Coatney's Call: Michigan State Game Preview

#23 Nebraska (20-6, 9-5) at Michigan State (17-10, 9-5)
Thursday, Feb. 23, 6 p.m. (central)
Breslin Center (East Lansing, Mich.)
Radio: 25-Station Husker Sports Network (Matt Coatney-PBP; Jeff Griesch-Analyst)
B107.3 FM-KBBK (Lincoln); The Wolf 93.3 FM-KTWI (Omaha); 880 AM-KRVN (Lexington); 1400 AM-KCOW (Alliance); 1230 AM-KHAS (Hastings); 94.1 FM-KNEB (Scottsbluff); 
Internet: Free live audio on Huskers.com
Internet Video: BTN.com 

Two of the four teams tied for third place in the Big Ten Conference square off Thursday night when No. 23 Nebraska faces Michigan State in the Huskers' final road game of the regular season. 

NU broke a three-game losing streak with a 68-59 win over Wisconsin Sunday in Lincoln.  Sophomore Jordan Hooper demonstrated why she is on the Wade Trophy National Player-of-the-Year Watch list with a monster 19-point, 18-rebound effort.  The 18 rebounds were the most by a Husker during the 10-year Connie Yori coaching era and the most by a Nebraska player in 13 years. Hooper leads the Big Ten with 11 double-doubles this year and in rebounds (9.5 rpg).  

Junior point guard Lindsey Moore added 11 points and six assists. Moore was recently named one of eight finalists for the Nancy Lieberman Award, given yearly to the nation's best point guard in NCAA Division I women's basketball. 

Michigan State is one of the hottest teams in the Big Ten. After enduring a four-game losing streak, the Spartans have won five of their last six games, including a 67-52 overtime win at home over Purdue Sunday afternoon.  The defending regular-season conference champions lead the Big Ten and are 22nd in the nation in rebound margin (+7.0).  They have eight straight 20-win seasons, and are one of 13 teams in the nation to reach that mark over the past eight years.  MSU is one of two Big Ten schools with at least 10 conference wins in each of the last nine seasons.  The Spartans have advanced to eight of the last nine NCAA Tournaments, and made the national championship game in 2005.

Senior Porsche (por-SHAY) Poole, a 5-8 guard, has started the last six games and has been one of the hottest offensive players in the Big Ten. She scored at least 20 points in each of her first four Big Ten starts, and had a 32-point effort against Penn State.  She leads the team in scoring (13.3 ppg) on the season.  Senior forward Lykendra Johnson was last season's Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and has been an All-Big Ten selection three times.  She has started the last 111 games in her career and is one of five players in conference history with at least 1,000 points, 900 rebounds, 200 steals and 100 blocks.  Johnson is second on the team in scoring (10.7 ppg) and leads the team in steals and is second in the Big Ten in rebounds (8.9 rpg). 

Freshman Kiana Johnson has started the last 18 games and leads the team in assists.  The 5-7 guard averages 7.4 points per game.  Senior Taylor Alton, a 5-11 forward, is MSU's leading three-point shooter (53 threes) and averages 7.4 points per game. Alton and LyKendra Johnson are the only two Spartans to start every game this season and Alton has started 42 consecutive games. Michigan State is 14-0 all-time in games in which Alton has scored in double figures. 

Sophomore guard Klarissa Bell rounds out MSU's probable starting lineup.  Like Poole, Bell has started the last six games and is averaging 3.0 points per game on the year.

Fifth-year Michigan State Head Coach Suzy Merchant was last season's Big Ten Coach of the Year after guiding the Spartans to their first outright league title in school history.  She previously spent nine seasons as the head coach at Eastern Michigan.

Nebraska and Michigan State have never faced each other in women's basketball. 

I cordially invite you to join Jeff Griesch and me for Nebraska women's basketball on the Husker Sports Network.  Our radio broadcast Thursday begins with the Husker Courtside pre-game show at 5:45 p.m. (central) with the tip-off scheduled for 6 p.m. on the Husker Sports Network, including Lincoln affiliate KBBK 107.3 FM (B107.3), KTWI 93.3 FM (The Wolf 93.3) in Omaha, 880 AM KRVN in Lexington, KWBE 1450 in Beatrice, KCOW 1400 in Alliance, KHAS 1230 in Hastings, KNEB 94.1 FM in Scottsbluff, and available to our entire 25 network stations.  All Husker Women's Basketball broadcasts are also available for free worldwide on the internet at www.huskers.com.  I hope you can join us. 

There are a number of ways to get enhanced information about our broadcast and Husker women's basketball via social media.  You can learn more about the team on the Nebraska Women's Basketball Facebook  page or follow the team on their official Twitter page @huskerswbb.  I also invite you to friend me on Facebook (Matt Coatney) or follow me on Twitter @coatman1.

Go Big Red! 

Matt