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Clouden Lifts the Spartans Past Kansas State, 65-60
11/30/2019 7:13:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The sophomore scored 16 points and added four steals in the win.
BIMINI, Bahamas (AP) - Nia Clouden and Shay Colley combined for 31 points and No. 15 Michigan State bounced back from its first loss of the season to defeat Kansas State 65-60 at the Junkanoo Jam on Saturday.
The Spartans rallied in the fourth quarter with a 10-0 run that produced a six-point lead after two Alyza Winston free throws with 42.7 seconds to go. After the Wildcats got a Christianna Carr 3-pointer to make it a one-possession game, Clouden made a pair from the foul line at 23 seconds and K-State failed to hit another shot.
With the win, the Spartans improve to 6-1 this season, while the Wildcats fall to 3-3. Averaging 14.0 points in the two games, Clouden earned a spot on the Junkanoo Jam All-Tournament team.
Clouden had 16 points and Colley added 15 for the Spartans, who lost to LSU in their first game. Clouden also added four steals, two assists and two rebounds. Sophomore guard Tory Ozment came off the bench with added 12 points, including tying her career high with four 3-pointers. The Spartans also added 17 steals on the night.
Freshman Ayoka Lee had 22 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks, all career highs, for Kansas State. Peyton Williams had 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Michigan State made five of its first seven 3-pointers to take an early 21-15 lead over the Wildcats. Kansas State countered with a 10-0 run take a 25-21 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The run was halted by a Clouden bucket early in the second quarter, as the Spartans looked to heat up. Clouden scored the first six points of the quarter for MSU as they tied the scored 27-27 with under four minutes left in the half. Behind solid minutes from freshman guard Moira Joiner, the Spartans end the half out-scoring KSU 6-1 over the final 3:39 to re-take the lead 33-31. The Spartans held the Wildcats to only six points in the second quarter, tying the record for fewest allowed in the second quarter.
In the third quarter, the Spartans hit another cold spell and were held to only five points. Heading into the final 10 minutes, the Wildcats held the slight 41-38 advantage.
The fourth quarter belonged to the Spartans, out-scoring Kansas State 27-19. Once MSU took the lead, 46-45 on a Colley 3-pointer, the Spartans never trailed again.
As the calendar changes to December, the Spartans remain on the road taking on No. 12 Florida State on Thursday, Dec. 5 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge at 8 p.m. The game will be televised on the ACC Network.
MSU Notes vs. LSU
• MSU swiped 17 steals in against Kansas, coming into the weekend ranking first in the B1G and sixth in the NCAA in steals per game (14.8) ... the Spartans have been in double digits in steals in all seven games this season.
• Sophomore guard Tory Ozment had a season-high 12 points off the bench. She also tied a career-high with four 3-pointers.
• Averaging 14.0 points in the two games, Nia Clouden earned a spot on the All-Tournament team. Against Kansas State, she scored 16 points and added four steals.
• Michigan State is now 126-40 (.759) all-time in the month of November ... Under Coach Merchant, MSU is 66-12 (.846), including winning 40 of the last 45 in the 11th month of the calendar. The Spartans close out the month of November 6-1.