Head coach Suzy Merchant whistles to signal a change of drills during team practice Friday at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Ky.
Louisville, Ky. — In its Big Ten finale, the MSU women’s basketball team watched a smaller Iowa opponent own the offensive glass and earn extra possessions against the higher-seeded Spartans.
As the team prepares for the NCAA tournament and an offensively-skilled Bowling Green team, it knows a better effort is necessary to avoid the same result it had in the Iowa game.
“It’s definitely something we are paying attention to,” senior center Lauren Aitch said. “Everyone is ready to start rebounding.”
If the Spartans aren’t able to clear the defensive boards, they’ll open themselves to a good-shooting Bowling Green attack.
Bowling Green shoots the 3-pointer almost as well as any team the Spartans have played and have one of the nation’s premier playmakers in two-time Mid-American Conference Player of the Year Lauren Prochaska, who shoots 44.9 percent from three.
The Falcons shoot 38.4 percent as a team from behind the arc, and nailed almost half — 26 of 54 — of their attempts in their MAC tournament championship run.
“Long shots mean long rebounds,” Aitch said. “Our guards are ready and also boxing out is going to be a big point of emphasis.”
For a team that’s held its own on the boards for the majority of the season, the Spartans also were outrebounded in their regular season finale against Minnesota.
Bowling holds a 37.7 to 35.4 advantage on the boards per game.
DeHaan’s status
Senior center Allyssa DeHaan is a key to the Spartans’ winning the battle of the boards.
DeHaan missed the Spartans’ Big Ten Tournament opener against Michigan and didn’t start against Iowa because of back spasms.
MSU head coach Suzy Merchant said DeHaan expects to start against Bowling Green.
“I think she’s going to be just fine come game time,” Merchant said. “In a sick way maybe the injury might have even been a good way to get her legs under her a little bit and to get kind of mentally focused for her last tournament run.”
DeHaan averages 5.8 rebounds per game and is second on the team in defensive rebounds.
Johnson’s assignment
Sophomore forward Lykendra Johnson is expected to match up with Prochaska for at least a portion of Saturday’s game.
Johnson leads the team in rebounds with 7.6 per game, and averages 8.8 points per game.
Prochaska creates matchup problems because of her length and excels even when she doesn’t get as many touches.
Johnson will try to make it tough for Prochaska near the basket and make her work defensively.
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“What a great matchup this is going to be,” Bowling Green coach Curt Miller said. “Lykendra is a fantastic athlete. At the offensive end, I believe the game plan has got to be to post Lauren up and see if she can do battle with her. I think the biggest complement to Lauren is that Lauren is productive without a lot of volume.”
