Michigan State University
7-2,0-0Big Ten
Morehead State
3-6,0-0OVC
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Ayrault's Double-Double Leads No. 19 Michigan State Women
12/15/2019 3:13:00 PM | Women's Basketball
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Freshman forward Julia Ayrault had her first collegiate double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, as No. 19 Michigan State overwhelmed Morehead State 93-48 on Sunday.
The Spartans used 14 players and 12 scored, 10 in the first half when they took a 45-17 lead. In total, five players reached double led by Ayrault's 14. Sophomore forward Kayla Belles and senior guard Nia Hollie added 12 points each and Taryn McCutcheon and Nia Clouden had 10 apiece. Senior guard Taryn McCutcheon dished out four assists Sunday, as she became just the second player in MSU women's basketball history with 500 career assists, now with 501 for her career. McCutcheon needs just 73 more helpers to tie current Spartan assistant coach Kristin Haynie for the all-time assists record with 574.
Sunday was the first-ever women's basketball meeting between Michigan State and Morehead State.
Michigan State (7-2) shot 55%, going 9 of 21 from 3-point range, and had a 46-25 advantage on the boards. They turned 21 turnovers into 26 points. With a dozen steals they have reached double figures in every game this season.
Tomiyah Alford had 13 points for the Eagles (3-6), who went 3 of 20 from 3-point range, shot 36% overall and made just 5 of 11 free throws.
Michigan State had a pair of 7-0 runs in the first quarter and led 21-10. Twelve straight points turned into a 16-2 run for a 28-point advantage at the half. Six different players scored in the first quarter for the Spartans, as MSU lead after the first 10 minutes, 21-10.
MSU scored the first five points of the second quarter to stretch its lead o 26-10. Fouls began to mount for the Spartans as the Eagles were in the bonus with seven minutes left in the half. The foul trouble led MSU to use more of its deep bench. The bench helped guide the Spartans to an 12-0, leading to a 41-13 advantage.
Both teams got off to a slow start in the third quarter. By the end of the period three Spartans had all reached double digits in the game with Belles, Clouden and McCutcheon reaching 10 points. The Spartan defense stood strong, allowing only 31 points in the second half.
The Spartans will head South once against to the Florida Sunshine Classic before taking a break for the holidays. Michigan State will take on Syracuse on Dec. 20 and No. 22 West Virginia on Dec. 21. The two games will conclude the non-conference portion of the schedule.
Post-Game Notes - vs. Morehead State
• The 93 points scored was the Spartans' second-highest scoring output of the season behind a season-high 110 points vs. Detroit Mercy (Nov. 8) as MSU topped the 90-point margin for the second time this season and the 80-point mark for the third time.
• The 48 points allowed to Morehead State was the MSU defense's second-lowest of the season behind 34 points vs. Hartford (Nov. 24) ... the 48 points allowed is the sixth time in the nine games this season that MSU has kept the opposition under 60 points.
• Sunday's +35 margin of victory was the Spartans' third-largest of the season behind +55 in a 110-52 victory for MSU over Detroit Mercy (11/8/19) and +45 in a 79-34 win over Hartford (11/24/19) ... the +35 margin of victory was the fifth +20 or greater margin of victory in the nine games this season ... MSU entered the game 30th in the NCAA and fourth in the Big Ten in scoring margin at +19.3.
• Senior guard Taryn McCutcheon dished out four assists Sunday, as she became just the second player in MSU women's basketball history with 500 career assists, now with 501 for her career ... McCutcheon needs just 73 more helpers to tie current Spartan assistant coach Kristin Haynie for the all-time assists record with 574.
• Sunday was the first-ever women's basketball meeting between Michigan State and Morehead State.
• MSU had five players in double-figures, marking the second time this season that five had posted double-figures ... the Spartans were led by freshman forward Julia Ayrault's coming off the bench and posting her first career double-double with a career-high tying 14 points to go with a career-best 11 rebounds ... junior forward Nia Hollie and sophomore forward Kayla Belles both added 12 points in reserve, while starters senior guard Taryn McCutcheon and sophomore guard Nia Clouden tallied 10 points each.
• Michigan State had 66 points scored by the bench on Sunday, it's second-most of the season behind 68 vs. Detroit Mercy (Nov. 8) ... the 66 points was 71.0 percent of the Spartans' scoring, as MSU came into Sunday with 42.1 percent of its scoring coming off the bench ... for the seventh time this season
• In registering her first double-double of her career, Ayrault notched her second double-digit scoring output, matching career-high of 14 points vs. Hartford (Nov. 24) ... Sunday was Ayrault's first career double-figure rebounding total, topping her previous career-high of nine rebounds vs. Kansas State (Nov. 30) ... Ayrault also netted a career-high two three-pointers.
• The Spartans swiped 12 steals in the game, as MSU continued its streak of having double-digit steals in all nine games this season ... MSU has a 12-7 steals advantage in the contest ... Michigan State came into Sunday leading the Big Ten and ranking sixth in the NCAA in steals per game at 14.0 spg ... Ayrault and junior forward Mardrekia Cook shared top honors with three steals apiece.
• Hollie tallied not only her season-high with 12 points on Sunday, but it matched her previous point total for the season, as she had 12 total points in the first four games, before not scoring in the last four games ... Hollie was just shy of her career-best scoring outing of 14 points (at Minnesota, Jan. 7, 2018), as Sunday's 12 points was her ninth career game in double-figures.
• McCutcheon now has 978 points for her career, just 22 points away from becoming the 28th member of MSU's 1,000-point club ... she registered her seventh double-figure scoring game of the season and 45th of her career with the 10 points Sunday ... Clouden posted her seventh-straight double-digit scoring outing and eighth of the season and 30th of her career ... Belles notched her fourth double-figure game of the season and sixth of her career.
• The Spartans had a +21 rebounding advantage (46-25), as they have had a double-digit rebounding advantage in five games this season.
• MSU has won 143 of its last 161 games (.888) when scoring at least 70 points, and MSU is 161-27 (.856) under head coach Suzy Merchant when hanging at least 70 points on the scoreboard.
• The Spartans have won 200 of their last 213 games (.939) when leading with five minutes left, including 150 of their last 165 (.909).