Michigan State Basketball: Robyn Fralick leads Spartans to best start in program history

With 1:19 left in the fourth quarter of the Michigan State women’s basketball game against Nebraska, senior Jalyn Brown hit a clutch three-point shot to tie the game up at 69. Half a minute later, junior Rashunda Jones drove to the basket and drew a foul with a chance to tie the game up once more. Jones hit both free throws, knotting the game at 71 with 39 seconds left.

More competition followed both team down the stretch until sophomore forward Juliann Woodward drew a foul off of a rebound that turned into two free throws to take the game 73-71.

With that victory, Michigan State moves to 17-1, which is the best start in program history.  In the three season that head coach Robyn Fralick has coached in East Lansing, her Spartans are a combined 35-4 at home, an astounding record, especially in the Big Ten that has expanded to include former Pac-12 powerhouses.

After the game during her postgame press conference, Fralick urged fans to show up and show out. Fralick stated how big the atmosphere was, and how much it helped her players after a long west coast break had drained a bit of their energy.

“Bring a friend, bring a cousin, bring an aunt, bring an uncle,” Fralick told the Spartan fanbase.

“There will be more top-25 matchups and we need you here. Its a fun time, being engaged in a matchup like that,” she continued.

Senior forward Grace VanSlooten led the Spartans with 22 points on eight made shots.  The 5-foot-9 sophomore Kennedy Blair had a team-leading six rebounds, drew four total fouls during her 36-minute performance.

Those were not the only standout performances however, as both Jones and senior Jalyn Brown locked down on defense at the end of the fourth quarter, and forced Nebraska to turn the ball over and take risky shot attempts.

After the green and white’s victory, Fralick and her Spartans now turn their heads to No. 11 Iowa on Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. EST. If MSU can take another victory on the road, it will only take Fralick’s squad even higher.