B1G Game 4: Gophers host Michigan State (1-7-18)

Hoping for a January Thaw

On Sunday, Michigan State (2-1) visits Williams Arena kicking off a stretch of 5 out of six road games. Following the Gopher game, MSU travels to Maryland and Illinois before returning to East Lansing for a rematch with Indiana. Then MSU again hits the road to Michigan and Ohio State. It’s crucial stretch for the Spartans not to mention an important game for the Gophers (1-2).

Suzy Merchant (12-4 overall) continues experimenting with starting lineups. Taryn McCutcheon is the only player to start every game. In the age of four guard lineups, Merchant has been using a two post lineup featuring the 6’4” freshman, Sydney Cooks, and the 6’4” Junior, Jenna Allen. Cooks and Allen combined for 18 points in the runaway win against Indiana, 20 points in the Rutgers loss and 27 points in the rout of Northwestern. With Tori Jankoska graduation, several guards (Colley, McCutcheon, Gussert and Agee) have stepped up to lead the scoring.

It’s difficult to learn much from the last two Michigan State games. Rutgers defeated MSU in East Lansing with a suffocating defense that doubled or tripled teamed Spartan posts whenever they got the ball down low. We won’t see that from the Gophers. In the Northwestern victory, Michigan State, running at every opportunity, rarely acknowledged the Wildcat defense. Defensively, the Spartans overwhelmed the Wildcats by playing man and applying full court pressure.

As usual, Merchant likes players with some physicality. It will be a good test for Destiny Pitts and an essential game for Kiki Bell’s defending.

Notable Spartan wins: In addition to Northwestern, the Gophers and Spartans faced one common opponent: the Rhode Island Rams. It was an 82-38 win for the Spartans and an 82-60 win for the Gophers.

Notable Spartan losses: There was an over quickly loss in Eugene, Oregon to Uconn 96-62. Five days later, MSU lost at Miami 67-57 with the ‘Canes keeping the lead around ten points for much of the game. Their third loss in four games came at Notre Dame where the Irish sprinted to a 47-16 halftime lead and coasted home.

Last season the Gophers lost to the Spartans twice. In the first game at Williams, the game was tied 40-40 at the half before the Spartans, behind 20 points from Jankoska and 14 from McCutcheon, pulled away to win 93-74. Bell led the Gophers with 24, Fernstrom and Wagner added 18 apiece.

In East Lansing, Minnesota trailed 37-35 at the half before the hot shooting Spartans buried them 85-69. Branndais Agee was unstoppable with 30 points (6-9 from behind the arc). Jankoska contributed 24 points (6-14 from behind the arc) and 10 assists. Edwards led the Gophers with 14 points and Wagner followed with 13.


Probable Starters:

5’5 G So Taryn McCutcheon 7.6 points/game in B1G games
5’9” G So Shay Colley 12.5 points/game in B1G games
6’0” G Sr Branndais Agee 14.3 points/game in B1G games
6’4” F Fr Sydney Cooks
6’4” C Jr Jenna Allen

6’0” G Sr Lexi Gussert

Fernstrom starting again!

overpass said:

Fernstrom starting again!

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Looks like a good move against this team.

Wagner with several sneaky drive and dishes.

23-20 MSU end of Q1

I'm happy with the defensive effort despite giving up 23 pts

Fernstrom 6 pts, 2 reb, 1 blk

MIN out-rebounded 13-7 in first Q

Hollie contributing off the bench

I forgot how much I hate Jenna Allen. The posts are producing today which is great to see.

Not sure about the 2 foul calls Pitts got called for against Hollie. I don't even think she touched her on the first on.

Edwards looking really good too!

41-36 lead at half. Will they hold them off in the 2nd?

41-36 MIN at the half

8 pts
Fernstrom

6 pts
Bell
Bello
Edwards
Wagner

5 pts
Pitts

Bell with 6 ast, 3 to
MSU leading in rebounding 25-20

Agee, Cooks with 3 fouls ea; Hollie, Colley with 2 fouls ea
5 Gophers with 2 fouls ea

That Colley is pretty athletic.

I think MSU is finally wearing down.

4 fouls on both Pitts and Wagner with just over 5 to go.

Hollie has career high against her home state team. Sound familiar?

Second time we leave the 3 baller open in the corner? Our D remains suspect.

Lots of contact on the Wagner tie up. Sounds like the game would be over if we made our FT's with us only shooting around 60%.

WE GOT THIS!

Shades said:

Hollie has career high against her home state team. Sound familiar?

