Michigan State University
Maryland
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No. 17 Michigan State Knocks Off No. 9 Maryland 77-60
1/17/2019 8:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Five Spartans score in double figures in the second half.
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Senior center Jenna Allen scored 16 points and freshman guard Nia Clouden added 15 to lift No. 17 Michigan State to a 77-60 victory over No. 9 Maryland on Thursday night.
The Spartans (13-4, 3-3 Big Ten) led almost throughout, racing out to a 20-4 advantage in the first quarter. Maryland (15-2, 4-2) closed to within three at halftime, but Michigan State took control again in the third in this matchup between the highest-ranked Big Ten teams in this week's AP Top 25. Overall, the is MSU's second all-time win over Maryland, but the Spartans have captured two of the last three meetings.
It was the second victory over a top-10 team for the Spartans this season. They beat No. 3 Oregon on Dec. 9. Overall, Michigan State has defeated four ranked teams this season with all four victories coming at the Breslin Center. MSU is 4-1 against ranked squads with its only loss coming against then-No. 13 NC State, which is currently undefeated.
Michigan State made five 3-pointers in the first quarter. The Spartans made only one after that, but they kept playing with confidence. Junior guard Taryn McCutcheon scored 12 points for Michigan State, which had lost three of its previous four games. Junior guard Shay Colley and sophomore forward Sidney Cooks both added 11 points as five Spartans reached double figures.
Brianna Fraser led Maryland with 22 points, while Taylor Mikesell added 12 for the Terps.
The Spartan offense was aggressive to start the game. Michigan State used a 9-0 and a 15-2 run over 4:06 to take a 15-4 lead early in the first quarter. Allen came out swinging with seven points in the first five minutes of action. The run extended to 14-0 after a McCutcheon steal and a laytup as MSU went up 20-4 with 3:28 left in the first period. A pair of Frazier free throws stopped the run and made the score 20-6. The 25 points allowed in the first half were the fifth-most this season for the Terps.
The Spartans led 37-34 at halftime but pushed the lead back to double digits in the third and stayed in control after that.
In the third quarter, Maryland cut the lead to 40-37 before an old-fashioned three from Colley put MSU back up by six. After a pair of of Colley free throws MSU re-took a double-digit lead 49-39 with 4:57 remaining. Michigan State out-scored Maryland 22-13 in the period.
The Spartans play Sunday at Rutgers, which is the last remaining Big Ten team without a conference loss.
Post-Game Notes vs. Maryland
• Thursday's upset win over No. 9/9 Maryland was Michigan State's fourth home win over a ranked team, marking the first time that the Spartans have defeated four ranked teams at home since 2004-05 when MSU defeated No. 18/17 Iowa, No. 11/12 Minnesota, No. RV/24 Purdue and No. 2/3 Ohio State. The victory was MSU's fourth home win over a ranked team, joining No. 3 Oregon (88-82 on Dec. 9), No. 16 Iowa (84-70 on Dec. 30) and No. 18 Minnesota (Jan. 9), marking the second time in last four seasons that the Spartans have beat four ranked teams in the same season . . . in 2015-16, the Spartans topped No. 16 Northwestern (home), No. 5 Ohio State (home) and No. 9 Ohio State (neutral).
• The Spartans are now 4-1 this season against ranked opponents, improving to 23-15 overall at home vs. ranked foes under head coach Suzy Merchant.
• Michigan State is now 10-0 this season at home this season and have a 13-game home winning streak dating back to last year.
• Overall, it is the second-straight season and fourth in last six seasons that the Spartans have defeated three or more ranked teams in the same season . . . last year, MSU beat No. 22 South Florida (neutral), No. 11 Maryland (away) and No. 21 Michigan (home) . . . in 2015-16, the Spartans topped No. 16 Northwestern (home), No. 5 Ohio State (home) and No. 9 Ohio State (neutral).
• Thursday was Michigan State's first home win over Maryland in the all-time series, as the Spartans have now beaten the Terrapins in two of the last three meetings after last season's 82-68 win in College Park.
• MSU's 77 points marked the Spartans' 14th time in the 17 games topping the 70-point plateau this season . . . Michigan State has won 132 of its last 146 games when scoring at least 70 points and the Spartans are 149-21 under Coach Merchant when hanging 70 or more points on the scoreboard.
• Four of the five Spartans scored in double-figures as part of five total in double-digits, as MSU is now 4-0 when five players post double-figures.
• Senior forward Jenna Allen netted a team-high 16 points, marking her fourth-straight game in double-digits, as part of the 14th this season and 40th of her career ... She netted two 3-pointers, marking the sixth game this season with multi triples ... Allen also dished out four assists, tying her second-highest of the season.
• Freshman guard Nia Clouden, a native of Owings Mills, Maryland tallied 15 points, nine rebounds and four assists Thursday night against her home state team, posting her fifth double-figure outing in the last seven games as part of 12th time this season ... Clouden's nine rebounds was a career-high, topping her six boards at Oakland and (Dec. 5) vs. Minnesota (Jan. 9) ... She also netted 8-of-9 free throws, tying her season-high for both.
• Junior guard Taryn McCutcheon's 12 points was her second double-figure outing in as many games as part of ninth of the season and 29th of her career ... With one 3-pointer Thursday, McCutcheon has made at least one trey in 16 of the 17 games this season.
• Junior guard Shay Colley notched 11 points, six rebounds and six assists, as she has posted scored double-digits for the third-straight game and fourth in last five as part of eight in 11 games played this season and 22nd of her career ... The six helpers tied her second-most of the season behind career-high nine and was her fourth game this season with six or more assists.
• Sophomore forward Sidney Cooks registered 11 points off the bench, for her third double-digit scoring game in last four outings as part of her eighth of the year and 24th of her career.
• Michigan State's defense limited Maryland to its second-lowest scoring output, as the Terps' 60 points Thursday only trailed 58 vs. No. 24 Georgia (Nov. 24) ... The Spartans' held the Terps to 26 points in the second half, also their second-fewest of the season behind 21 against Georgia ... MSU also limited Maryland to just 30 rebounds, its second-lowest of the season behind 28 vs. Rutgers (Dec. 31).
• MSU's perimeter defense held Maryland to 2-of-12 (.167) from 3-point range, tying a season-low for makes and second-lowest percentage, as UMD was 2-of-16 (.125) vs. George Washington (Nov. 14).
• The Spartan defense limited Maryland's leading scorer Kaila Charles to a career-low tying three points, as she entered the game ranking fifth in the B1G in scoring at 16.6 ppg ... MSU also held Shakira Austin, who was the reigning UWBWA National Freshman of the Week and Big Ten Freshman of the Week, to zero points.