East Lansing– In their season opener against the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, Michigan State cruised to a 107-42 victory. It’s hard to find a lot to complain about in the Spartans’ first performance of the year, as MSU looked sharp in almost every facet of the game.
Here are some of the biggest takeaways from MSU’s first official win from the Breslin Center, and what could be expected the rest of the way.
Attacking the Interior
The MSU offense leaned on their physicality in the paint and dared the OU defense to step up. On top of 48 points in the paint, the Spartans collected 17 offensive boards, which was good for 19 second-chance points.
“We felt like that was an advantage in this game, I think our posts did a good job scoring, they also do a good job of drawing fouls,” MSU head coach Robyn Fralick said. “I thought our posts did a really good job and I think our guards do a really good job of finding them.”
If they weren’t hitting shots inside, they were drawing fouls and getting those points from the line. Drawing 24 fouls for the game and going 26-37 on free throws for the night. This run of dominance was highlighted at the end of the first quarter by a four-point play from junior guard Theyrn Hallock. Followed by a steal on the inbound and a lay-in from senior guard Jocelyn Tate.
“I’m proud to be a starter, I think I’m gonna keep bringing that spark, keep bringing my speed, keep bringing that leadership, that energy,” said Hallock. “The second somebody gets a rebound I’m ready to go, they’re gonna pass it to me or I’m gonna get the ball and I’m gonna push right away, I think my teammates do a really good job of following me with that.”
Forcing Mistakes on Defense
Not only did the MSU defense hold the Golden Grizzlies to 26.2% shooting on the night, they forced 33 turnovers. This featured graduate guard Nyla Hampton leading the Spartans with five steals on the night. MSU also showed their two-way potential by turning those takeaways into 44 points for the game.
“Basketball is a lot of things but it’s also a numbers game, gotta find ways to win possessions,” Fralick said. “I was proud, I think our team did a really good job of being disruptive, and our disruption led to a lot of advantages.”
MSU’s protection of the ball also helped the Spartans finish with a plus-22 turnover differential. The all-around defensive performance held OU 18 in the first half and helped the Spartans jump out to a 40-point advantage they never looked back from, finishing the game with a 65-point win.
Front Court/Back Court Dominance
The leading scorers for the Spartans came from both inside and outside the arc. Hallock and junior forward Grace VanSlooten finished with 14 and 15 points respectively.
With Hallock going solid 5-7 from the free throw line and recovering four boards. Three other guards got into scoring double figures for MSU including Tate, junior Abbey Kimball, and graduate Julia Ayrault who combined for 34.
“Now we feel she [Hallock] can change the speed of the game from the start,” Fralick said. “In her burst, in her change of speed, her ability to just make things happen is really good.”
VanSlooten also left her mark under the basket, leading the team with nine rebounds, four of which came on the offensive glass.
“ I call her [VanSlooten] my speed twin, I love playing with her,” Hallock said. “She came in here right away with confidence and that’s what I love about her. The second I throw it into her I know she’s gonna score, she’s gonna do something, create a foul.”
The Spartans are back in action against the Yale Bulldogs on Friday, Nov. 8, with tip set for 7:00 p.m.
