Rutger vs Michigan State

[HuskyNan]

MI State has lost 5 players this season through injury, transfer, or getting kicked off the team, yet the Spartans are hanging in against #19 RU early. Part of that is that Rutgers is having trouble holding onto the ball, making some bad passes early on. It's Michigan Dtate 5, RU 4 after about 5 minutes. RU with 5 turnovers. Game is on ESPN2 and Ward/White are the announcers.

 

[Vowelguy]

Mich St also played MD very very close the other night.

 

[HuskyNan]

RU seems stymied by the zone defense. MSU17, RU 9.

The damage could be worse because MSU has missed several wide open jumpers.

 

[ursusminor]

Problem being - as Kara Lawson pointed out calling the MD-Mich game - that Michigan has been playing a lot of teams close until the short bench runs out of gas. I will go turn this on.

 

[Wonkster]

ONE Rutger - Ha, Ha, HA!!!!!

TWO Rutgers - Ha, Ha, HA!!!!

 

[HuskyNan]

MSU still up, now leading by 5 with 12 minutes left in the game and an MSU player heading to the line.

Both teams are settling for too many jump shots, MSU has just made more of them. If RU can't force a TO or steal the ball, it has trouble scoring. The defense is good though. In other words, this is a classic Rutgers team.

 

[HuskyNan]

Jankoska is playing a heck of a game for MSU. She seems really strong physically but she's one tough cookie mentally, too.

 

[HuskyNan]

MSU now up 10 and RU looks flustered. I'm kinda rooting for MSU - the Spartans are a blue collar-type team plus everyone loves the underdog.

MSU now in the double-bonus. RU too much reaching in on D.

 

[HuskyNan]

MSU taking the wood to RU, now up 14 and looking pretty peppy while RU's body language is not good.

 

[HuskyNan]

Neither team can make a shot. I dont know what percentage the teams are shooting but it seems to be in the 30% range.

MSU up 47-36.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Copper as a frosh looked like a future star ... not so much now. Very predictable, anemic offense for Rutgers.

 

[HuskyNan]

MSU up 51-38 with about 4 minutes left in the game BUT Rutgers has started pressing and it's been very effective. But can they make enough shots to turn the game around?

 

[HuskyNan]

Oh no, RU's Rachael Hollivay is down. It's her knee :-( She has to be carried off the floor. How awful.

 

[HuskyNan]

Bodies flying, game getting a little chippy.

 

[ursusminor]

Yeah, that was just.... times like this I prefer to use words that aren't allowed on the board. Michigan up 14 with less than 3 to go.

 

[Blueballer]

Typical Rutger's game. Play poorly for most of the game and the last 5 minutes looks like a "Chinese Fire Drill".

 

[HuskyNan]

RU with a devesatating press and now hitting shots but they keep fouling. MSU up 53-45 with 2 minutes leftn the game.

 

[HuskyNan]

Didn't Suzy Merchant prepare her team for the press? RU has only been doing this for, oh, forever.

 

[HuskyNan]

Geeze Louise, what a mess. MSU unprepared for the press, RU fouling all over, both teams bricking shots, bodies flying... No one can say there's no action in this game.

 

[HuskyNan]

MSU hanging in there, up 56-47 with 1:10 left in game.

 

[HuskyNan]

MSU is going to win. The team is up 10 with 21 seconds left.

 

[ursusminor]

Commenters said it 'looks like a football game', which is true. Final score 60-50.

Not sure if MSU is really that bad at breaking the press or if they're just tired. They obviously have talent, but Rutgers should have been able to run them into the ground.

 

[HuskyNan]

MSU had a couple/few 5 second calls because they couldn't inbound the ball. When they did get the ball in, players would stop running, or run to the sideline and get trapped. Not good.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

People were touting the new improved Rutgers. Seems like the same old
team to me. Agressive defense but struggling to score in their half
court offense.

 

[huskeynut]

Gotta like Powers for MSU. What a work horse!

And she's only a sophomore!!!!