EAST LANSING— No. 13 Michigan State women’s basketball travels to West Lafayette for a road bout with Purdue. The Spartans are currently 18-2 this year and are 7-2 in conference play. The Spartans are coming off a gritty 74-68 home win against USC last Thursday. MSU has had a week off and time to recharge after a grueling slate of games against several ranked teams.
The Spartans have been a deep team all season, with five players averaging double-digit points a game. Senior forward Grace VanSlooten leads the team at 15.2, while sophomore guard Kennedy Blair is averaging 13.3. Junior guard Rashunda Jones is right behind her at 12.9.
This is also a homecoming game for Jones, as she spent her first two years at Purdue before transferring to Michigan State in the offseason. Jones has excelled in her first season, as she is also averaging 3.8 assists per game, only trailing Blair who is at 5.4. Blair is fourth in the big ten in assists per game and is also the team’s leading rebounder despite her size, averaging 7 per game. VanSlooten is averaging 6.2 and has also been a force to be reckoned with this year.
The Spartans’ defense has been a key part of their identity this year under head coach Robyn Fralick. The Spartans have four players in the top ten in the conference in steals per game, but senior guard Theryn Hallock has been sidelined for a month, and her status for the rest of the season is unclear. Jones leads the team at 2.6 steals per game and is second in the Big Ten. The Spartans are allowing just 60.1 ppg, while averaging 86 offensively, top ten in the nation. The turnovers have defined the Spartans’ defense, as they are forcing opponents to turn the ball over 21.9 times per game, top 20 in the country.
For Purdue, it’s been a difficult season. The Boilermakers are 11-9 but are just 3-6 in conference play. Purdue is coming off a home win vs rival Indiana on Sunday, which the team hopes will give them positive momentum after an emphatic win.
The Boilermakers are not as well-rounded offensively, with only two players averaging over ten points per game. Redshirt junior guard Tara Daye leads her team with 12.7 points per game, while junior guard Kiki Smith is averaging 10.2. Daye is also leading the team in rebounding at 6.9 per game, while graduate senior Madison Layden-Zay is the leading facilitator at three assists per game. Zay is also leading in steals per game at 1.8, so she has provided a spark to the struggling Boilermakers team.
Purdue is averaging just 70 ppg and turning the ball over almost 17 times per game, so they will have their hands full against a relentless Spartan defense.
The game will take place Thursday night at Mackey Arena with tip-off set for 6 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.
