"I thought everybody went in the game tonight, made a positive impact, brought the right energy, brought the right attitude," Fralick said. "Great team win and encouraged by some of the things we've been challenging them on, and seeing us take some steps forward in that."

The Spartans finished with 17 steals, helping force 27 turnovers that turned into 32 points. That defensive intensity has become an identity for this team early in the season.

Though the scoreboard showed a 44-point win when the buzzer sounded, it was not pure domination from start to finish. A sluggish second quarter briefly opened the door for the Penguins as MSU’s lead was trimmed to 12.

The Spartans shot just 38.1% from the field in the second quarter on 21 attempts, struggling to convert around the rim. But one area Fralick had emphasized kept them in control — rebounding.

Michigan State grabbed eight offensive boards in the quarter, more than it did on the defensive end, generating seven second-chance points that preserved the lead. Without those extra opportunities, YSU might have trimmed the margin even further.

"We really challenged our team going into this game rebounding," Fralick said. "We've got to get better at it, to get to sort of that next level. And I thought we had a really good rebounding game. So I'm really encouraged by that."

Senior forward Grace VanSlooten found herself in an unfamiliar position early, finishing the first half with just four points on 2-for-7 shooting. Even with their leading scorer off to a slow start, the Spartans did not waver — something Fralick credited to their "team ball" mindset.

"We play team ball," Fralick said. "I always say, sometimes it's your night, sometimes it's my night. It's always our night. And you got to be able to count on a number of different people."

That "team ball" mentality was on full display in the first half as senior guard Emma Shumate and senior forward Marah Dykstra stepped up for their struggling teammate.

Shumate led the team at halftime with 11 points, fueled by 3-of-4 shooting from three, while Dykstra added an efficient six points on 2-of-3 shooting.

"I love to call her shootmate," Fralick said when asked about Shumate’s shooting ability. "I always say you got to soar with your superpower. And her superpower is shooting. It's a huge advantage for our team. It creates space. It's definitely a weapon.”

Shumate finished with 14 points on a blazing 4-for-5 performance from beyond the arc, leading the charge in a dominant MSU shooting night. The Spartans shot 48% from three as a team, connecting on 12-of-25 attempts.

"I’m just shooting it. I’m not thinking, just shooting it," Shumate said. "Fralick likes us get about 1000 makes each week. So that’s the goal, and sticking to that plan, just trusting every game is gonna pay off."

VanSlooten ultimately led all scorers with 17 points, followed by Shumate’s 14. Senior guards Theryn Hallock and Jalyn Brown each added 11.

The bench also played a pivotal role, accounting for 48 of MSU’s 96 points — an impressive showing that highlighted the team’s depth. Brown and Shumate led the charge, as all seven bench players who entered scored at least three points, showcasing the overall talent across the roster.

"We’re deep, and we got a team full of workers," Shumate said. "We got a lot of girls who are locked in and buying into our program that are doing a lot of work behind the scenes. So it shows up on game day."

The Spartans will look to continue their dominant start Sunday when they host Western Michigan (0-2) at 2 p.m. at Breslin Center.