No. 22 Spartans Open West Coast Swing at No. 1 UCLA Sunday
The two teams haven't met since 2003.
East Lansing, Mich. - No. 22/22 Michigan State women's basketball hits the road for a two-game road swing. MSU will take on No. 1/1 UCLA on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 9 p.m. ET at Pauley Pavilion. The game will be televised on BTN with Ann Schatz and Elise Woodward on the call.• Last time out, Michigan State returned to the win column with a 91-71 win over Wisconsin on Feb. 12. The Spartans are 19-5 overall and 9-4 in league action. After taking on UCLA, the Spartans will remain in Los Angeles to face No. 6/6 USC on Feb. 19.
• UCLA was the last remaining undefeated team in the NCAA until falling to No. 6/6 USC, 71-60, on the road on Feb. 13. The Bruins are 23-1 overall and 11-1 in Big Ten play.
• Michigan State is playing the No. 1 team in the country for the seventh time in program history with Sunday's match-up vs. top-ranked UCLA. The Spartans are looking for their second-ever win over the top-ranked team in the nation with a 1-5 record against in the previous six meetings against the No. 1 team in the land.
Skip Ad
• Grace VanSlooten has registered 10+ points in each of the last 11 games, posting double-digit points in 21 of her 23 games played at MSU. VanSlooten has now registered double-digit points 73 times out of 86 career games, logging double-digits in 52 games while at Oregon.
SCOUTING UCLA
No. 1/1 UCLA was the last undefeated team in the NCAA, before falling to No. 6/6 USC on the road on Feb. 13, 71-60. The Bruins hold an overall record of 23-1 and stand 11-1 in Big Ten action. UCLA is a perfect 10-0 at Pauley Pavilion.
The Bruins are second in the Big Ten in scoring margin (+24.4), just ahead of Michigan State (+20.0). UCLA is also first in the league in field goal percentage (.486) and first in rebound margin (+15.1). Lauren Betts is second in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 19.5 ppg, while standing third in rebounding, averaging 9.9 rpg. Kiki Rice is second in the B1G in assist/turnover ratio (2.45).
UCLA head coach Cori Close is in her 14th season leading the Bruins with a record of 310-141 record. She has spent all 14 years of her coaching career at UCLA.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE BRUINS
The series history between the Spartans and the Bruins is brief. Overall, Michigan State leads the series 2-1. Michigan State defeated UCLA in East Lansing in 2001, 67-63. The teams split the two meeting in Los Angeles. In 1992, the Bruins won the first battle, 82-57. It was the Spartans who won the last meeting in Los Angeles in 2003 led by a All-American Liz Shimek.
LAST TIME VS. UCLA
It was ugly and it was sloppy, but in the end, it was a win for No. 24 Michigan State at UCLA on Dec. 19, 2003. The Spartans scored a season-low in points and committed a season-high 26 turnovers but held on for a 47-43 victory over the Bruins for MSU's fourth straight road victory.
Skip Ad
Sophomore Liz Shimek (Empire, Mich.) posted her second straight double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds to help MSU improve to 8-1. The Spartans won their fourth straight road game for the first time since the 1990-91 season, and all four road wins came in successive games - something that MSU has not accomplished since the 1977-78 season.
CALIFORNIA HERE WE COME
This is the second trip to California this season for MSU. The Spartans won the Acrisure Classic in November with wins over California and Vanderbilt. Prior to the Acrisure Classic, Michigan State had not played in California since the
2016-17 season when MSU played in the Radisson Thanksgiving Classic in Northridge, California. In that tournament, the Spartans defeated Delaware, 88-55, before edging host CSUN, 63-59. In the 2009, NCAA Regional Semifinals, MSU fell to Iowa State in Berkeley.
