The MSU women’s basketball teams’ NCAA Tournament hopes have been dimming, but the dream is still alive.
The Spartans (14-9 overall, 4-8 Big Ten) are looking to stop a two-game slide when Illinois (13-7, 6-4) comes to Breslin Center Saturday.
To keep its tournament hopes alive, a win is almost a necessity for MSU.
“The game is very important,” junior forward Syreeta Bromfield said. “If we win this game, come back and get a little confidence and really see what we can do as a team, then we’ll see how we play the next game.”
Freshman guard Kristin Haynie said the game bears more weight than a traditional contest, especially with the two-game skid.
“We need to get over this slump that we’re in,” Haynie said. “Hopefully, it will be an exciting game for us.”
The Spartans lost to Illinois 72-66 in Champaign, Ill., on Jan. 13. The setback dropped the Spartans to 0-5 in conference play.
The Illini’s high-powered offense is fueled by center Iveta Marcauskaite, the conferences’ sixth leading scorer at 17.7 points per game. Marcauskaite dropped 21 on the Spartans in Champaign.
“They have a big presence with No. 11 (Marcauskaite) and some other hustle-style players,” junior guard Vnemina Reese said. “Everyone out there on the court has to have the same focus, determination and heart to give to the team.”
Both teams average more than 11 steals a night and like to launch three-pointers.
But MSU and Illinois are 10th and 11th, respectively, in the Big Ten with three-point field goals percentage.
Averaging 75.9 points per game, Illinois is third in conference, while MSU’s 62.2 is only good enough for 10th.
But the Spartans boast the conferences’ second best defense, holding the opposition to 60.7 points per contest.
MSU also holds its opponents to 33 rebounds a night, the best in the conference.
Regardless of statistics, Haynie said the team just has to play Spartan basketball.
“We just have to come to the game focused and ready to play,” Haynie said. “We just need to play our defense how we’re capable of playing it.”
Following Sunday’s loss to Indiana, Spartan head coach Joanne P. McCallie said the team lacked leadership and maturity.
In order to keep NCAA Tournament hopes alive, MSU will need someone to answer McCallie’s call against the Illini.
