The MSU women’s basketball team (4-0) can fully enjoy their Thanksgiving dinner after defeating Albany (2-2) 67-35 Wednesday night.
MSU was led by junior forward Klarissa Bell with 19 points, and sophomore center Jasmine Hines, who had a season-high 14 points.
It was the first time the Spartans and Great Danes have faced off, and MSU’s defense made a statement in the second half holding Albany to only nine points.
“I felt like we were really concerned about their ability to drive the basketball and get (us) into foul trouble,” head coach Suzy Merchant said. “We just stayed home because they would toss it up to the big kid, or you would give up an offensive rebound.”
Junior guard Klarissa Bell had her fourth consecutive double-figure game, and was just one point away from tying her career high of 20 points, and Merchant said the key to her success is her high energy play.
“She’s doing it at both ends of the floor,” she said. “Sometimes you get a scorer that doesn’t really defend very well and we hide her and she was guarding their best player. Every matchup we’ve had, Klarissa has had to guard the best swing guy and then she turns around and being able to play the other end of the floor, being aggressive offensively.”
Another bright sport for the Spartans this season has been Hines, who is filling much of the void left when sophomore center Madison Williams was lost for the year with a torn ACL, but Merchant said she can get even better.
“I’m ultra-critical of everybody and I think there’s always room for improvement, but I do like Jasmine’s demeanor,” Merchant said. “Last year she was a little more meek and mild in some ways really unsure of herself, and this year she knows shes going to play and she needs to go out there and do what her gifts are.”
After a 10 point game against Virginia Tech last Sunday, Bell said she got a kick in the pants from Merchant, and with her performance against Albany, it paid off.
“After the last game, Coach Merchant pulled me into her office and she was telling me that I have to stay aggressive at the offensive end because when I’m aggressive I can kick out and score, I can help create for the team more than I did in the last game,” Bell said. “I just tried to come in with that mindset, and it worked.”
Normally a shooting guard, Bell is playing the point guard position with the loss of sophomore guard Kiana Johnson for the first nine games of the season due to a suspension related to an NCAA violation, but she said the more she plays, the more confident she feels.
“I’m feeling a lot more comfortable as time goes on,” she said. “I was a role player my first two years here. Just under our circumstances, I need to step up a little bit more and drive and kick and do what and I can for my team.”
Albany had a big presence under the rim with 6-foot-8 center, Megan Craig, but Hines, who played a career-high 24 minutes, said she was ready to handle the difficult assignment.
“It was definitely (tougher) than what we’ve faced recently,” Hines said. “I’m strong, but she was definitely hard to guard. Our scout boys did a good job simulating what she does, so we just tried to push her up the block.”
After averaging 11.2 points through the first four games of the season, Hines said this season has been a great change from last year.
“Last year, it was kind of up and down,” she said. “This year, I knew I was capable of making a difference on the court and being a powerful, big five. Being confident in myself has been the big change.”
Hines likes where the team is at right now, and said the future is bright.
“We’re playing really good right now, and we just have to keep it up and keep playing hard, and keep playing with a lot of energy and we’ll hopefully do good things this year,” she said.
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