EAST LANSING– On the road in a hostile environment, No. 16 Michigan State earned a huge rivalry win over Michigan and extended their win-streak to five. Now MSU is searching for six straight as a solid Oregon squad arrives in East Lansing.
This is yet another game with added meaning for the Spartans and especially junior forward Grace VanSlooten, who played two seasons with the Ducks before transferring. VanSlooten may be the key to victory over her former team, as she has been crafty and dominant in a Spartan uniform thus far.
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Against UM, she found a step in the second half over a heavy guard rotation from the Wolverines. She finished with 18 points on the day while shooting an efficient 8-10 from the field. Over the past five games, she is averaging 16.4 points per game and 6.6 rebounds.
Against a UO team without a true answer from inside, VanSlooten’s prowess on the glass along with the Spartan’s paint game may become a major advantage. Graduate guard Julia Ayrault, who has a reputation for being a slasher in the lane, can also hit the Ducks in this area.
Ayrault is coming off yet another double-double on the season, finishing with 18 points and 13 boards against UM. This is her sixth double-double of the season as she averages 16.3 points and 7.9 rebounds for the year.
Another battle that MSU could exploit is three-point shooting, offensively and defensively. The Ducks are currently shooting 28.9% from three, good for 17th in the Big Ten and are only above Northwestern in conference.
However, UO can drag opponents down with them, as they have only allowed 28.5% of threes taken against them to fall. While MSU has not necessarily been great from three point range this season, they have recently found some rhythm from beyond. The Spartans are a combined 23-54 from three over their past two games, about a 42.6% clip.
To create a true difference in this category, MSU may turn to red hot junior guard Theryn Hallock. After putting up two points in the first half against UM, she stepped up for 23 in the second and hit three momentum swinging triples. In her last six outings, she has put up double figures in five with 12 made threes and a lot of production off turnovers.
Scouting Oregon
Hallock, Ayrault, and the MSU backcourt must contend with two experienced graduate guards in Deja Kelly and Peyton Scott. The pair lead the way in scoring for the Ducks, averaging 10.5 and 10.4 ppg respectively. Kelly can both score and spread the ball around, leading the team in assists with 71.
UO also brings a two-way threat in junior guard Elisa Mevius, who leads the team in steals with 32 on the season. She also has the distinction of being a great passing guard and getting teammates opportunities with 65 assists, just behind Kelly.
The Ducks will need efficiency and scoring production from these three, but keeping MSU out of an offense rhythm may be their most important assignment. In conference play, UO are holding opponents to an average of just 58.4 ppg.
The Ducks are also coming off their best Big Ten defensive performance, limiting Indiana to 47. While UO’s offensive numbers don’t pop off the score sheet, they do an excellent job of making games close through keeping a low overall score. To close the door on a ‘grind it out’ road win for the Ducks, the Spartans need to take advantage of their superior presence on the block and retain some heat on the perimeter.
Tip-off between MSU and UO is Thursday at 6 p.m. from the Breslin Center, with the game broadcast available through Big Ten Network.