Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Take a peek behind the curtain and test drive the NEW StateNews.com today!

MSU women’s basketball shuts down Depaul, starts 9-0 for first time in program history

December 8, 2024
<p>MSU graduate guard Nyla Hampton (22) looks to score at the Breslin Center on Dec. 8, 2024.</p>

MSU graduate guard Nyla Hampton (22) looks to score at the Breslin Center on Dec. 8, 2024.

In only her second season as head coach of the MSU women’s basketball team, Robyn Fralick has already broke records.

Following an 89-61 win over DePaul on Sunday, the Spartans started the season 9-0 for the first time in program history.

The newly No. 24-ranked Spartans cemented their mark as one of the early college basketball teams to beat after a hard-fought Acrisure Classic Tournament win and came back to East Lansing in similar form. 

In her first game back in East Lansing since reaching the career 1,000-point mark, graduate forward Julia Ayrault led the way for MSU, scoring 17 points while also adding 12 rebounds, seven coming in the third quarter. Graduate guard Jaddan Simmons also shined while getting the start, scoring 18 points on top of five assists and three steals.

The MSU win was highlighted by fast-paced play, but a strong Depaul paint presence on defense led the Spartans to change the way they often play on offense. Perimeter play is where Simmons excelled.

“They were really packing the paint,” Fralick said postgame. “I just thought (Simmons) did a great job of picking her spots, when to attack, when to finish, when to shoot and was really, really, efficient.”

wbballdepaul-120824-bs-01

Apart from Ayrault and Simmons shining from the start, the win was a team effort. Four Spartans scored in double-figures, while the team also tallied 24 assists and 47 rebounds. 

MSU's defense was also disruptive as three players had three or more blocks: junior forward Grace VanSlooten, junior guard Emma Shumate and Julia Ayrault, all playing a key role in shutting down DePaul's inside attack. 

The non-conference win was one of many signs of MSU's historical early-season success. The Spartans are off to their best in the program's 52-year history under a second-year head coach. On Sunday, they blocked 14 shots, another program record. 

Fralick's goal at MSU was never making history but simply living up to the set expectations, which have been rising by the game. 

“As a coach, if you look at your schedule and you’ve set after nine games where you’d want to be, I think you’d say 9-0,” Fralick said. “So I think it’s just a small part of the story, but it’s where we want to be.”

Fralick doesn’t undermine what is happening, however, using this history to reflect on her coaching journey as a whole.

“What I’ve learned is that the things that matter always matter,” Fralick said. “Like whatever level I’ve coached at, the things that really matter are connections with kids, having good relationships, having clear teaching, having clear expectations. So that’s what’s cool about it.”

wbballdepaul-120824-bs-02

The players see this too, and understand how much the historical start means.

“It means a lot,” Ayrault said. “This program has had a lot of success, but to just kind of have a really strong start is important and I’m just proud of our group and what we’ve done so far.”

MSU is off to an unprecedented start, but the season is still young and conference play has yet to begin. The ceiling looks high for the Spartans, but the question is whether or not they will sustain this level until the beginning of March. 

“The best teams get better through the year, so our hope will be that we can keep getting better,” Fralick said. “We have new pieces that are playing a lot, so we do feel like that synergy and our system is everyday getting more comfortable.”

MSU will begin conference play on Sunday, Dec. 15 as the Spartans host the No. 17 Iowa Hawkeyes at 12 p.m.

Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.

Discussion

Share and discuss “MSU women’s basketball shuts down Depaul, starts 9-0 for first time in program history” on social media.