QUITE THE TRIO
With 1,261 points, 703 rebounds and 172 blocks, graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault joins a very small club. She is one of only three Spartans with over 1,250 points, 700 rebounds and 150 blocks. All-American Allyssa DeHaan ended her Spartan career with 1,649 points, 919 rebounds and 504 blocks. Kristen Rasmussen finished with 1,493 points, 964 rebounds and 194 blocks.
NUMBER SEVEN AGAINST NO. 1
Michigan State is playing the No. 1 team in the country for the seventh time in program history with Sunday's match-up vs. top-ranked UCLA. The Spartans are looking for their second-ever win over the top-ranked team in the nation with a 1-5 record against in the previous six meetings against the No. 1 team in the land.
Sunday is MSU's first match-up against a No. 1 team since Nov. 25, 2017 when MSU played No. 1 UConn in Portland, Oregon, at the Nike PK80 Invitational in honor of Phil Knight's 80th birthday.
Of the previous six meetings with the No. 1 team, five have come during the regular season and one came in the postseason. The Spartans played No. 1 Stanford in the 2005 NCAA Regional Finals, ending in a 76-69 Victory for MSU and the Spartans advanced to the Final Four.
Skip Ad
Additionally, Saturday will be the fourth of the seven meetings when MSU was ranked when facing the No. 1 team and the first since Jan. 6, 2007 when No. 19/18 Spartans lost at No. 1/1 Maryland, 97-57.
It is also only the second time of the seven that MSU is playing the No. 1 team on their home court, with the only other time being at No. 1/1 Maryland on Jan. 6, 2007.
Sunday is only the second time that the Spartans are playing a conference game against the No. 1, as the previous five meetings have been non-conference or postseason games. The only other previous conference contest was MSU's first game against a No. 1 team, when Michigan State played No. 1 Iowa on Feb. 5, 1988, losing 77-52.
INCREDIBLE Inés
Freshman center Inés Sotelo netted a season-high 17 points against Wisconsin on Feb. 12, topping her previous season-best of 16 points vs. Purdue (1/1/25). It was Sotelo's first double-figure scoring outing in her last eight games. MSU is now 5-0 this season when Sotelo tallied double-digits.
NET RANKINGS
In the current women's basketball NET ranking, the Spartans stand No. 21. They are fourth among Big Ten schools behind No. 5 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 Michigan standing No. 25.
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. 6 USC, No. 9 Ohio State, No. 17 Maryland and No. 22 Michigan State. Illinois and Michigan are also receiving votes in this week's poll.
AYRAULT ASCENDS THE CHARTS
Julia Ayrault's three points against Wisconsin on Feb. 12 give her 1,261 career points, holding at No. 14 on MSU's career scoring list, needing nine points for the No. 13 spot held by Kelli Roehrig (2013-18) with 1,370 points.
With the five rebounds Wednesday, Ayrault now has 703 career rebounds, becoming the 13th player in Spartan women's basketball history with 700 career rebounds. She also moved up to No. 12 on MSU's career rebounds list, passing Kisha Kelley (1991-95) with 701 rebounds. The one 3-pointer against the Badgers was Ayrault's 121st career triple, tying Spartan great Aerial Powers (2013-16) at No. 15 on MSU's career 3-pointers list with 121 3-pointers.
She has now played in 131 career games, moving into a seven-way tie for No. 9 with 131 games.
BY THE NUMBERS VS. WISCONSIN
• After Michigan State's two lowest scoring outputs of the season came in its previous two games after being held to a season-low 59 points in the home game vs. Oregon (1/30/25) and vs. Michigan (2/9/25) with 61 points, before the Spartans erupted for 91 points Wednesday night. The 91 points is MSU's most in any B1G game this season and the most in its last 18 games since scoring 101 points vs. Detroit Mercy (11/20/24).
• The 91 points was MSU's sixth game this season in hanging 90+ points on the scoreboard, and MSU is 6-0 when scoring 90 or more points. Overall, it was the 18th time in the two seasons under head coach Robyn Fralick that the Spartans have scored 90+ points after doing so 12 times last season.
