Like with any great rivalry, emotions are running high for both MSU and Michigan today as they prepare for tonight's showdown.
The Spartans will attempt to defend their six-game home winning streak against the Wolverines, with the tipoff set at 8 p.m. today at Breslin Center.
MSU (11-7 overall, 4-3 Big Ten) junior forward Julie Pagel said though the matchup with the Wolverines (11-6, 2-4) isn't the most important game of the year, pride certainly is a factor.
"We definitely have an attitude about teams coming to our gym," Pagel said. "If the rivalry makes us even more hyped up for the game, so be it.
On paper it seems the teams are evenly matched, sporting near-identical records, field goal percentages (MSU - 46.4, U-M - 46.2), rebounding averages (39.8, 37.1), steals (154, 155) and points per contest (71.3, 70.5).
And on the court the squads are even harder to tell apart. Each team has four athletes with double-digit scoring averages, aggressive post players to crash the boards and problems with ball control, with the Wolverines fumbling the ball 18.8 times per contest to MSU's 17.1.
In fact, some things about the Wolverines are a little too familiar, as two coaches from the Maize and Blue spent several years storming up and down the sidelines as Spartans.
U-M head coach Sue Guevara worked as an assistant coach under then-head coach Karen Langeland from 1987-95, then moved to the position of associate head coach for the 1995-96 season before transferring down the road to take the helm of the Wolverines' ship.
Angela Jackson, beginning her second season as associate head coach at U-M, joined Guevara in East Lansing as an assistant coach from 1993 to 2000.
Perhaps because Guevara has been on both sides of the rivalry, she knows not to underestimate the Green and White. Guevara was not shy in giving praise to the young Spartans and said she was sure everybody would be ready to play.
"I think the rivalry's been good for the state," she said. "Michigan State is very tough, especially at home. (Head coach Joanne P. McCallie)'s got them playing very physical, aggressive basketball.
"They're playing with a lot of confidence right now, spreading the ball around and having a lot of people score."
Although the Wolverines are led by center Jennifer Smith's 13.4 points per game, it is LeAnn Bies who has done the most damage to the Spartan squad in her four years at U-M. The 6-foot-3 center has averaged 19 points and nearly 10 rebounds in the rivals' last three meetings, including 24 points to help the Wolverines to a 90-87 double-overtime win Feb. 20, 2000. Bies has posted a double-double in her last two appearances against MSU.
McCallie said MSU will take a "total team approach" with Bies. Pagel, who likely will draw part of the duties, said her team is prepared to do whatever it takes to stop Bies and the rest of the Wolverines.
"I think we're as ready as we'll ever be for this," Pagel said. "LeAnn is a good player, she definitely has a way of making her presence felt in the paint, but we've had some good practices this week and now we're ready to continue to go after our goals.
"It will definitely be a good game to watch."
The Spartans have won four of their last five outings and are looking for their first three-game winning streak of the season. MSU comes off of a scrappy 64-53 win at Indiana on Sunday, its first road win of the new year. Senior forward Syreeta Bromfield had 25 points in the victory, followed by sophomore Kristin Haynie with 15.
And like any good team, McCallie said her Spartans have learned something from each dogfight, whether emerging as the victor or not.
"We didn't play very well (against Indiana) but we did the things we needed to do at critical times, so that's a positive for us," McCallie said. "Different people are beginning to step up and just kind of assume their roles a little bit more."
Fans are encouraged to wear white and "white-out" Breslin Center tonight in support of MSU, which holds a 39-14 all-time series advantage over U-M.
