michigan on Nov. 15 sophomore guard Morgan Green (seven points, six rebounds, six assists), freshman guard Kalabrya Gondrezick (two rebounds, one assist), freshman forward Octavia Barnes (four points, two assists), freshman forward Victoria Gaines (two steals, assist), freshman center Hana Vesela (one rebound, one assist) and freshman forward Jenna Allen (six points, three rebounds).
DOUBLE YOUR FUN
Against Western Michigan, MSU had two players with 10 or more rebounds Akyah Taylor 10, Jasmine Hines 10 in the same game was also the first since Tori Jankoska and Aerial Powers snared double-digit rebounds at Illinois on Feb. 25, 2015.
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 78, WESTERN MICHIGAN 40
Akyah Taylor had 12 points, 10 rebounds and four steals and No. 24 Michigan State opened its regular season with a 78-40 rout over Western Michigan on Sunday, Nov. 15.
Jasmine Hines, the senior center who missed much of last season due to a concussion, had 10 points with 10 rebounds in her return for Michigan State (1-0). Tori Jankoska led all scorers with 20 points - 12 coming in the first half. Branndais Agee scored 11 points, and Morgan Green added 7 points with six assists for the Spartans.
Teagan Reeves, who scored a career-high 21 points in the Broncos opener on Friday, was 0-for-5 from the floor, scoring 6 points on free throws and grabbed nine rebounds. Alex Morton and Jessica Jessing added 7 points for Western Michigan (1-1).
The Spartans jumped out on a 12-0 run, led 33-17 at halftime and never trailed. The Spartans improve to 29-15 in season openers, 21-2 at home.
IN THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER
The Spartans are 103-36 (74.1%) all-time in the month of November. Under Coach Merchant, Michigan State is 42-9 (82.4%) in November, with six of the nine losses coming against top-10 opponents. The Spartans have won 18 of their last 20 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 45-4 (.918) against in-state rivals, including a 30-4 (.882) mark under Coach Merchant. All-time, Michigan State is 178-59 (.751) 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 2-1 all-time on November 18, winning its last two on this date. In 2012, the Spartans defeated Virginia Tech 57-29 on Nov. 18. MSU's last loss on this date was to Boston College 63-61 in 2000.
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
Michigan State will take on Idaho State for the first time in school history on Saturday, Nov. 21. The time of the game is set for Noon. The Spartans will then head to the Bahamas for the Junkanoo Jam. MSU will face Cincinnati on Friday, Nov. 27 and will end the tournament with No. 5/4 Baylor On Saturday, Nov. 28.
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.
