EAST LANSING – Michigan State women’s basketball controlled the entire game on Thursday night against Eastern Illinois, winning 101-53. The Spartans remain undefeated, improving their record to 5-0 this season. 

MSU head coach Robyn Fralick was not pleased with her squad’s performance in the first quarter, but as the game went on, she was happy with the improved level of “focus” and “tenacity” the Spartans showed. 

 Here are three takeaways from another victory for the Green and White.

Capitalizing on the chaos 

The defense has been one of the most consistent parts of Fralick’s team thus far. The defense showed up once again, forcing 27 EIU turnovers, and this led to easy looks from various areas on the court, creating 33 points off turnovers for Michigan State. 

Coach Fralick was pleased with the easy looks and believes having these chances throughout a game is vital for being a good basketball team. 

“I know basketball math, and if you can dominate possessions, that’s usually a good thing,” Fralick said. “If we can force turnovers, if we can rebound the basketball, that’s an important part of being a good basketball team.” 

Whenever there was a missed shot or a loose ball, the Spartans seemed to find a way to get extra looks at the basket. Being aggressive on the glass has been a major focus for MSU this season. This was highlighted against the Panthers in the rebounding differential, with Michigan State outrebounding Eastern Illinois 43-27. 

“I think you get what you emphasize and it’s (rebounding) something we really emphasize,” Fralick said. “It’s just so important. If there was only one thing you could focus on, rebounding is the most critical factor across at least division one women’s basketball and being successful.” 

Bench production provides a spark 

Yet again, the depth of the Spartans shined in this game. The Green and White’s bench produced 59 of the 101 total points the team scored tonight. 

One of the stars off the bench was sophomore forward Juliann Woodard. Woodard didn’t enter the game until there were just under four minutes left in the third quarter. Despite her coming in late, she was still able to contribute to the win by putting up 17 points and seven rebounds. 

Woodard tore her ACL last season, and described the process as a “roller coaster,” but is thankful for her coaches and teammates showing support in her return. 

“They know what I’m capable of, and practice has been hard,” Woodard said. “It’s not been easy, but they continued to trust me and push me.” 

Senior guard Jalyn Brown is another Spartan who made a big impact in the game after starting the game on the bench. Brown was effective offensively, with 14 points and two threes. 

Brown believes being a starter at Arizona State, before she transferred to MSU, allows her to be a leader when she’s on the court and it’s shown her a new way to look at the game. 

“What I’m noticing is when I am on the bench, it actually helps a lot because I’m able to figure out how they’re guarding,” Brown said. “I’m able to figure out where the gaps are going to be. I’m able to figure out what shots are going to be there.” 

Spartans continue offensive flow without VanSlooten 

In the fourth quarter, Michigan State’s leading scorer, senior forward Grace VanSlooten collapsed after her knee made hard contact with the floor. VanSlooten was down for a couple of minutes before being able to get up again. 

VanSlooten needed assistance to get off the court. She was able to put some pressure on her leg, but was clearly hurting and limped to the locker room.  

Fralick did not give a clear answer on the status of how VanSlooten was doing after the game. 

“We’ll see more as we go,” Fralick said. “Hopeful, but we’ll see as we get more information.” 

Michigan State was able to regain focus after seeing one of its best players go down. The Spartans finished the game with a barrage of three-pointers from Woodard and senior guard Abbey Kimball.  

MSU’s last offensive possession was an entertaining one. Bodies were flying and multiple offensive boards created more looks. Eventually Woodard ended the possession with a three-pointer. Fralick was pleased with the effort her team showed, after being up by 45. 

“I thought that group played really hard, came up with a lot of extra shots,” Fralick said. “It came off effort. We found a way to win some extra possessions.” 

Up next on Michigan State’s agenda is the Oakland Golden Grizzlies. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Breslin Center on Sunday, Nov. 23.