Drop 96-46 Decision at Michigan State; Lehigh Next for Patriot League Opener
By John Painter
(East Lansing, Mich. – Dec. 29, 2013) From the point on, the games count.
Colgate completed the 2013 portion of its basketball schedule here Sunday with a 96-46 loss at Michigan State. The Raiders enter Patriot League play Thursday at Lehigh sporting a 4-7 record from a difficult out-of-conference slate.
“We could have scrapped out a few more wins but our pre-conference schedule went pretty well,” Colgate head coach Nicci Hays Fort said. “We competed and had some really tough games, playing two teams ranked in the top-25 in the preseason and a Harvard team that’s really good.
“That makes for really tough competition and we really battled and grew as a team. We could have folded after the Gonzaga trip, but we bounced right back to win three straight games during finals week.”
Similar to its other foray this season into women’s basketball royalty, Colgate simply couldn’t keep it close against the Spartans of the Big Ten Conference. The 50-point loss matched the margin last month at Gonzaga, but Hays Fort felt much better about her team’s effort this time around.
“We competed and had some really good stretches in the first half,” Hays Fort said. “And then we closed the game with some good minutes.”
Colgate was solid early, never playing with the lead but hanging tough over the game’s opening 10 minutes. Michigan State led by scores of 8-7, 11-9 and still only 16-11 when the first half reached the midway point.
Reid’s Rebounds Missed
And this despite the fact the Raiders were playing shorthanded Sunday, missing forward Kelly Reid. The junior injured her ankle in a recent practice and her nearly six rebounds per game were sorely missed against the taller and lengthier Spartans.
“She’s one of our best post defenders and post rebounders,” Hays Fort said. “She’s a gritty, tough player and we missed that today because Michigan State’s one of the biggest teams in the country.
“I expect them to do some damage in the Big Ten.”
Sunday marked a homecoming for Lansing native Carole Harris. Not only did the Raiders junior forward have around 20 family members and friends in the stands right behind the Colgate bench, but she also received a warm ovation from the Breslin Center crowd during pregame introductions.
“That was really nice,” Harris said. “And being able to play at home was really nice.”
Harris knows there are team benefits to these tough early season tests.
“This was a really good trip for us,” she said. “Even though we didn’t win and even though the score wasn’t what it could have been, we learned a lot from this. It’s going to push us in the Patriot League because we know we can compete with those teams.
“We started off really well in both of our big games, against Gonzaga and MSU. Hopefully that will help us start fast in the Patriot League.”
Lewis Back on Target
Shooting woes were the main bugaboo for Colgate. The Raiders shot just 22 percent from the floor in the first half and only 25 percent for the game. Only the Gonzaga game (21.2) was worse for the Maroon clads.
Colgate also finished 3-of-14 from long distance, with Catherine Lewis nailing a couple of late threes to help those numbers a bit.
Michigan State led 44-21 at halftime and Harris connected for Colgate to start the second stanza by draining a jumper for her first points of the game. But the Spartans answered with 17 consecutive points to make it 61-23 with 15:06 remaining.
Hays Fort played her entire available roster, and first-year players Katie Curtis (3) and Steph Poland (2) were able to dent the scoring column. Josie Stockill also drew her first starting assignment of the season in place of Reid, a nice 20th birthday present that she turned into six points and six rebounds.
Mariah Jones led the Raiders with 10 points and three assists, followed by Lewis with eight points. Lauryn Kobiela added six points and Harris finished with five to go with five boards and three assists.
Michigan State posted a commanding 58-11 advantage in bench scoring, thanks mainly to 25 points from Tori Jankoska. The freshman was 6-of-9 from 3-point distance as the Spartans matched their second-highest point total of the season (102 vs. Canisius; 96 vs. Dayton in overtime).
The Raiders open Patriot League play Thursday at Lehigh (7-4) in a 7 p.m. start. Colgate’s next home game is Jan. 5 against Bucknell.
“We have to strive to get better,” Hays Fort said. “If we want to get better in the Patriot League, we’ve got to play against people who are better than us.”
Michigan State 96, Colgate 46
Colgate (4-7): Lauryn Kobiela 6, Mariah Jones 10, Catherine Lewis 8, Josie Stockill 6, Carole Harris 5, Randyll Butler 2, Katie Curtis 3, Paige Kriftcher 2, Steph Poland 2, Missy Repoli 2. Totals: 17-9-46.
Michigan State (8-5): Kiana Johnson 7, Annalise Pickrel 5, Klarissa Bell 11, Aerial Powers 10, Becca Mills 5, Tori Jankoska 25, Cara Miller 5, Jasmine Hines 5, Mariah Harris 1, Branndais Agee 13, Anna Morrissey 2, Madison Williams 7. Totals: 30-26-96.
3-Point Field Goals: Colgate 3 (Lewis 2, Kobiela); Michigan State 10 (Jankoska 6, Bell 2, Johnson, Pickrel).
Halftime: Michigan State 44-21.