Saturday, March 23
South Bend, Ind.
1 PM ET
Michigan State University
20-11
88
vs
87
Central Michigan
25-7
1
2
3
4
F
Michigan St.
25
18
23
22
88
Central Mich.
20
20
21
26
87
Team Stats
MSU
CMU
FG%
.522
.522
3FG%
.412
.364
FT%
1.000
.875
RB
33
30
TO
8
8
STL
5
3
Game Leaders
Pts
21
FGM
10
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
16
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
5
Pts
13
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
4
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
Center
/ Women's BasketballGuard
/ Women's BasketballGuard
/ Women's BasketballForward
/ Women's BasketballGuard
/ Women's BasketballColley’s Late Heroics Send Spartans Past CMU, 88-87
3/23/2019 5:35:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Five Spartans score in double figures as MSU advances to the second round.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Redshirt-junior guard Shay Colley's layup with 7.6 seconds remaining propelled the No.9-seeded Michigan State women's basketball team past No. 8-seeded Central Michigan, 88-87, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, Indiana on Saturday afternoon.
The Spartans led the high-powered affair for 33:28, but the game came down to the wire. The Chippewas took the lead, 87-86 with 20 seconds left after a 3-pointer by Presley Hudson, but Colley provided the game-winning answer just seconds later.
MSU will now take on top-seeded Notre Dame on Monday, March 25. Tip off time will be announced at a later date.
Michigan State advances to the second round for the first time since 2016, when MSU fell to Mississippi State in the second round. The Spartans are now 19-16 overall in the NCAA Tournament. MSU improves to 21-11 this season, while Central Michigan's season ends with a record of 25-8.
Sophomore forward Sidney Cooks led the Spartans, tying her career-high with 21 points to pace MSU. Freshman guard Nia Clouden scored 16 points and added a game-high seven assists. Colley scored 13 points, including the game winner, while junior guard Taryn McCutcheon added 12. Senior center Jenna Allen added 10 points and five boards for the Spartans.
CMU got a stellar performance from Reyna Frost who scored a game-high points 34 points for the Chips with Michaela Kelly added 24.
It was the Spartans that got off to a fast starting jumping out to a 10-3 lead early in the first quarter. Frost scored six of CMU's first seven points. Michigan State was solid from beyond the arc in the quarter, starting the game 4-for-5 from downtown. MSU used a 6-0 run lead 18-9 with under four left in the first period. Michigan State took its first double digit lead after McCutcheon's third-straight trey. Central Michigan ended the quarter with a 7-0 to trim the MSU lead to 25-20.
In the second quarter, CMU made it a two point game 31-29 after a Kelley 3-pointer. The Chips took re-took the lead with 38-37 left in the half after another Frost bucket. Michigan State continued to have balanced scoring the rest of the half, while the Chippewas were led by 25 points from Frost. At the half, six different Spartans had at least six points led by nine from McCutcheon.
Michigan State scored the first eight points of the second half to re-take the double-digit advantage, 51-40, leading to a Central Michigan timeout. After 25 points in the first half, MSU held Frost to only two points in the third quarter. The Spartans couldn't shake the Chippewas and Michigan State's lead was cut to 66-61 at the end of the third quarter.
MSU led for much of the final period, but CMU show resiliency. The teams traded the lead several times in the final four minutes of the contest. Despite making six-straight shots, the Chips took the lead 87-86 after the Hudson trey with 20 left in the fourth period, before Colley sealed the victory.
Post-Game Notes vs. Central Michigan NCAA Tournament
• The Spartans' 88 points were third-most scored in NCAA Tournament history. In 1991, Michigan State scored 94 points in a triple overtime loss to Oklahoma State. The 19 assists were the fourth-most in NCAA Tournament history. MSU shot 52.2 percent from the field (35-for-37), which was the third-most in the in tourney history for the Spartans.
• Taryn McCutcheon's four 3-pointers were one shy of the MSU record in NCAA Tournament games, marking the eight time that a Spartan has hit four treys. Lindsay Bowen holds the record with five made 3-pointers against USC in 2005.
• Michigan State made its 17th all-time appearance in the NCAA Championship as the ninth seed in the Chicago Regional. The Spartans reached the NCAA tournament for the 10th time in the past 12 seasons, dating back to 2007-08.
• The 43 points scored in the first half was the fourth-highest point total in an opening 20 minutes for Michigan State this season. The Spartans were victorious in the previous 10 games in which they scored over 40 points in the first half in 2018-19.
• Michigan State earned its fourth win ever as a nine-seed in the NCAA tournament, and its first as a lower seed since a 63-49 victory over No. 1 Duke on March 24, 2009 in East Lansing as part of the Berkley Regional.-Michigan State finished the game with a 33-30 rebounding advantage over Central Michigan. The Spartans improved to 17-2 when out-rebounding the opposition thus far this season.
• A total of five Michigan State players scored in double figures, led by the career-high 21 points of sophomore forward Sidney Cooks. The Spartans are now 7-0 when at least five players reach double digits in scoring this season.