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Honestly when they said career high and then followed it up with 14 points I was surprised. I figured she would've scored more than that previously. It helped her that Agee was in foul trouble all game. I did like Bell driving past her to for the game clinching layup and 82-77 lead.

19-32 FT shooting isn't going to win many games but by far the best win of the season!

overpass said:

19-32 FT shooting isn't going to win many games but by far the best win of the season!

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No definitely something to work on. That and our guards need to play better defensively. They allow to many cutters to walk through. Bell for example didn't walk the cutter through at end of first half and then Hubbard bears the brunt of it when she gets the foul. We also have to trust our bigs more. We don't need to keep looking to help in the paint at the expense of leaving the weakside wing open for 3's. However, I really liked the balance on offense today. Was refreshing to see a team game. Post hierarchy was better today also in my opinion. I swear I even saw Stollings start to let Fernstrom work through some stuff and able to gain confidence.

Now I hope there is some follow through off this game. If we come back with Lamke starting in the post the next game, I'm going to have to get back to hating. But for today, I will give Stollings some props. Here's to hoping she gets it now! Heck, if we had hit our FTS today at a better rate this game wouldn't have even been that close. Go Gophs!

Agreed with the post rotation; it was nice to see Fernstrom gain confidence as the game played out. I will start hating too if we see past post rotations come back in play. As others has stated good team win to gay; FT were an issue and it would have been bad if it would have cost them the game. I believe the Gophers for the most part earned this victory

Now that was a fun double header-Gopher wins at Williams and Mariucci.

At Williams it was a classic, physical, punch and counter punch B1G conference game WITH SCORING! Carlie began the scoring with a drive (Stollings was yelling go, go) and Carlie ended the scoring with free throw as the Gophers slooooowly finished off the Spartans. I probably should be more concerned about the missed free throws than I am; but 5 were missed by Wagner (I'm not real concerned about Carlie) and 3 were missed by Kaposi. On the plus side, Taiye Bello was 2-3 and Fernstrom 2-2.

Minnesota outscored Michigan State in the paint 40-30. And Michigan State committed 23 turnovers. Thirteen of those were Gopher steals. Michigan State committed 26 fouls leading to some frustrated Spartans. One of the frustrated was Sydney Cooks. She was baited into one of her fouls by Brunson. Cooks also spent time guarding Pitts. Suzy Merchant seemed particularly concerned about Kiki Bell and Destiny Pitts. Meanwhile Fernstrom, Bello and Edwards combined for 28 points.

Anyway, the fouls and physical play made it an "all hands on deck" type of win and has been mentioned, their best win in the last two seasons.

Minutes Played (Starters Bolded)

38 Bell
35 Hubbard
26 Wagner
25 Pitts
23 Fernstrom
20 Taiye Bello
14 Brunson
10 Edwards
8 Kaposi
1 Garrido-Perez

Random thoughts. Wagner did a great job attacking the basketball today, although her minutes were limited by foul trouble. She also had some nice assists when attacking the basket. What was up with her foul shooting today? Good game for all three posts, I thought, especially Fernstrom. It's nice to have a game in which I'm not complaining about post play or the post rotation. I thought Stollings did a good job of allocating minutes in this game. Hollie with an ole' play in letting Bell get to the bucket late in the fourth quarter. Bell is definitely the Gophers catalyst. She seemed to play a bit too fast in this game, but she was the best player on the floor.

I don't have a ton of faith in either of the commentators, but anyone catch the inference that Kenisha Bell may go pro without using her last year of eligibility?

thatjanelpick said:

I don't have a ton of faith in either of the commentators, but anyone catch the inference that Kenisha Bell may go pro without using her last year of eligibility?

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I didn't catch that. What part of the game, and how would they know?

It'd be unusual for a non-prominent player to declare early. Can't see her being a first rounder in the next draft.

I heard the same thing from the commentators. As janelpick pointed out, I wouldn't place much. if any value, in their speculation. Although I think that Bell will have a shot to play in the W, I don't think the announcers have any inside info.

Shades said:

I didn't catch that. What part of the game, and how would they know?

It'd be unusual for a non-prominent player to declare early. Can't see her being a first rounder in the next draft.

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Sorry, I don't recall when it was. The reference was brief and, maybe, just intended as an awkward acknowledgment that she's a junior but it's her fourth year of school. I do think her points/steals/assists (and assist-to-TO improvement) are helping put her on the national radar but she'd have to have a meteoric, AZB-like second half of the season to rise to the top. I sure hope she sticks around another season.