This is the second meeting of the season between the two teams.
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State women's basketball returns home for its final two regular-season home games of the season. The Spartans host Rutgers on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. at the Breslin Center. Saturday is 4-H Day with 4-H kids from across the state invited to attend. Brendan Bommorito and Derrick Mitchell will be on the call for the BTN Plus.
• The Spartans have won two-straight games, improving to 19-7 overall and 9-6 in Big Ten action. Michigan State is looking to reach the 20-win mark for the first time since the 2018-19 season. MSU is looking for the series sweep against Rutgers after earning the win in Piscataway on Jan. 30.
• Rutgers is 8-21 overall and 2-14 in B1G play. After a win against Minnesota on Feb. 13, the Scarlet Knights have lost two-straight games at home against Wisconsin and at Maryland.
• The Spartan bench continues to be the spark in the Michigan State offense. MSU is 17th in the nation and first in the Big Ten in bench points, averaging 26.9 ppg. Sophomore guard Theryn Hallock is the top contributor off the bench with 11.2 ppg.
• The 10 points by Moira Joiner vs. Purdue gives her 1,094 career points, moving up to No. 26 on MSU's career scoring list, passing Bella Engen (1994-98) with 1,088 points, and just four points from Jenna Allen (2015-19) with 1,098 for the No. 25 spot and 14 from the No. 24 spot held by Becky Cummings (1997-2001) with 1,108 points.
SCOUTING RUTGERS
This is the second meeting of the season between the Spartans and the Scarlet Knights with MSU winning the first meeting on Jan. 30, 82-64. Rutgers comes to East Lansing with an 8-21 record and are 2-14 in Big Ten action.
The Scarlet Knights have lost four of their last five games, earning a win at home against Minnesota, 81-73, on Feb. 13.
Rutgers is 12th in the Big Ten in scoring offense, averaging 66.2 ppg, while standing 12th in scoring defense, allowing 72.2 ppg. The Scarlet Knights are second in the B1G in blocks (4.31 bpg), while standing ninth in rebound margin (+0.97).
Destiny Adams leads the Scarlet Knights in several categories. Adams is 10th in the league in scoring (15.3 ppg) and sixth in rebounding (7.4 rpg). Chyna Cornwell is seventh in rebounding with 7.3 rpg.
Rutgers head coach Coquese Washington is in her second season at the helm of the Scarlet Knights, posting a 20-41 record. Overall, Washington is in her 14th season as a collegiate head coach, amassing a 229-210 ledger. She spent 12 season as the head coach at Penn State.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
Michigan State holds an 9-6 series lead in the brief history between the two teams. The Spartans have won five of the last six meetings, including the last three. MSU leads the series at home 5-3 in East Lansing, while hold a slight edge in Piscataway, 4-3. Last season in East Lansing, Michigan State came out on top, 85-63. The last time the Scarlet Knights won in East Lansing was on Feb. 24, 2021 with a 63-53 win. Earlier this season, the Spartans defeated the Scarlet Knights, 82-64, in Piscataway on Jan. 30.
LAST TIME VS RUTGERS
Michigan State used a balanced attack with five players in double figures to defeat Rutgers, 82-64, at Jersey Mike's Arena on Jan. 30.
Overall, five Spartans reached double figures in the victory. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault scored 19 points for the second-straight game, adding six rebounds. Sophomore guards Abbey Kimball and Theryn Hallock both scored 16 points for MSU. Graduate guard Moira Joiner added 10 points and tied her career high with six assists, while graduate guard/forward Tory Ozment also scored 10.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
The Spartans have found their success this season using a balanced attack. For the last 11 games, a different players has led the team in scoring. Five Spartans have been on top of the score sheet this season. Julia Ayrault leads the way, being the top MSU scorer eight times this season.
BY THE NUMBERS VS. PURDUE
• Michigan State won its fourth-straight game at Mackey Arena, as the Spartans' last loss at West Lafayette was in 2017. Michigan State has won five of the last seven overall meetings with Purdue, trimming the Boilermakers' overall series lead to 44-39, and 23-12 in West Lafayette.
• By winning both regular-season meetings with Purdue this year after the 97-70 win over the Boilermakers on Jan. 24, the Spartans swept the season series for the second time in the last four seasons, also doing so in 2020-21 season, which was also the last season that MSU and PU played each other twice during the regular season.
• The Spartan defense held Purdue to just 58 points, which is a season-low in a B1G game for the MSU defense. Michigan State is now 5-0 when holding the opposition under 60 points.
AROUND THE BIG TEN
This season, Michigan State is third in the Big Ten in scoring margin (+16.4) and second in assists (18.9 apg). The Spartans are also second in the league in 3-point field goals made, averaging 9.27 per game. MSU is second in turnover margin (+6.62) and first in assist/turnover ratio (1.66).
Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault leads the Spartans in scoring, averaging 14.9 points per game, which is 11th in the conference, while graduate guard Moira Joiner is 13th with 14.5 ppg. Ayrault is also eighth in rebounding with 7.2 rpg and sixth in field goal percentage (.516). Junior guard DeeDee Hagemann is sixth in the league in assists, averaging 5.1 apg and first in assist/turnover ratio (3.02). Ayrault is also second in the conference in blocks, averaging 2.2 bpg, behind Wisconsin's Serah Williams.
LAST TIME OUT
Michigan State women's basketball captured the series sweep against Purdue with a 68-59 win over Purdue on Wednesday evening at Mackey Arena. The Spartans had five players in double figures in the win.
The Michigan State bench once again led the way with 29 bench points. Sophomore guard Theryn Hallock topped MSU with 16 points, going 4-for-6 from long range. Junior guard DeeDee Hagemann and graduate guard/forward Tory Ozment both scored 13 points. Hagemann set a new career high with 11 assists to register her second double-double, both coming in the state of Indiana after her first double-double with 19 points and 10 assists at Indiana on Feb. 8. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault scored 12 points, while adding a game-high five blocks. Graduate guard Moira Joiner also added 10 points.
Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.
