Women's Basketball

Dec. 1, 2012

Box Score |  Quotes  | Highlights

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State women's basketball team begins the season 7-0 for just the second time in program history, after defeating Milwaukee 81-50 this afternoon at Breslin Center. It was a balanced effort by the Spartans as five players scored in double figures, led by a career-high 19 points from sophomore Jasmine Hines.

As a team, Michigan State shot a season-best 53.2%, while holding Milwaukee to 28.6%, including a 5-for-29 (17.2%) effort from the 3-point line. MSU distributed the ball well with 24 assists on its 33 made field goals, while only committing 12 turnovers. The Spartans also out-rebounded the Panthers 49-29.

Hines scored her 19 points in only 19 minutes, also adding six rebounds and two assists. Classmate Becca Mills scored a season-high 14 points, going 6-for-8 from the field, in 23 minutes. Junior Annalise Pickrel went 5-for-6 from the field for 11 points, while senior Jasmine Thomas and junior Klarissa Bell added 10 points apiece. Thomas also had seven assists and seven rebounds, while Bell chipped in six assists. Senior Courtney Schiffauer filled the stat sheet with seven points, eight rebounds and a career-high six assists in 24 minutes.

The Spartans began the game with a fast start for the third-straight game, scoring the first eight points and jumped out to a 30-10 lead over the first 11 and a half minutes. MSU kept up the pressure and went into the break up 46-23.

The two schools matched baskets early, before a 10-0 Spartan run over a three and a half minute span pushed the MSU lead to 60-27 with just over 13 minutes to go. The Michigan State advantage grew to as much as 38 (75-37) with just under eight minutes left, as the Spartans cruised to the 81-50 victory.

The Spartans return to action on Wednesday at Oakland with a 6:30 p.m. tip.

POST GAME NOTES:
- The only other Spartan team to win its first seven games was the 1999-00 squad.
- The Spartans have not trailed over the last 157:38 minutes.
- Over the last four games, MSU opponents have combined to shoot 12-for-68 (17.6%) from behind the arc.
- MSU had 24 assists, the most by a Spartan team since dishing out 27 vs. Detroit on Nov. 21, 2010.
- MSU has won its last 36 games when scoring at least 70 points, and are 53-4 under Merchant when doing so.
- The Spartans have won 37 of their last 41 games in Breslin Center.
- Jasmine Hines has led MSU in scoring in two of the last three games, the first two times in her career.
- Hines also set a career high with seven field goals made and two assists.
- MSU is now 8-0 when Hines scores in double figures.
- Over her last six games, Jasmine Thomas has 38 assists and 12 turnovers (3.2 assist-to-turnover ratio).
- Thomas tied her season high with seven rebounds.
- Over the last two games, Courtney Schiffauer has 11 assists and only one turnover.
- Annalise Pickrel has a career high three steals.
- Klarissa Bell tied her career high with six assists.
- In a season-high 12 minutes, Branndais Agee posted six points and six rebounds, both season highs.
- Mariah Harris had a season high three blocks in just nine minutes.
- MSU improves to 5-0 all-time against Milwaukee.

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