EAST LANSING, MI- No. 15 Michigan State women’s basketball seeks to add to its nine-game winning streak with a Sunday night showdown in Iowa City. The Spartans take on No. 24 Iowa in a top-15 clash.
MSU comes into this matchup 17-1 on the season, the best start in program history, and is 6-1 in conference play. The Spartans are coming off an emphatic 73-71 home victory over Nebraska on Thursday, a game that was decided in the final seconds. The Spartans’ schedule only gets harder from here, as they will face several ranked teams in conference play.
The Spartans have not had to rely on just one player all season, as everyone has stepped up in various ways. Senior forward Grace VanSlooten leads the team with 15 points per game, while sophomore guard Kennedy Blair is averaging 13.4. Blair and VanSlooten are also the leading rebounders on the team, averaging 7.1 and 6.1 respectively. Blair is also leading the team in assists with 5.7, fourth in the Big Ten. Junior guard Rashunda Jones is second on the team, averaging 3.9 per game. Blair has been a breakout star for the Spartans and has played well in all areas of the game.
The Spartans have also excelled defensively this season. Jones is averaging 2.6 steals per game, second in the Big Ten, with three other Spartans in the top ten. The Spartans are forcing an average of 22.1 turnovers per game, a key contributing factor to their success on both sides of the ball.
For Iowa, it’s been another successful season. The Hawkeyes are currently 16-2 and are 6-0 in conference play. The Hawkeyes are riding a five-game win streak since their loss to UConn, one of the best teams in the country. Their last game was a home victory over Oregon on Thursday by a score of 74-66.
The Hawkeyes’ leading scorer is sophomore center Ava Heiden, averaging 15.8 points per game. Senior forward Hannah Stuelke is averaging 13.8, continuing to provide key veteran experience for her team. Sophomore guard Chazadi Wright is the leading facilitator on the team at 3.7, while sophomore guard Taylor Stremlow is right behind her with 3.6. Stuelke is the leading rebounder at 8.5 per game, just shy of leading the Big Ten, while Heiden is fifth in the conference with 7.8 per game.
The Hawkeyes average more turnovers per game offensively and fewer defensively than the Spartans, so the Spartans will need to exploit that to win this game. Iowa averages just 16 takeaways per game and 15 turnovers compared to the Spartans’ 11. The rebounding will be another key factor, as Iowa is one of the best rebounding teams in the Big Ten, averaging 42 per game compared to giving up 30 per game.
The game will be played Sunday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.
