EAST LANSING — As the youngest of three kids, Emma Shumate went through plenty of shooting drills outside her house along with her sister, Katie, and her brother, JT.
And through the product of many of those workouts, led by their father, all three Shumate kids emerged as strong shooters.
After her siblings ended up playing Division I basketball — Katie at Kent State and JT at Toledo — Emma has followed in their footsteps by making her mark in her second season in the Michigan State women’s basketball program.
“I think I’ve always been a shooter,” Shumate said. “Threes have always been my thing, so transferring (it) to college was kind of immediate. I’m just keeping my confidence in that.”
Shumate has settled into a role as a strong outside shooter for the No. 24-ranked Spartans and added to her success by contributing 14 points off the bench in a 96-52 victory over Youngstown State on Wednesday, Nov. 12.
Shumate knocked down 4-of-5 from behind the 3-point arc, which included three in the opening quarter while helping MSU (3-0) build an early double-digit lead in their latest lopsided win.
“I love to call her Shoot-mate,” MSU coach Robyn Fralick said. “That’s my nickname for her and shooters shoot. She spends a lot of time on it. I always say soar with your superpower and her superpower is shooting. It’s a huge advantage for our team. It creates space. It’s definitely a weapon.
“I think the biggest thing she’s worked on is the mental side of competing and understanding it doesn’t matter if it goes in or not, it’s a good shot. It’s kind of staying in that space and being ready for the next one.”
Shumate did that Wednesday, missing her first 3-point attempt before bouncing back to make the next four.
“I think that’s my role,” Shumate said. “I’ve got to come in and be ready immediately.
“I missed my first one and then it’s trusting that the rest are going to go in and they did.”
Shumate was one of four players to score in double figures for the Spartans on Wednesday. Grace VanSlooten had a team-high 17 points and six rebounds and Theryn Hallock and Jalyn Brown each added 11 points for MSU.
The Spartans next host Western Michigan at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 16, at Breslin Center.
Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on X @brian_calloway and Bluesky @briancalloway.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Emma Shumate embracing superpower as shooter, helps lift MSU women to 3-0
Reporting by Brian Calloway, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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