EAST LANSING– After ending last week the right way with a home victory over Washington, No. 22 Michigan State aims to stay on track and continue its win steak as the Spartans prepare to travel to face off against Rutgers.
In the win over the Huskies, MSU put everything they do well on display. The MSU defense forced 20 turnovers, the physicality on the glass resulted in 14 second chance points from 13 offensive rebounds and the bench made major contributions with 31 points.
The main contributor to this number, junior forward Grace VanSlooten, tied as the Spartans leading scorer with graduate guard Julia Ayrault as the duo both finished with 19 points. The pair, including the play from freshman center Inés Sotelo and junior guard Theryn Hallock, also showcased MSU’s ability to dominate the inside-outside game.
Perhaps the greatest key to the win and success going forward for the Spartans is their ability to spread the ball offensively and create good spacing. In the matchup against UW, MSU earned 21 assists with Hallock and graduate guard Nyla Hampton leading the team with five a piece.
This was six more than the assist total in the loss against Nebraska and about two above the season average of 18.7. This average also ranks second in the Big Ten, so the Spartans will be in business if they can space out the Scarlet Knight defense.
Scouting Rutgers
While MSU is looking to ascend in the Big Ten standings, RU is attempting to stop the bleeding and get out of the basement with an upset. They currently sit at 8-9 overall, 0-6 in conference, and are currently suffering a five-game losing streak.
If the Scarlet Knights get their first B1G win, it’ll be because of freshman guard Kiyomi McMiller. She averages 20.8 points per game, ranking second in the conference and only behind USC sophomore guard Juju Watkins.
McMiller is flanked by senior guard Destiny Adams, who averages 17.2 points on the season. This is good for 7th best PPG in the conference and just ahead of Ayrault. She’s also in the top three in the Big Ten in rebounds per game at 10.8.
If MSU can’t contain McMiller on offense and Adams on the boards, the door cracks open for UR.
For UR to come away with the home upset, this guard duo will need to be top notch. They need to maintain pressure through scoring, take care of the ball, find a way to win the rebounding battle, and limit MSU second chance opportunities.
If the Scarlet Knights falter in any of these areas, the Spartans may walk away with a high margin of victory.
Tip-off at Jersey Mike’s Arena is set for 7 p.m. with Big Ten Plus broadcasting all the action between MSU and UR.
