No. 20 MSU Celebrates National Girls and Women in Sports Day Against Michigan Sunday
The Spartans have won three-straight games against the Wolverines.
EAST LANSING, Mich. - No. 20/20 Michigan State women's basketball returns home to take on Michigan on Sunday, Feb. 9 at 2 p.m. MSU will also be celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day. The game will be televised on the FS1 with Sloane Martin and Christy Winters Scott on the call.• Michigan State returned to the winning column with a definitive, 89-75 win over Northwestern on the road on Feb. 2. The Spartans improved to 18-4 overall and 8-3 in Big Ten action.
• Michigan has won two-straight games after a dominating 78-60 win over Nebraska on the road on Feb. 6. Overall, the Wolverines are 16-7 overall and 7-5 in league contests.
• This is the second meeting this season between the Spartans and the Wolverines. On Jan. 25, MSU came out on top 88-58 in Ann Arbor. Michigan State is looking for its second-straight sweep after winning both games during head coach Robyn Fralick's first season. The last time the Spartans won four-straight in the series was from March of 2015 to March of 2017.
• This is the fastest that a Michigan State team has gotten to 18 wins since the 2015-16 team also started the season 18-4. This is also the best start to conference play since the 2015-16 team that started league play 8-2. That team finished 13-5 in league play which was good for third place.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN
Michigan comes to East Lansing winners of two-straight games. The Wolverines defeated Nebraska, 78-60, in Lincoln, on Feb. 6. Overall, Michigan is 16-7 and 7-5 in Big Ten contests. U-M's Big Ten wins include victories over Oregon, Washington and Minnesota.
The Wolverines have four players averaging in double figures, led by Olivia Olson, who is scoring 16.3 ppg. Olson is ninth in the Big Ten in scoring. Mila Holloway is ninth in the league in assists, averaging 4.2 apg. As a team, Michigan is sixth in the league in scoring offense (79.4 ppg) and ninth in scoring defense (63.6 ppg). U-M is third in 3-point field goal percentage (.358).
Michigan head coach Kim Barnes Arico is in her 13th season as the helm of the Wolverines with a 277-140 record. Overall, she is in her 29th season as a head coach with stops at FDU-Fordham, St. Johns, Adelphi and NJIT. Her overall record is 547-346.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE WOLVERINES
Michigan State leads the overall series with Michigan, 76-25. Last season MSU defeated Michigan 82-61 in East Lansing, before edging the Wolverines, 70-66, in Ann Arbor. Last year's sweep was the first since the 2018-19 season. Prior to last year's sweep, U-M had won three-straight games in the series. Earlier this season, No. 21 MSU defeated No. 24 Michigan in Ann Arbor, 88-58. It was the first time that both teams were ranked in the series.
In Ann Arbor, the Spartans leads the series 30-16. In East Lansing, MSU is on top in the series, 37-9. On neutral territory, the Spartans are 9-0.
LAST TIME VS. MICHIGAN
Junior guard Theryn Hallock scored 23 of her 25 points in the second half, as the No. 21 MSU women's basketball team cruised past No. 24 Michigan, 88-58, on Jan. 25 at the Crisler Center. It was the biggest margin of victory for MSU against U-M in Ann Arbor.
MSU head coach Robyn Fralick is just the third Spartan head coach to win her first three games against the Wolverines along with Karen Langeland and Mikki Baile.
For the second-straight game, Michigan State had four players in double figures led by 25 points from junior guard Theryn Hallock, who has the led the team in scoring for the third-straight game. She scored 14 points in the third quarter alone. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault and junior forward Grace VanSlooten both poured in 18 points. Ayrault earned her sixth double-double of the season adding in 13 rebounds. Graduate guard Jaddan Simmons was solid in the first half and ended the game with 11 points and six boards.
ADDING UP THE WINS
This is the fastest that a Michigan State team has gotten to 18 wins since the 2015-16 team also started the season 18-4. This is also the best start to conference play since the 2015-16 team that started league play 8-2. That team finished 13-5 in league play which was good for third place.
HALLOCK HEATING UP
Junior guard Theryn Hallock has erupted for 93 points in her last five games, with 13 points last time out against Northwestern. She also had the top two scoring outings of her career with 26 points at Illinois on Jan. 19 and 25 at Michigan on Jan. 25. Both of her top outings coming on the road. Hallock is now averaging 18.6 ppg in her last five games. Hallock's 25 points against Michigan wasn't only just one shy of her career-best from two games ago, but was her third 20-point outing this season and fifth of her career, with MSU improving to 2-1 this season and 4-1 in her career when she posts 20+ points.
BENCH PRODUCTION
Michigan State is 14th in the NCAA in bench production, averaging 28.4 bench points per game, which is also first in the Big Ten. South Carolina leads the nation in bench points with 41.8 per game.
Most Bench PPG by B1G Teams
Michigan State 28.4
Oregon 27.6
Nebraska 26.9
UCLA 24
Minnesota 23.6
NET RANKINGS
In the current women's basketball NET ranking, the Spartans stand No. 16. They are fourth among Big Ten schools behind No. 4 UCLA, No. 6 USC and No. 15 Ohio State. South Carolina stands No. 1. The Big Ten has five schools in the top 25 in NET rankings with Maryland standing No. 25.
WHAT A QUARTER!
The Spartans' 31-point third quarter against Michigan on Jan. 25 tied for the third-most in any quarter, behind 33 points in both the fourth quarter vs. Vanderbilt (11/27/24) and the fourth quarter vs. Yale (11/8/24), and 32 in the first quarter vs. Detroit Mercy (11/20/24), while matching 31 points in the first frame in the season-opener vs. Oakland (11/5/24). It's the eighth quarter this season with 30+ points, and MSU has now scored 30 points at least once in every quarter except the second quarter.
