STARKVILLE — Suzy Merchant knows what it is like to be a part of an “ugly” game.
It doesn’t matter that her Michigan State women’s basketball team has eclipsed the 100-point mark three times this season. When you play in the Big Ten Conference, you’re bound to have your share of knockdown, drag-out games. Former Big East Conference member Rutgers tops the list of league opponents that like to make games rugged, defensive affairs.
But after beating Rutgers twice this season, Merchant feels her team will have to play even harder and tougher at 1:30 p.m. today when it takes on Mississippi State in the second round of the NCAA tournament at Humphrey Coliseum. ESPN2 will broadcast the game nationally. It will be available on radio on WMXU-FM 106.1 in the Golden Triangle.
“I think they have done a good job,” said Merchant, when asked how her team has responded in “ugly” games. “We certainly have that with Rutgers. I think they play that kind of style. Mississippi State is probably a little stronger in the passing lanes, a little more disciplined in certain areas, better charge takers. They finish plays a little better. It is probably looking like we’re going to play Rutgers on steroids, maybe. They do a really good job.”
No. 4 seed Michigan State (25-8) defeated No. 13 seed Belmont 74-60 on Friday behind 27 points from Aerial Powers and 21 from Jasmine Hines. No. 5 seed Mississippi State (27-7) beat No. 12 see Chattanooga 60-50. Victoria Vivians scored a game-high 19 points to help the Bulldogs equal the single-season mark for wins it set in 2014-15.
Merchant watched that game and knows the Bulldogs are 19-3 this season when they keep opponents under 60 points and 11-1 when they hold teams to less than 50.
Merchant also understands Mississippi State has won 35 of its last 39 home games and that it is 60-13 under Schaefer at Humphrey Coliseum. She expects a big crowd today for a game that will determine which team moves on to the Sweet 16 in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
“It is going to be a very physical game,” said Merchant, who is in her ninth season as head coach at Michigan State. “Mississippi State does a great job being physical and denying and pressuring. Their style is a challenge to play against. We haven’t played anybody exactly like them, so that will be a challenge. I think we have had opportunities where a handful of games it has been ugly.”
Powers, a junior forward, helped make sure it wasn’t by going 11 of 21 from the field (4 of 7 from 3-point range) and grabbing nine rebounds. In the process, she became the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,803 points. The three-time first-team All-Big Ten performer has 683 points this season, which has shattered the record of 678 she set last season.
“I feel like (coach Merchant) gives us all freedom within the offense,” Powers said. “We do have sets plays that we look to go to just to keep us disciplined. At the beginning of the year, we weren’t getting it into the bigs enough, so we put particular plays in for that. We also have plays to have Tori (Jankoska) come off double stacks and look for her to get her shot off more.
“When it comes to me, I guess I just try to get my team involved and take the shots that re the best selection for me, and if they hit, they hit. If they don’t, oh well.”
Powers showed a variety of moves against Belmont and an ability to create her shot. At 6-foot, she poses a matchup problem for Mississippi State, which could counter by placing junior guard Dominique Dillingham, who is 5-9, or junior forward Ketara Chapel, who is 6-1, on her.
But Michigan State is much more than Powers. Hines, a 6-3 senior, showed a knack for carving out space in the paint and sealing defenders to give teammates great passing angles. She averages 10.8 points per game and is one of three other players — Jankoska, a junior guard, (15.1) and redshirt sophomore guard Branndais Agee (11.4) — who average double figures behind Powers (22.0).
“All season, we really tried to emphasize getting the ball inside,” Hines said. “I feel we have been executing that a lot better lately. My teammates do a great job looking for me. I thought they did a great job last night. I just try to seal and do my job and then they did their job. It seems to be working.”
Jankoska agreed with Merchant in that Michigan State has the ability to “morph” unto whatever style of play it needs to be successful that game. It has scored 60 or less points twice and it has held opponents below that number 12 times. Its lowest point total of the season came in a 60-44 loss to Maryland in the Big Ten Conference tournament title game on March 6. But it also has scored 103, 114, and 107 points in victories against Cincinnati, Minnesota, and Ohio State in the regular season.
Jankoska, who likely will see plenty of minutes at point guard, said the Spartans have the ability to get out and go or slow it down because they have so many weapons.
“This year, it is like if they try to double-down on Jasmine, which a lot of teams do because she is scoring fairly easy down there, we have 3-point shooters like me, Aerial, Branndais. All of us can shoot, so who do you really double off of? If you want to try to double Aerial because she is the player she is, who are you going to double off of? Are you going to leave me or Branndais or Jasmine open down low? With so many people that can score and do so many different things and score in different ways, it is kind of hard to be able to double on somebody who is going off. It really does make my job easier finding open people because there is never going to be two people on one really.”
Merchant didn’t think Michigan State played its best basketball against Belmont in part because it was the team’s first game in 12 days. She said the Spartans will have to do a good job setting screens up and using them well and making moves under control to protect against the Bulldogs taking charges.
On defense, she said Michigan State will have to do a good job against sophomore guard Victoria Vivians, who leads the Bulldogs in scoring (17.2 ppg.). She said Vivians is so effective because she has a quick release and is a lot like Powers in that she can create a shot if the offense breaks down.
Merchant said Michigan State should be ready to face a team that wants to get down and dirty and play stingy defense because it has faced strong defensive teams like Maryland, Baylor, and Rutgers, just to name a few. Still, she acknowledged playing Mississippi State on its home court in front of what likely will be a big crowd will present a lot of challenges.
“We just have to stay patient,” Merchant said. “I think that is the biggest key with Mississippi State is to stay patient, work the ball, don’t pick your dribble up. Simple things that everybody knows since the time you have been in fourth grade that coach told you not to do. Now it is obviously in a more aggressive pace. They really play defenses exceptionally well.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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