Spartans not taking Wayne State lightly

By: Matt Bishop Posted: 11/05/09 5:24pm Comments: 0

After watching the Syracuse men’s basketball team fall to Division II LeMoyne on Tuesday, the MSU women’s basketball team isn’t going to be taking Wayne State lightly tonight. But head coach Suzy Merchant doesn’t believe that’s even going to be a problem, especially after the team saw the men’s basketball team lose to Grand Valley State in exhibition play in 2007.

“I don’t think this is a team that will take anybody lightly,” Merchant said. “I don’t feel like that’s a conversation that this team needs to have at this point. I sure hope not. I think now that we’re so much older, they might’ve let one or two slip away here or there in the past that they realized now how important every possession is.”

Junior forward Aisha Jefferson hasn’t had great luck in exhibition games in the past, hurting her shoulder in one and losing an entire season after tearing her ACL in another, but she said the team is just ready to play a game. As for Syracuse losing, Jefferson said it was crazy.

“We’re definitely learning from things around us,” Jefferson said, also mentioning the men’s team losing to Grand Valley.

On the injury front, Merchant said the team is “getting there,” and expects to have everyone in uniform tonight.

“Everybody has their aches and pains and stuff, but we have nobody that’s out and can’t play,” Merchant said. “I think that’s a positive right now for us. Maybe they’re not 100 percent, but 70, 80, but that’s still a lot better than not having them.”