On Sunday, the MSU women's basketball team will put its four-game winning streak on the line when it travels to Penn State to face the Big Ten's first-place team.
The Spartans (16-2 overall, 5-1 Big Ten) will enter play being led on offense by junior guard Lindsay Bowen, who is averaging 15.4 points per game. On the boards, junior forward Liz Shimek is averaging 9.5 rebounds per game.
The Spartans also are averaging 72.4 points per game as a team and are giving an average of only 59.9 points per game, behind their solid defensive play.
"We have been playing very solid on defense," MSU head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. "It is not easy to go into someone else's place and hold them to only 42 points. That is a testament to the way this team prepares and executes."
The Spartans held Illinois to 42 points Wednesday, even though the Fighting Illini entered the game averaging just under 70 points per game.
As of Wednesday, Penn State (10-6, 5-0) was on a four-game winning streak and will bring their undefeated Big Ten record to the game, if they were able to defeat No. 24 Purdue at home Thursday night.
The Nittany Lions are led on offense by guard Tanisha Wright who is averaging 19.9 points per game and Ashli Schwab is leading the team in rebounding with an average of 6.6 per game.
Both of the Spartans' losses have come on the road this year. After the dominating performance the Spartans showed against the Illini they will look to carry that momentum into Penn State. With a win, MSU can move into a tie for first place in the Big Ten.
"The team is focused on what we need to do," McCallie said. "Nothing in the past relates to what is going on presently. What relates is what we are now and how hard we play now. I have challenged them to play for 40 minutes and that is where our challenge lies now."
The Nittany Lions are averaging 69.8 points per game and giving up an average of 65.8 points per game. The Spartans have held their previous two opponents to fewer than 50 points by playing solid defense all over the court. They are going to need the defense to step up once again.
For five of the last six years, the Nittany Lions have found themselves in either first or second place at the end of the Big Ten season. Something the Spartans hope to end and be able to start their own streak this year, in what could be a changing of the guard in the conference.
"We have been playing together really well lately and that is one of the keys to our success," senior guard Kristin Haynie said. "We have been drawing a lot of attention inside with our post game, and it has been opening things up outside for me and the other guards to be able to get good looks at the basket, which has allowed us to put up some points."
Tip off for Sunday's game is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pa. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Net Detroit.
