The MSU women’s basketball team left no doubt about getting out of its funk in its 71-41 drubbing of Delaware State on Thursday.
Playing a home game for the first time in three weeks, the Spartans took out all the frustration of their four-game losing streak by jumping out to an early lead and sustaining it for the rest of the game.
“I thought we played better together tonight on both ends of the floor,” MSU head coach Suzy Merchant said. “Some of our losses it was kind of a one- or two-man show. I thought we did a nice job defensively, they had a little more urgency, I thought we had a little more sharpness and then offensively I thought we made pretty good decisions.”
The game was close for about five minutes, but MSU went on a 21-0 run that lasted for 10:25 of the first half. Junior center Allyssa DeHaan had nine points, two blocks and two rebounds during the stretch.
MSU’s zone defense seemed to give the Lady Hornets trouble all night, as they struggled to drive and hit open shots.
“Once (MSU) got on a run and saw that they could break through a couple of defensive things, I think they got a lot of, not so much confidence, they just finished shots,” Delaware State head coach Ed Davis said. “I thought they did a great job of picking up what we were doing and just taking it home.”
The second half followed suit, as the home team used a 29-12 run to open a 39-point lead before putting in its bench.
Delaware State made a run to close the game, finally hitting open threes, but it was to no avail as the game ended 71-41.
The Spartans, who close the nonconference portion of their schedule with a 7-4 record, are looking to this game to boost their confidence as they head into the Big Ten season.
“This is huge,” DeHaan said. “We definitely need it. it’s pumping us up, but our record’s cleared. Big Ten conference is a new season so we’re excited for a fresh start to get it going.”
The Spartans head to the road against Penn State in the Big Ten opener Sunday. The Nittany Lions are 5-5 on the season and are coming off a close loss to No. 1 Connecticut.
While MSU is 5-0 at home, it is only 2-4 on the road, and four of the first six Big Ten games are away from Breslin Center.
“Every night in the Big Ten anybody can win, it just relies on who’s going to play harder, who’s going to play smarter” junior forward Aisha Jefferson said. “We have to learn how to win on the road. We have a big challenge coming up, our first game is on the road. But I feel like we’re ready for it.
“Especially in the Big Ten, everywhere’s tough even if there’s no one in the gym.”
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