Sophomore center Allyssa DeHaan rises above Penn State’s Janessa Wolf (42) Jan. 5 at Breslin Center for a 2-point shot.
It’s down to the wire for the MSU women’s basketball team as they head to Evanston, Ill., in hopes to get back on track in the Big Ten.
The Spartans are in the basement of the conference with Northwestern, and head coach Suzy Merchant said MSU (10-8 overall, 2-4 Big Ten) cannot afford to overlook any team, no matter the circumstances or what history shows.
MSU leads the series 28-22 and has won the last seven matchups against the Wildcats.
“Right now, we’re up against a wall too, we need every win we can get,” junior guard Mia Johnson said.
“They work hard and at the end of the day they do just as much as we do, so it just comes down to preparation and what we do when we go in there to get the ‘W.’”
Northwestern (4-13, 0-5) is dead last in the conference with zero wins, and its roster has been laden with injuries.
Guard Sara Stutz sustained a partial ACL tear in her left knee Jan. 10 against Penn State. Four other players will join Stutz on the bench tonight because of various injuries.
The Spartans aim to bridge the chemistry gap on the court, starting with the offense.
“We need to smooth out our offense, which is struggling right now,” sophomore center Allyssa DeHaan said. “(Our chemistry) is not great, and it really has a long way to go, but it is improving every day we practice.”
The team morale was high after a 13-point comeback to defeat Iowa, and Johnson said they hoped it was going to be a different team from then on out.
Later that week however, the Spartans dropped a close 64-55 decision to Michigan. The Northwestern game hopefully will be that turning point the team needs, Johnson said.
“It’ll all come down to us on the offensive end just having some type of consistency and feeding each other and just putting the ball in the hole,” Johnson said. “We didn’t do that at U-M.”
Key matchup: DeHaan vs. Jaeschke
DeHaan has been criticized for not being physical enough on the court and being pushed out of position easily.
She aims to improve that tonight against her likely matchup of Amy Jaeschke, a tough, 6-foot-5 center.
“Right now I really need to focus on being strong, slowing my game down and being patient,” DeHaan said.
Jaeschke, a freshman, was heavily recruited by MSU, Duke, Ohio State, Purdue and Stanford before choosing Northwestern. She has been the motor of the team since returning from a hand injury she received in the first game of the season.
Johnson said the team knows what to expect from Jaeschke from watching her through the recruitment process.
The Spartans tip off against the Wildcats at 8 p.m. tonight in Evanston, Ill.
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