• With her fourth 3-pointer of the game in the third quarter, McCutcheon has her most 3-pointers since the Feb. 3 game against Purdue where she had four. McCutcheon had four or more 3-pointers on seven times this season entering today. In the first quarter, McCutcheon made back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers to give MSU a 21-11 lead.
• The 19 assists against Central Michigan were the most since Feb. 21 against Indiana (21).
The Spartans led the high-powered affair for 33:28, but the game came down to the wire. The Chippewas took the lead, 87-86 with 20 seconds left after a 3-pointer by Presley Hudson, but Colley provided the game-winning answer just seconds later.
MSU will now take on top-seeded Notre Dame on Monday, March 25. Tip off time will be announced at a later date.
Michigan State advances to the second round for the first time since 2016, when MSU fell to Mississippi State in the second round. The Spartans are now 19-16 overall in the NCAA Tournament. MSU improves to 21-11 this season, while Central Michigan's season ends with a record of 25-8.
Sophomore forward Sidney Cooks led the Spartans, tying her career-high with 21 points to pace MSU. Freshman guard Nia Clouden scored 16 points and added a game-high seven assists. Colley scored 13 points, including the game winner, while junior guard Taryn McCutcheon added 12. Senior center Jenna Allen added 10 points and five boards for the Spartans.
CMU got a stellar performance from Reyna Frost who scored a game-high points 34 points for the Chips with Michaela Kelly added 24.
It was the Spartans that got off to a fast starting jumping out to a 10-3 lead early in the first quarter. Frost scored six of CMU's first seven points. Michigan State was solid from beyond the arc in the quarter, starting the game 4-for-5 from downtown. MSU used a 6-0 run lead 18-9 with under four left in the first period. Michigan State took its first double digit lead after McCutcheon's third-straight trey. Central Michigan ended the quarter with a 7-0 to trim the MSU lead to 25-20.
In the second quarter, CMU made it a two point game 31-29 after a Kelley 3-pointer. The Chips took re-took the lead with 38-37 left in the half after another Frost bucket. Michigan State continued to have balanced scoring the rest of the half, while the Chippewas were led by 25 points from Frost. At the half, six different Spartans had at least six points led by nine from McCutcheon.
Michigan State scored the first eight points of the second half to re-take the double-digit advantage, 51-40, leading to a Central Michigan timeout. After 25 points in the first half, MSU held Frost to only two points in the third quarter. The Spartans couldn't shake the Chippewas and Michigan State's lead was cut to 66-61 at the end of the third quarter.
MSU led for much of the final period, but CMU show resiliency. The teams traded the lead several times in the final four minutes of the contest. Despite making six-straight shots, the Chips took the lead 87-86 after the Hudson trey with 20 left in the fourth period, before Colley sealed the victory.
Post-Game Notes vs. Central Michigan NCAA Tournament
• The Spartans' 88 points were third-most scored in NCAA Tournament history. In 1991, Michigan State scored 94 points in a triple overtime loss to Oklahoma State. The 19 assists were the fourth-most in NCAA Tournament history. MSU shot 52.2 percent from the field (35-for-37), which was the third-most in the in tourney history for the Spartans.
• Taryn McCutcheon's four 3-pointers were one shy of the MSU record in NCAA Tournament games, marking the eight time that a Spartan has hit four treys. Lindsay Bowen holds the record with five made 3-pointers against USC in 2005.
• Michigan State made its 17th all-time appearance in the NCAA Championship as the ninth seed in the Chicago Regional. The Spartans reached the NCAA tournament for the 10th time in the past 12 seasons, dating back to 2007-08.
• The 43 points scored in the first half was the fourth-highest point total in an opening 20 minutes for Michigan State this season. The Spartans were victorious in the previous 10 games in which they scored over 40 points in the first half in 2018-19.
• Michigan State earned its fourth win ever as a nine-seed in the NCAA tournament, and its first as a lower seed since a 63-49 victory over No. 1 Duke on March 24, 2009 in East Lansing as part of the Berkley Regional.-Michigan State finished the game with a 33-30 rebounding advantage over Central Michigan. The Spartans improved to 17-2 when out-rebounding the opposition thus far this season.
• A total of five Michigan State players scored in double figures, led by the career-high 21 points of sophomore forward Sidney Cooks. The Spartans are now 7-0 when at least five players reach double digits in scoring this season.
• With her fourth 3-pointer of the game in the third quarter, McCutcheon has her most 3-pointers since the Feb. 3 game against Purdue where she had four. McCutcheon had four or more 3-pointers on seven times this season entering today. In the first quarter, McCutcheon made back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers to give MSU a 21-11 lead.
• The 19 assists against Central Michigan were the most since Feb. 21 against Indiana (21).
Robyn Fralick | Women's Basketball Selection Show Press Conference | March 16, 2025
Sunday, March 16
Robyn Fralick | Women's Basketball Press Conference | Mar. 04 2025
Tuesday, March 04
Michigan State Women's Basketball vs Minnosta | Cinematic Highlight
Sunday, March 02
Coach Fralick Post Game Comments | MINN | Mar. 1 2025
Saturday, March 01