The two teams haven't met in nearly a decade
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State women's basketball will finally return to the friendly confines of the Breslin Center to take on Miami (Ohio) on Sunday, Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. The Spartans rebounded after their first loss of the season with a 102-64 win over DePaul on the road and currently stand 6-1. Miami is 1-3 this season after a win against Xavier on Nov. 27. Jack Stager and Derrick Mitchell will be on the call for Big Ten Plus.
• The Spartans continued their sharp shooting against DePaul on Nov. 30. MSU is now first in the NCAA in 3-point field goal percentage, shooting 45.9 percent from beyond the arc. MSU is also second in the nation in field goal percentage, shooting 53.5 percent from the field. Michigan State is also third in the country in assists per game, averaging 23.4 apg.
• Junior guard DeeDee Hagemann returned to double-figures after two games in single-figures, tallying 17 points Thursday for her fifth double-digit outing of the season and 27th of her career.
• The second quarter has been the Spartans most productive so far this season. Michigan State is out-scoring its opponents 188-87 in the second period. MSU also starts the second half strong, out-scoring its opponents 173-102 in the third quarter.
• Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault swatted a game-high two shots against DePaul, as she has at least one block in all seven games this season as part posting multiple swats in five of the seven contests this season.
The RedHawks bring a 1-3 record into Sunday's match-up with the Spartans. After opening the season with three defeats, Miami got in the win column by edging in-state foe Xavier, 58-57 in OT, on Nov. 27. The RedHawks started the season with a 60-48 loss at Vermont (Nov. 6), a 78-62 loss at Louisiana Monroe (Nov. 11), and a 63-43 loss at home to Western Kentucky (Nov. 18), before the win over Xavier.
First-year Miami head coach Glenn Box earned his first career win with the RedHawks' victory over Xavier. In that win, Amber Tretter netted the game-winning basket on a putback with 6.5 seconds left as part of her seven points. Jadyn Scott led three RedHawks in double-figures with 16 points, followed by Lakresha Edwards with 14 points.
Miami averages 52.8 points per game, while shooting 42.3 percent from the field, 23.3 percent from 3-point range and 60.8 percent at the free throw line. The RedHawks' opponents are averaging 64.5 ppg, 41.1 percent field goal shooting and 31.0 percent behind the arc, and the opposition averages 37.0 rebounds per game, compared to 28.3 rpg for Miami, a -8.8 rebounding margin.
Box is familiar with Big Ten women's basketball, as he had spent the previous seven seasons on Indiana's bench, including the last four season as associate head coach for IU head coach Teri Moren.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE REDHAWKS
Sunday's match-up between the Spartans and RedHawks is the first meeting since Nov. 30, 2014. It will also be the seventh all-time meeting, with Miami leading, 4-2, including 3-2 in East Lansing. The RedHawks won the first-ever meeting, 56-52, on Valentine's Day, 1975, in East Lansing. MSU earned its first series win on Feb. 16, 1980, 71-70, before Miami won the next three, starting with a 75-65 win on Jan. 30, 1982 in Oxford. The RedHawks won the next meeting, 66-65, on Dec. 30, 1982, and then the teams didn't play for 20 years until 2002, when Miami again won a close one, 86-84, on Nov. 24, 2002. The Spartans got back in the win column with an 85-39 route on Nov. 30, 2014.
LAST TIME VS MIAMI
Aerial Powers had 10 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three steals, while Anna Morrissey scored 17 points and No. 16 Michigan State beat Miami of Ohio 85-39 on Nov. 30, 2014.
Powers recorded her fifth double-double of the season for Michigan State (4-1), which dominated the RedHawks (1-3) in nearly every facet except free-throw shooting where the Spartans were 7-of-19. The Spartans shot a season-high 58.1 percent from the field in the first half, including 5-for-9 from 3-point range, to build a 41-19 lead.
SPARTAN CONNECTIONS
Another familiarity on Miami's bench is assistant coach Evelyn Thompson, who is in her first year with the RedHawks, after being head coach at Cleveland State Community College for the previous six seasons. Thompson was an assistant coach at Michigan State from 2007-09, helping the Spartans to a Sweet Sixteen appearance. She was also head coach of the Michigan Crossover AAU Nike Elite team in 2011, coaching several players who went on to play at the college level.
Game preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.
LAST TIME OUT
Behind a career-high 26 points from graduate guard Moira Joiner as part of five players in double-figures, the Michigan State women's basketball team breezed past DePaul, 102-64, Thursday night at Wintrust Arena.
Graduate guard Moira Joiner broke her career high with 26 points, going 4-for-9 from long range, and leading the five Spartans in double-figures. Sophomore guard Theryn Hallock also surpassed her career-best with 14 points, also making four 3-pointers. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault and junior guard DeeDee Hagemann also had solid offensive nights with 17 points each. Hagemann also added five assists in the win. Sophomore guard Abbey Kimball added 11 points
For the full recap of DePaul, catch it on the homepage here:
Spartans Illustrated - Michigan State blows away DePaul in 102-64 Windy City victory
Michigan State women's basketball got back in the win column to improve to 6-1 with a 102-64 victory over DePaul.
michiganstate.rivals.com