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 eight. Theryn Hallock has been the leading scorer five, while Jocelyn Tate, Jaddan Simmons, Emma Shumate and Juliann Woodard have led once.
YOUR STARTING FIVE
Michigan State used the same starting line for the third game in a row, with graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault, graduate guard Jaddan Simmons, senior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate, junior guard Theryn Hallock and junior forward Grace VanSlooten. Wednesday was the fifth game overall this season with that starting five and MSU is now 3-2 with that starting five for the opening tip.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
USC is in first place in the Big Ten with a 12-1 record, while UCLA is second. Ohio State stands third with a 10-3 mark, while Illinois is fourth with a 10-4 record. Michigan State is currently fifth with a 9-4 mark.
AROUND THE BIG TEN
Michigan State is second in the Big Ten in scoring offense, averaging 81.5 points per game. The Spartans are also third in scoring margin (+20.0). MSU is second in the league in blocks (5.7 bpg). MSU is second in steals with 13.0 spg and second in assists with 19.2 apg. The Spartans are second in turnover margin (+8.2).
Individually, graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault is 14th in the league in scoring (15.2 ppg). Junior forward Grace VanSlooten is third in the league in field goal percentage (.540). Graduate guard Jaddan Simmons is first in the Big Ten assist/turnover ratio (2.53). Senior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate is third in the league in steals (2.29). Graduate guard Nyla Hampton is eighth in steals (1.96 spg).
AROUND THE NATION
After 25 games, the Spartans are 17th in the nation scoring margin, winning games by 20.0 points. Michigan State is eighth in the NCAA and second in the Big Ten in steals per game with 13.0 spg. MSU is ninth in the nation in assists with 19.2 apg and 12th in turnover margin (+8.2).
JOINING THE 1K CLUB
Michigan State currently has four players who have scored at least 1,000 points in their collegiate careers. Most recently junior forward Grace VanSlooten joined the club against Vanderbilt on Nov. 27. She currently has 1,227 career points between Oregon and MSU. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault reached the 1,000-point club against Cal on Nov. 26. During her five years at MSU, she has scored 1,261 points. Graduate guard Nyla Hampton has scored 1,283 points during her time at Bowling Green, Ball State and Michigan State. Fellow graduate guard Jaddan Simmons also has 1,290 points during four seasons at Arizona State her time at MSU. Senior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate is looking to be the next member with 986 points between her two seasons at Bowling Green and two at MSU.
LOCKED IN DEFENSE
Senior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate is third in the Big Ten in steals, averaging 2.29 spg. Graduate guard Nyla Hampton is eighth (1.96 spg), while graduate guard Jaddan Simmons is ninth in the Big Ten in steals, averaging 1.92 spg. The MSU defense has been tough all season. Twice this year the Spartans have tallied 22 steals in a game: against Detroit Mercy on Nov. 20 and against Oakland on Nov. 5. The only team in the Big Ten with more steals in a game is USC with 28 against CSUN on Nov. 12. The Spartans are second in the B1G in steals, averaging 13.0 spg. MSU is second in the Big Ten with 312 steals this season, behind Ohio State's 315.
LAST TIME OUT
No. 22/22 Michigan State women's basketball got back on track with four players in double-figures to boost the Spartans to a 91-71 Victory for MSU over Wisconsin Wednesday night at the Breslin Center
The Victory for MSU got the Spartans back on track after losing their previous two home games, moving to 19-5 overall and 9-4 in Big Ten action. Wisconsin dropped its fourth in a row, sliding to 11-14 overall and 2-12 in B1G play.
Junior forward Grace VanSlooten led the four Spartans in double-figures with 22 points, followed by junior guard Theryn Hallock with 18 points. Freshman center Inés Sotelo netted a season-high 17 points off the bench and senior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate tallied 13 points. Graduate guard Nyla Hampton dished out a season-high eight assists as the Spartans posted a season-high 31 helpers.
Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.
