EAST LANSING-It’s been a good start to the season for MSU women’s basketball, as the Spartans are off to a 3-0 start in Robyn Fralick’s third year as head coach. The Spartans have won all their games convincingly, and now they host Western Michigan for an in-state matchup on Sunday at the Breslin Center.
MSU is coming off a 96-52 home win over Youngstown State and seeks to add another non-conference victory. The Spartans depth stepped up, as the bench scored 48 of the Spartans points on Wednesday night. The Spartans have lots of talent from top to bottom, and it’s been different players stepping up every game.
MSU has five players averaging 10 points per game or more, led by senior forward Grace VanSlooten at 16.7. Senior guard Theryn Hallock is also averaging 14.7 ppg. VanSlooten also has been the top rebounder for the Spartans, averaging 5.3 per game. Sophomore guard Kennedy Blair leads with 7 assists per game. Taking advantage of the opportunity, she’s been given this season. Blair is also averaging nine points per game, just shy of being the sixth Spartan to average double figures.
The Spartans have been deadly on defense as well, with three players averaging over three steals a game. Hallock, VanSlooten, and senior guard Rashunda Jones have been active on the defensive side, making life very difficult for opponents, especially in the backcourt. The Spartans are forcing an average of 31 turnovers per game, while only averaging 10 themselves. Opponents have had lots of trouble bringing the ball up court, as the Spartans’ press has forced numerous 10 second violations.
For Western Michigan, it has not been the easiest start to the season. The Broncos sit at 1-2, coming off their first win, a one-point victory at Milwaukee on Thursday. This will be their biggest test of the season so far, and it’s going to take a total team effort to pull off the road upset against a ranked opponent.
Unlike MSU, Western only has one player averaging double digit points per game, as senior forward De’Ahna Richardson leads her team with 12.7 ppg. Richardson also leads the Broncos in rebounding at 6.3 per game, while senior guard Alli Carlson leads the team with 6 assists per game.
Carlson has also been busy defensively, averaging 3.3 steals per game to lead the team. The Broncos are averaging 19 turnovers per game, so if they’re not careful, it’s going to be a long day offensively, especially against a defense like MSU’s.
The game is set for Sunday, November 16 at 2 p.m. ET. Brian Rivers and Josh Lee will be on the call, and the game can be listened to locally on 88.9 FM or at https://impact89fm.org/.
