NC State’s hot hands end Michigan State’s strong season
PHOTO: Michigan State’s Julia Ayrault defends NC State’s Mallory Collier.
Visit my homepage: TomShanahan.Report
Click here for review and purchase link: THE RIGHT THING TO DO, The True Pioneers of College Football Integration in the 1960s.
***
By TOM SHANAHAN
RALEIGH – Michigan State junior Grace VanSlooten answered a final question and stood up from the post-game press conference’s podium. She removed her name placard from the March Madness holder and cupped it as a memento.
Yes, the seventh-seeded Spartans suffered a one-sided loss, 83-49, against No. 2 seed North Carolina State in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament’s second round on Monday afternoon at Reynolds Coliseum on the NC State campus.
But it wasn’t a lost season.
That’s what why the transfer from Oregon – who posted double-doubles in both the first-round win and second-round loss that were her first two career NCAA games — wanted a sweet reminder of the Spartans’ overall success under second-year coach Robyn Fralick.
Michigan State played in an NCAA Tournament for the second straight year after missing the previous two seasons, and the win over Harvard on Saturday was the program’s first NCAA victory in six years. Fralick’s teams are 44-18 through two seasons after a previous two-year mark of 31-29.
“I only see the program going up,” said the 6-foot-3 guard/forward. “I see how hard everybody works in the program and the culture that surrounds it. The only way it can go is up. I’m really excited to put in a lot of work this offseason and really get better so that overall, the whole program can get better.”
VanSlooten finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds after recording 17 points and 11 boards in the Harvard victory, but this game was over in the first quarter.
MORE OF MY NCAA COVERAGE RALEIGH
March 19: Reynolds wraps history around basketball in the South and the women’s game – Tom Shanahan Report
March 23: Michigan State’s women face 22-game homecourt winning streak and Final Four veterans – Tom Shanahan Report
March 23: Fralick building reputation with her game plans – Tom Shanahan Report
March 24: NC State’s hot hands end Michigan State’s season – Tom Shanahan Report
NC State’s game plan was to avoid a physical contest against the Spartans. The Wolfpack’s most recent loss was in the ACC Tournament title game when Duke imposed its will.
The Wolfpack set the momentum in their favor early with 5-of-6 three-point field goals to take a 27-9 first-quarter lead. The game’s flow suited NC State’s prolific veteran guards: Senior Aziaha James scored 26 points; senior Saniya Rivers 17 points with 11 assists and graduate Madison Hayes 17 points.
“So much of North Carolina State’s success is in in the paint,” Fralick said. “They make seven threes a game, and it’s part of their game, but it’s not the main part. When they became hot, it was hard to guard them in space. It started early that they were spaced out.”
NC State, a Final Four team a year ago, advanced the Sweet Sixteen for the sixth time in seven years. For the afternoon, NC State set a program record for an NCAA Tournament game with 15 three-point field goals.
After making 5-of-6 three-pointers for 83.3 percent in the first period, NC State was 10 of 16 (62.5) by halftime, 13 of 22 (59.0) after three periods and 15-of-30 (50.0) for the game. When your shooting percentage goes down each quarter to settle at an overall 50 percent, your opponent is in trouble.
Not even the ghost of Michigan State legend Johnny Green – whose social history legacy forever resides in rafters of Reynolds Coliseum for integrating the 1958 Dixie Classic in the historic arena that opened in 1942 – could have saved the Spartans.
Green would have needed to reach down to swat away the Wolfpack’s blistering hot array of three-point field goals – an uncanny number of them were swishes – to keep the Spartans competitive.
Michigan State’s slow start was compounded by NC State’s rabid fan base. The roars grew louder with each swish and expanding scoring margin. Michigan State’s respectable fan turnout on the road was soon drowned out.
“Credit to NC State,” VanSlooten said. “I’ve never seen a crowd like that. I’ve never played in an environment like that. Their fans really showed out today. It makes it a little bit of fun to play in front of a crowd like that. I love our fans and expecting the same next season.”
NC State won the ACC regular-season title and finished the regular-season ranked No. 9 in the nation, but even the players and head coach Wes Moore were at a loss for explaining their hot hand.
“Some days you’re the windshield and some days you’re the bug,” said the folksy Moore with his Texas/Tennessee/North Carolina twang. “I thought we came out ready to play, but if you had seen us practice yesterday, you probably would not have come to the game. We’ve got some veterans that are very talented and step up. When the lights are the brightest is when they really step up and play.”
NC State could have gloated over winning easily, but both Moore and the two players in the press conference, James and Hayes, emphasized Michigan State was a good team that caught the Wolfpack on the wrong day.
“Michigan State’s defense is really good,” Hayes said. “We’ve obviously watched film a lot. We were making sure that we weren’t standing and watching. That was the biggest emphasis — making sure we stay moving, keep them moving.”
Moore greeted Fralick for a moment in the post-game handshake line. They don’t know each other well, but they go back a ways. Moore was coaching Tennessee-Chattanooga’s Southern Conference champions in the early 2000s when Fralick played at Southern rival Davidson College. His message was to encourage her and said it was just one of those days.
“We were fortunate,” he said. “We needed to see the ball go through the net a few times, so we were fortunate to do that early, and I think it’s contagious. Somebody gets hot; somebody else gets hot. We were able to roll from there.
“But she’s done a heck of a job at Michigan State.”
Fralick shared her postgame comments with the players.
“What I told our team afterward is one game isn’t our season,” she said. “It doesn’t feel good to finish our season this way game like this, but there are things happening in our program we’re really proud of. We made it a game further this year without first NCAA win in six years. I’m really proud of our collective season.”
-30-
Tom Shanahan is an award-winning sportswriter and frequent contributor to Spartanmag.com in addition to posting on his website. His new book on Michigan State leading college football integration is, “THE RIGHT THING TO DO, The True Pioneers of College Football Integration in the 1960s.” His first book was “RAYE OF LIGHT, Jimmy Raye, Duffy Daugherty, the Integration of College Football and the 1965-66 Michigan State Spartans.”
I invite you to follow me on Twitter @shanny4055
Below are links to click on to purchase my books focused.
My books tell the true story of college football integration in the 1960s and address the myths and fiction that allowed a false narrative surrounding the 1970 USC-Alabama game to usurp the credit from the true pioneers. As I said when I spoke at the National Sports Media Association book festival, no two books provide an accurate portrayal more than RAYE OF LIGHT and THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
I’ll put my facts up against anybody, anytime, anywhere. Watch here.
Click here for my story on the 1962 Rose Bowl and Segregation awarded first place by the Football Writers Association of America. I tell untold stories on Michigan State’s leading role and the true pioneers of college football integration. Click here to read the summary as a first-place story.
***
Click here to purchase The Right Thing To Do
THE RIGHT THING TO DO
The True Pioneers of College Football Integration in the 1960s
Foreword by Ruffin McNeill
***
Click here to purchase Raye of Light.
RAYE OF LIGHT
Jimmy Raye, Duffy Daugherty, the 1ntegration of College Football and the 1965-66 Michigan State Spartans
Foreword by Tony Dungy
***
Nice writeup of a difficult game for a Spartan fan. Two minor comments: Reynolds began basketball on Dec. 2, 1949. (I was there when my Dad drove me up from New Bern for the opening game).
Also our NC State fans were definitely “rabid” rather than rapid (or maybe both).
Totally appreciate your writing and your background approach :>))
God Bless,
Bob Kennel