NCAAW: Undefeated Maryland hosts Michigan State as Big Ten play begins

[ad_1]

The No. 8 Maryland Terrapins (11-0) host the No. 19 Michigan State Spartans (11-1) this Sunday, Dec. 29, as Big Ten conference play begins in earnest across the country. The game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. ET tip-off and will be broadcast via the B1G+ streaming service.

The Terrapins entered the 2024-25 NCAA season on a mission to prove that last season’s 9-9 conference record was a fluke. Maryland has more often than not been near at the top of the Big Ten standings since joining the conference a decade ago, but fell short of expectations in 2024, prompting head coach Brenda Frese to look to the transfer portal to reload her program.

Thus far, it’s looking like Maryland is once again a team to fear. Transfers such as Kaylene Smikle (17.7 points per game) and Christina Dalce (10.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game) have made immediate impacts and allowed senior Shyanne Sellers (11.8 points and 5.5 assists per game) to slide into a lower-usage, higher-efficiency role than the one she played last season. As a team, the Terrapins are playing at their usual fast pace, but have significantly improved their defense, allowing just 77.7 points per 100 possessions (Her Hoop Stats)—down from 95.5 last season, which was by far the team’s worst defensive efficiency since joining the Big Ten.

That Terrapins defense will be tested on Sunday against a Michigan State team that plays a similar brand of uptempo basketball. In their second season under head coach Robyn Fralick, the Spartans are off to an impressive start, only recently dropping their first game of the season, and they’re one of the best teams in the nation at creating fast break opportunities. Michigan State ranks third in Division I in steal rate (16.3 percent) and 11th in pace (78.9 possessions per 40 minutes), while a whopping six players average at least 1.5 steals per game.

Of those players, three average double-figure scoring: Julia Ayrault (16.6), Grace VanSlooten (14.4) and Theryn Hallock (11.9). While Michigan State doesn’t have a go-to ball handler like Maryland (former All-Big Ten point guard DeeDee Hagemann transferred to Memphis last summer), the way the Spartans run the floor in transition ensures a balanced offense regardless.

Last season, Michigan State prevailed over Maryland in their lone meeting, scoring 52 points in the second half en route to a 74-69 victory. Neither team shot particularly well, combining to go 10-for-39 (25.6 percent) on 3-pointers, so that will be just one of several things to watch for on Sunday. It’s a given that the game will have lots of possessions, but will Maryland or Michigan State be more efficient with them? Both teams will be looking to make statements against their ranked opponent, which would be meaningful in the Big Ten standings, too, even this early in conference play.