ANN ARBOR, MI.— Just 64 miles down the I-69 freeway, the No. 13 Michigan State women’s basketball team will head towards Ann Arbor to take on the No. 7 Michigan Wolverines in a Top 15 rematch. MSU has hit a rough stretch in its schedule, going 1-3 in its last four games, with the only win being a comeback victory over Penn State, which is in last place in the Big Ten.
This is the second time these two rivals will match up against each other this season. The first game happened just a couple of weeks ago on Feb. 1, which ended up being an instant classic at the Breslin Center. Michigan held on for a 94-91 overtime win over the Spartans.
The last time the Green and White played at the Crisler Center was last season on Jan. 25 where they dominated the Wolverines 88-58. History has been favorable to the Spartans when they play at Michigan, as MSU holds a 30-16 record in Ann Arbor.
February has been anything but kind to head coach Robyn Fralick’s squad. The showdown against the Wolverines will be the fourth ranked opponent MSU will have faced this month. Most recently, the Spartans fell to No. 2 UCLA by a whopping 86-63 score at home.
After the loss, Coach Fralick mentioned that her team must have short-term memory and not worry about their last game.
“There’s no time to blink,” Fralick said. “There’s no time to worry. There’s no time to feel sorry for yourself, because there’s another really good team coming.”
The lone bright spot in the disappointing Spartan performance was junior guard Rashunda Jones. The MSU point guard led her team in scoring, putting up 15 points. In Jones’s last outing against Michigan, she produced at a high level with 13 points and six assists. Jones’s ability to find people in open space will play a large role in the outcome against the Wolverines. Jones is second on the Green and White in total assists this season with 92.
A player other than senior forward Grace VanSlooten and redshirt sophomore Kennedy Blair to watch for on Fralick’s squad is senior guard Emma Shumate. Shumate has been the first player off the bench for most of this season, and her ability to shoot from distance has been a weapon the Spartans will need to utilize against Michigan. She leads MSU in three-pointers this year with 54.
As for head coach, Kim Barnes Arico and her squad, they’ve seen more recent success. Michigan handled Northwestern, 80-58 in its most recent outing on the road. Sophomore guard Olivia Olson provided her usual contribution, notching 21 points, eight boards and seven assists.
Sophomore guard Mila Holloway had her way against the Green and White in the game at the Breslin Center. Holloway finished her day with 26 points, five assists and six rebounds in East Lansing. Holloway has been an underrated weapon the Wolverines possess, due to Olson and Syla Swords being highlighted so often. Holloway leads Michigan in assists, and the matchup between her and Jones will be a battle to watch for.
This rivalry rematch will have major implications for the end-of-season Big Ten standings and NCAA Tournament seeding positions. Fralick’s squad looks to get its first win over a ranked team since Jan. 15 against Nebraska. The Wolverines seek a season sweep over MSU for the first time since the 2022-23 season.
The Spartans and Michigan will face off on Feb. 15 at 4 p.m. at the Crisler Center. Brian Rivers and Josh Lee will be on the radio call in Ann Arbor, and the game can be listened to locally on 88.9 FM or at https://impact89fm.org/.
