With another high-scoring win against Alabama on Tuesday night, the Spartans continue to prove they can win playing both offensive and defensive styles of basketball.
Early in the season, the MSU women’s basketball team (19-12) was known for shutting down its opponents defensively. The Spartans finished the regular season with the Big Ten’s second best defense, allowing 62.6 points per game.
At season’s end, MSU was flirting with disaster. The Spartans were attempting to run with their high-octane offensive opponents.
Occasionally, MSU pulled out a victory, including an 80-72 win against then-No. 14 Minnesota in Minneapolis on Feb. 24. However, numerous other games ended in defeat, including the team’s Big Ten Tournament 89-82 double-overtime loss to Ohio State on Feb. 28.
Recently, the Spartans have been seesawing between offensive games and defensive games.
In the first round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament Thursday, MSU scorched the nets, defeating DePaul 87-76. Two days later, the team traveled to Champaign, Ill., to play Illinois. The outcome was a defensive-minded 70-57 Spartan win.
The team’s willingness to win is what sophomore forward Julie Pagel credits to the teams’ success with both styles.
“We have the ability to take what we have any given day and run with it,” Pagel said. “It’s great to go out and play great offense but then also have the ability to clamp down on defense.”
Freshman center Kelli Roehrig said the team uses whatever style of play will get it a victory.
“We just feed off each other, whether it’s on offense or defense,” Roehrig said. “Whatever will help us win games.”
Having the ability to play both styles of ball and come out with victories is something many teams have trouble with. The Spartans enjoy the fact they have both options.
“When we play good defense as a team, our offense comes,” junior forward Syreeta Bromfield said. “It’s really good to have that mix.”
As of late, the Spartans have used the mix well. Against the Crimson Tide Tuesday night, the Spartans shut down the Alabama offense, holding the Tide to 61 points on 40 percent shooting from the field. They also held Alabama’s three leading scorers to a combined 16 points, well below their 38.3 season average.
MSU did this while posting 79 points, 14 more than their season average of 64.3. Three Spartans scored in double-digits in the win, the fourth straight game MSU had more than three players in double figures.
“I think we’ve been playing real well with a balanced attack of both offense and defense,” Pagel said. “We always play better when our offense is feeding off of our defense.”
The Spartans are awaiting the winner of tonight’s Oregon-Washington contest. The games final results were not available by press time.
Washington brings a high-potent offense to the table, averaging 89.5 points per game in the WNIT so far. On the other hand, Oregon brings a more defensive style of play. The Ducks have averaged 61 points in the tournament, while allowing 54.5 per contest.
Most likely, MSU’s opponent will determine its style of play. But that’s fine with the Spartans.
