The No. 22 Spartans (15-3, 5-2) and the Illini (13-5, 3-4) came out swinging in this midday matchup in Champaign. Illinois has been inconsistent against fast-paced teams, especially ranked opponents. This game posed another challenge, and in the end, turnovers and repeated defensive mistakes handed Illinois the loss.
Full-court press forced Illini’s creativity
Michigan State showed its hand early with a full-court press from the jump. Everything from the inbound to any potential pass receivers was covered by a swift Spartan. Once the ball was inbounded, they would double-team the ball holder. This drew the remaining Illini to the backcourt, disrupting play formations and preventing Illinois from setting its preferred pace.
Illinois struggled all game and this intense pressure from early on exhausted its already slim roster. Michigan State is accustomed to this, and the extra area to defend did not damage its spark. The Spartans scored 14 points from fast breaks and 52 from the paint. Fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic is a difficult player to beat to the basket, yet junior forward Grace VanSlooten and graduate student guard Julia Ayrault could shoot around her with ease.
Bad ball-handling, off-ball movement rids Illinois of vital opportunities
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The Spartans’ defensive aggression is incredibly efficient with steals and forcing turnovers. They are a quick team that utilizes full-court press to tire out their opponent and force more dribbling and harder passes. The Spartans are No. 8 nationally and No. 2 in the Big Ten for steals, averaging 13.3, and picked the Illini’s pocket 15-plus times.
One Spartan who did well was junior guard Theryn Hallock, especially in the fourth quarter. Hallock scored nine points through the first three quarters but converted 17 in the closing period. She scored six points off of Michigan State’s fast breaks in one minute. She was completely alone, with no defenders on all three shots. Hallock also stole the ball four times.
Hallock’s role in Michigan State’s turnover game was to sit high and pressure the guards. She attempted to turn this pressure into a steal or force the ball to a player who struggled to handle the rock. Using this technique, the Spartans scored 26 points off of Illini turnovers. The guard recorded a season-best in steals and points.
Michigan State played much more confidently. The players moved the ball quicker, the passes were more accurate and their shots were more confident. The Illinois defense struggled to contain shooters, and the constant off-ball movement left key players open. It allowed Michigan State to get shots off in much more desired areas.
Takeaways
The players and coach alike are confident they will learn from this loss and carry it on to win the next game. Sophomore guard Jasmine Brown-Hagger stepped up in Sunday’s game. She battled for every ball, fought her way to the basket and drew needed fouls. However, she did not have a great day at the stripe and converted only half of her free throws when she’s usually good for 75%.
Senior guard Adalia McKenzie played one of her best opening halves of the season, scoring 14 points. She had a much quieter second half, though, only sinking one free throw to finish with 15 points. Also, her aggression and agility were missing in the second half when her team needed that energy the most.
Additionally, the three-point game was incredibly lackluster for the Illini. Despite good play calls to get the team in position for threes, the shots fell short, and some openings were ignored altogether.
While neither team is known for heavy three-point shooting, Michigan State made five of its 14 attempts, but Illinois couldn’t hit anything for the first time this season. Freshman forward Berry Wallace and fifth-year guard Genesis Bryant are two of the team’s best long-range shooters, but both struggled to find rhythm.
Finally, Bostic pushed Illinois to edge out Michigan State in rebounds, 31-30. With the Spartans shooting 66 field goals to the Illini’s 46 and getting a whopping 52 points from inside the paint, the hosts needed to be at the boards, fighting for missed shots. As a team, Michigan State converted just under half of its shots, leaving a lot of opportunities to grab the ball and prevent second-chance opportunities.
“They just beat us in every battle,” said head coach Shauna Green.
Knowing how to make those in-game adjustments against a defensively aggressive team is crucial if Illinois faces another high-pressure team. The Illini must bring their version of an intense defense to match their opponents’ energy. Although the team is still adjusting to a slim roster and players are taking on new roles with a lot of playing time, the team must eliminate simple mistakes due to their costly impact in games.
“We know what we have to do,” McKenzie said. “Match pressure with pressure and not let it break us.”