RANKED BIG TEN TEAMS
Five different Big Ten teams are ranked or receiving votes in the AP top 25 poll. UCLA leads the way at No. 1, followed by No. 7 USC, No. 8 Ohio State, No. 16 Maryland and No. 20 Michigan State. Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota are also receiving votes in this week's poll.
AYRAULT ASCENDS THE CHARTS
With 14 points Sunday, graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault now has 1,248 career points, moving up to at No. 15 on MSU's career scoring list. Ayrault is two points shy of the No. 14 spot held by Branndais Agee (2013-18) with 1,250 points.
Ayrault's five rebounds against Northwestern gives her 692 for her career, moving up to No. 13 on MSU's career rebounding list, tied with Jill Prudden (1975-78). Ayrault's four blocks give her 168 blocks for her career, holding steady at her spot at No. 3 on the Spartans' career blocks list.
She played her 129th career game on Sunday, moving up to tie for No. 17 on MSU's career games played list, standing tied with Becca Mills (2011-15). She is one game away from the No. 15 spot, currently held by former teammate Tori Ozment (2019-24) and Jenna Allen (2015-19).
BY THE NUMBERS VS. NORTHWESTERN
• The 89 points scored by the Spartans against the Wildcats was the second-straight season that MSU has surpassed the 85-point mark. Last season, Michigan State came away with a 91-72 win in East Lansing. Prior to that, the last time that Michigan State surpassed 80 points against Northwestern was an 81-51 win in 2018 in East Lansing. It was the most points that the Green and White have scored in Evanston since an 88-77 win in 1997.
• For the fourth time this season, graduate guard Jaddan Simmons recorded six assists to lead the Spartans. Overall, she has led MSU in assists 11 times this season and MSU is 10-1 in those contests. Fellow graduate guard Nyla Hampton added five helpers. This was the third time this season that she has had five or more assists this season.
INSIDE THE B1G
In conference games, Michigan State is third in scoring offense (76.8) and third in scoring margin (+10.0). The Spartans 18 steals against Purdue on Jan. 22 were tie the most by a B1G team in league play this season. MSU's 10 blocks on Jan. 22 are tied for the most in a B1G game with Indiana against Wisconsin.
BALANCED ATTACK
Seven different Spartans have led the team in scoring. Julia Ayrault has led the team in scoring nine times, while Grace VanSlooten is second with seven. Theryn Hallock has been the leading scorer five, while Jocelyn Tate, Jaddan Simmons, Emma Shumate and Juliann Woodard have led once.
YOUR STARTING FIVE
MSU's starting line-up changed for the first time in eight games. Against Northwestern on Feb. 2, graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault, graduate guard Jaddan Simmons, senior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate, junior guard Theryn Hallock and junior forward Grace VanSlooten were on the court for the opening tip. The starting line-up MSU opened with is one of six different starting fives that the Green & White have utilized this season. This starting lineup has a 2-1 record.
AROUND THE BIG TEN
Michigan State is second in the Big Ten in scoring offense, averaging 82.0 points per game. The Spartans are also third in scoring margin (+21.4). MSU is second in the league in blocks (5.6 bpg). MSU is first in steals with 13.3 spg and second in assists with 19.0 apg. The Spartans are second in turnover margin (+8.4).
Individually, graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault is 11th in the league in scoring (16.1 ppg). Junior forward Grace VanSlooten is fifth in the league in field goal percentage (.529). Senior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate is tied for second in the league in steals (2.32) with Ohio State Taylor Thierry. Graduate guard Jaddan Simmons is tied for sixth in steals (2.00 spg).
AROUND THE NATION
After 23 games, the Spartans are 14th in the nation scoring margin, winning games by 21.4 points. Michigan State is sixth in the NCAA and first in the Big Ten in steals per game with 13.3 spg. MSU is ninth in the nation in assists with 19.0 apg and 10th in turnover margin (+8.4).
LAST TIME OUT
Five Spartans scored in double figures as the No. 16/17 Michigan State women's basketball team topped Northwestern, 89-75, Sunday afternoon at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
The Spartans had five players in double figures led by 20 points from junior forward Grace VanSlooten. It was her third 20-point game of the season with MSU improving to 3-0 in those games. Off the bench, graduate guard Nyla Hampton set a new season-high with 16 points, tying a season-high with two 3-pointers. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault added 14 points, tying a season-high with four blocks. Junior guard Theryn Hallock scored 13 points, with junior guard Emma Shumate adding 12 points. Shumate also tied a season-high with four 3-pointers.
AYRAULT NAMED TO ANN MEYERS DRYSDALE AWARD WATCH LIST Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault has been named to the 2024 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Midseason Watch, as selected by members of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.
She was one of 50 players named to the midseason watch list. Ayrault is one of seven players from the Big Ten, including Destiny Adams (Rutgers), Lauren Betts (UCLA), Jaloni Cambridge (Ohio State), Cotie McMahon (Ohio State), Kaylene Smikle (Maryland) and JuJu Watkins (USC).
Ayrault is first on the team in scoring, averaging 16.0 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. She is 11th in the Big Ten in scoring and 12th in rebounding.
VANSLOOTEN NAMED TO WATCH LIST
Michigan State Women's Basketball junior forward Grace VanSlooten was named one of the top 10 candidates for the Cheryl Miller Award, as announced by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) on Wednesday.
She is one of three Big Ten players on the list along with Indiana's Yarden Garzon and Ohio State's Cotie McMahon. The award honors the nation's top small forwards.
VanSlooten is in her first season at Michigan State after transferring from Oregon. She is second on the team in scoring, averaging 14.4 points per game. She is fifth in the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.529).
Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.
