Spartan Women’s Basketball to Travel to Florida State for 2010 ACC/Big Ten Challenge

 EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Big Ten Conference released the matchups for the 2010 ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Monday. The Michigan State women’s basketball

 

The two schools will face for only the second time on Wednesday, Dec. 1. Photo courtesy of MSU SID

EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Big Ten Conference released the matchups for the 2010 ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Monday. The Michigan State women’s basketball team will travel to Florida State on Wednesday, Dec. 1 in the fourth-annual event. Game time and television assignments will be announced at a later date.

 

"We are looking forward to facing Florida State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge,” said Michigan State head coach Suzy Merchant. “The Seminoles are a program that is well-coached with talented players and have had a tremendous amount of postseason success lately."

 

The Spartans are 2-1 all-time in the Challenge. MSU won its inaugural contest, 68-51 over Clemson at the Breslin Center in 2007, but fell in 2008 at Georgia Tech, 70-57. Last year, Michigan State upset then-No. 4 North Carolina 72-66 in East Lansing .

 

MSU and FSU have met only one other time, an 82-69 Spartan victory on Dec. 21, 1994 in San Juan , Puerto Rico .

 

Three other Challenge matchups are set for Wednesday, Dec. 1 – Wake Forest at Michigan , Northwestern at Georgia Tech and NC State at Illinois . The remaining games are scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 2 – Duke at Wisconsin, Iowa at North Carolina, Penn State at Boston College, Virginia at Ohio State, Maryland at Purdue, Virginia Tech at Minnesota and Indiana at Clemson.

 

Michigan State advanced to the NCAA Tournament Second Round last season, winning 20 games for the seventh-straight season, going 23-10 overall. The Spartans finished second in the Big Ten at 12-6. 

 

Florida State ended last season No. 9 in the final ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, having advanced to the NCAA Tournament Elite 8 before falling to eventual national champion Connecticut . The Seminoles posted a 29-6 overall record, including a 12-2 mark in the ACC, which tied them for the regular-season title with Duke. 

 

For more information about the ACC/Big Ten Women's Basketball Challenge, including a complete schedule, log on to www.bigten.org.

 

Wednesday, Dec. 1

Wake Forest at Michigan

Michigan State at Florida State

Northwestern at Georgia Tech

NC State at Illinois

 

Thursday, Dec. 2

Duke at Wisconsin

Iowa at North Carolina

Penn State at Boston College

Virginia at Ohio State

Maryland at Purdue

Virginia Tech at Minnesota

Indiana at Clemson