MSU showed no signs of rustiness on Wednesday night, putting in a strong 40-minute effort despite having played just one game in the previous 10 days.
On the strength of relentless offensive rebounding and intense full-court defensive pressure in the first half, followed by high-percentage shooting in the second half, the No. 13 Spartans ran away from Detroit Mercy on Wednesday, 77-52.
MSU's suffocating full-court press gave the Titans fits. The Green and White constantly trapped the inbound pass after their own made baskets, causing the Titans to attempt long, cross-court lob passes that were ripe for the Spartans' picking. MSU forced 10 turnovers in the first half and converted those turnovers into 14 of their 39 points before the break.
Detroit Mercy head coach Mickey Barrett said his players made poor decisions when trying to break the Spartans' press, and their ball movement was even worse.
"Our kids were throwing soft passes instead of good, strong passes," Barrett said. "We had the middle person wide open, and yet they didn't hit the middle person. I think that's a credit to Michigan State's ball pressure on the press, but we had our open looks."
The Spartans were also dominant on the offensive glass, leading to numerous second-chance opportunities. Senior forward Liz Shimek snagged six offensive rebounds and sophomore center Laura Hall added four, as MSU pounded its way to 40 points in the paint.
Shimek said she was impressed with the aggressive manner in which Hall ruled the paint.
"Laura Hall came to play tonight," Shimek said. "She was a beast on the boards, especially on the offensive end. She'd just keep going at it, no matter how many times it took. She would get in there and keep rebounding the ball until she made her shot."
MSU head coach Joanne P. McCallie said Hall's play was a catalyst for the Spartans' progression as a whole. The sophomore finished one rebound shy of a double-double, tallying 10 points and nine boards.
Unable to contain the Spartans ball-hawking duo of Hall and Shimek, the Titans were constantly in foul trouble. Detroit Mercy committed 21 fouls in the game — a stark contrast to the Spartans' 11. MSU also shot 14 more free throws than the Titans.
Shimek led the Spartans in scoring with 29 points — a career high — on a blazing 12-of-17 shooting performance, while senior guard Lindsay Bowen chipped in 14. Shawan Stubblefield paced the Titans with 13 points, but was just 5-of-16 from the floor and turned the ball over four times.
The Spartans will look to extend their three-game win streak on Saturday as they travel to Tampa to face South Florida. The game tips off at 6 p.m.
