EAST LANSING- Michigan State women’s basketball cruised to a 96-52 victory over Youngstown State on Wednesday night at the Breslin Center. The Spartans improved to 3-0 on the young season and continue to dominate their non-conference opponents.
The Spartans’ defensive identity made their presence known, they forced a 10 second violation on Youngstown State’s first possession, something the Spartans have done several times this season. MSU forced numerous turnovers early, totaling 10 in just the first quarter. Offensively, it was senior guard Emma Shumate who led the early charge. Shumate was automatic from beyond the arc, drilling three shots for nine points. Shumate was a big reason why MSU led 25-12 after one quarter.
“I always say, you’ve got to go with your superpower. Her superpower is shooting. It’s a huge advantage for our team. It creates space. It’s definitely a weapon,” head coach Robyn Fralick said. “And I think the biggest thing she’s worked on is the mental side of competing and understanding. It doesn’t matter if it goes in or not, it’s a good shot. And kind of staying in that space and being ready for the next one.”
The Spartans defense continued to make things difficult for the Penguins, holding them to just 11 points in the second quarter. The Spartans forced another seven turnovers, and exploited them, finishing the half with 16 points off turnovers. Senior guard Theryn Hallock was busy in the second, scoring five points while adding two assists and two steals. Hallock intercepted a pass and took it all the way and then was responsible for nine straight points in the quarter.
“Theryn’s a Spartan through and through, she loves Michigan State, this place really means something to her. She plays in a way that honors that,” Fralick said postgame. ”And then secondly, she just has an ability to make explosive plays, and sometimes I feel like her pick sixes feel like five-point plays. It’s usually for a layup, but she can really create momentum swings with that.”
The Spartans held a commanding 45-23 lead at halftime. Sophomore guard Kennedy Blair shook off early foul trouble to rack up four steals in the first twenty minutes of action. The Spartans also led in rebounding, something Fralick stressed after they struggled to rebound against Eastern Michigan Sunday. Senior guard Rashunda Jones also quickly returned to the game after an injury scare.
The Spartans picked up right where they left off in the third. Senior forward Grace VanSlooten took over after a quiet first half, scoring nine points on a perfect 4/4 shooting. VanSlooten would go on to finish as the leading scorer for the night with 17. VanSlooten consistently creates problems for opponents on both sides of the ball and has not let a quiet first half faze her in back-to-back games.
When asked about her consistency, VanSlooten said,”I think a lot of that comes from the work that I put in over the summer. I think mainly confidence, a really big mental piece to stay consistent. Kind of just have faith in yourself. And obviously, my first half wasn’t very efficient. So I think just having that trust in myself, believing in that hard work that I put in is a really big part of it.”
Kennedy Blair made a huge impact in the third quarter as well. Blair scored six of her eight points in the third and also added three boards and two assists. Blair’s highlight moment came on a beautiful behind the back pass to senior guard Jalyn Brown, who also created offense tonight with 11 points.
The Spartans emptied the bench in the fourth quarter with the game locked up, but didn’t let up, as the fourth quarter held their largest margin at 15. They continued to create pressure, as the Penguins finished the game with 37 turnovers that led to 32 Spartan points. Senior guard Abbey Kimball hit two 3-point shots, highlighted by freshman guard Amy Terrian fighting for an offensive rebound and dishing it out to her. The Spartans finished the night with 48 bench points, and every player who saw minutes scored.
“We’re deep, and we have a team full of workers. It’s not just the top five who’s working hard,” Shumate said. “The whole team’s working hard…we got a lot of girls who are locked in and buying into our program that are doing a lot of work behind the scenes. So, it shows up on game day”
The Spartans next game will be Sunday, November 16 at 2 p.m. ET, as they host Western Michigan and look to improve to 4-0.
