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Spartans down Iona, 85-51

December 12, 2010

Sophomore guard Jasmine Thomas, left, smiles as she joins her teammates, sophomore guard Tracy Nogle and senior forward Cetera Washington, on the bench at the Spartans’ game against Iona on Sunday at Breslin Center. The Spartans defeated the Gaels, 85-51.

Photo by Katy Joe DeSantis | The State News

It was all MSU at Breslin Center on Sunday as the No. 15 MSU women’s basketball team overpowered Iona both offensively and defensively, defeating the Gaels, 85-51. And the Spartans make some history in the progress.

Along with a school record-tying 13 3-point shots made, the Spartans matched the second-best start in school history with the 2003-04 team. The 2004-05 teams began the season 12-1.

Senior guard Brittney Thomas started things off, scoring the first basket of the game and sparking an opening 10-2 run.

It was a different Thomas, however, that led the Spartans (10-1) to a 42-27 lead at half. After losing her starting position and her attitude being called into question by MSU head coach Suzy Merchant, sophomore guard Jasmine Thomas responded Sunday.

The Flint, Mich., native lead the team with nine points in the first half and finished the game with a team-high 12. She also chipped in five rebounds and four assists in the blow-out victory.

In the second half, both Jasmine Thomas and junior forward Lykendra Johnson sunk back-to-back three pointers to push the Spartans lead to 26.

Johnson also had 12 points and added 7 rebounds. It was the forward’s fourth time in five games with a double-digit point total.

Overall, the Spartans put up 30 shots from behind the 3-point arc and made 13 of them.

More shocking was the fact the Spartans only put the Gaels (2-6) on the free-throw line once. Forward Anda Ivkovic missed the Gaels’ only attempt.

Jasmine Thomas led the team in points and in minutes. 12 players on the MSU roster got more than 10 minutes of playing time in what was surely a tune-up game with the Spartans being three weeks away from their first Big Ten match.

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