The conference's top defensive squads clash today at Breslin Center.
No. 22 Ohio State (17-5 overall, 8-3 Big Ten) leads the Big Ten in scoring defense, allowing 56.2 points per game, while MSU (13-8, 6-4) finishes a second, surrendering 59. The game, which begins at 7 p.m., will be televised on AT&T Broadband.
To the Spartans, who are recouping from a recent setback at the hands of No. 13 Penn State, the Buckeyes couldn't come at a better time.
"We're coming off of a loss to Penn State that really hurt us," sophomore guard Kristin Haynie said. "But we are ready to fight now, we know this game is all about effort."
MSU freshman forward Liz Shimek earned her fifth double-double of the year by scoring 14 points and nabbing 11 boards, however, it was in vain as the Lady Lions (20-5, 10-1) defeated the Spartans 64-60 Sunday for the second time this season.
"It was painful, we had our chances against Penn State and they proved they were the tougher team," MSU head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. "We really battled in situations with them, but we did not really play our best basketball. It was a matter of toughness and aggressiveness and those intangible factors."
Ohio State comes to East Lansing fresh off a 63-40 a home victory over Wisconsin (6-16, 4-7). Guard Caity Matter and forward Courtney Coleman netted 17 and 16 points, respectively, in the blowout. Matter's 15.9 points per contest heads the Buckeye offense.
It was Coleman's inside game, which caused MSU the most trouble in the initial matchup - a 70-65 Buckeye win Jan. 9 in Columbus, Ohio. She scored seven of her game-high 22 points during a game-ending 18-7 run, while collecting a team-high seven boards for the Buckeyes. Coleman ranks just behind Matter in scoring, averaging 15 tallies per game.
Haynie led MSU in scoring with 19 points in the teams' first meeting.
Ohio State head coach Jim Foster said his team is well-aware of the Spartans' defensive prowess, adding he knows the Buckeyes' passing game needs to keep the number of turnovers down.
"I think Michigan State has a real team effort going on," he said. "You have to work hard to get shots for your players, and I think that's one of the attributes that they do well. Unless you have a lot of patience, you end up taking a lot of shots that they want you to take, instead of the ones you'd like to take."
Ohio State also out-rebounded the Spartans 32-22 during the first game, which is a rarity. MSU is ranked fifth in the nation with a plus-9.6 rebounding margin. Senior forward Syreeta Bromfield said the team needs to establish itself on the boards and run the floor if they want to get a regular-season split with the Buckeyes.
"We definitely have to out-hustle them, box them out and beat them on the offensive boards," Bromfield said. "We've learned some lessons about effort from the Penn State game, and we're going to take those into (today's) game."
Keeping the Buckeyes off the boards won't be the only challenge for the Spartans. Matter has proven to be a threat from 3-point land, a scalding 48.4 percent behind the arc this season. In the last meeting, she hit 4-of-6 3-pointers.
McCallie said the Spartans' defense will have to do a much better job of locating Matter throughout the game, and also come prepared to play blue-collar defense on the Buckeye frontcourt.
"The inside game with Coleman comes to mind," McCallie said of her team's defensive plan. "We have to do a much better job there, but yet the outside game with Matter and (Ashley Allen) as well."
Haynie added everyone must work as a team, something she said wasn't accomplished against the Lions.
"We know we were out-hustled and out-rebounded at the end of the game last time," she said. "Now we know we have to play together all 40 minutes, and leave it out on the floor."
