Michigan State University Athletics
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell/MSU Athletic Communications
MSU Women Open B1G Play at Minnesota Wednesday
12/8/2020 8:52:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The Spartans have started the season 2-0.
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State women's basketball will open Big Ten play at Minnesota on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 9 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network with Lisa Byington and Christy Winters Scott on the call. The Spartans opened the season 2-0 with a pair of home wins.
• MSU's B1G opener vs. Minnesota will be the earliest Big Ten opener since falling to Indiana on Dec. 6, 2009. The Spartans first home Big Ten game will be against Iowa on Dec. 12. Michigan State will play a total of three league contests in December, concluding with a New Year's Eve road battle against Ohio State.
• Junior guard Nia Clouden netted 15 points vs Detroit Mercy, including 10 in the first half, marking her second double-figure scoring game in as many outings this season. She now has 13-straight career games in double-digits dating back to last year, having posted double-figures in 29 of last 32 games played.
• Junior guard Tori Ozment is one of five Spartans to average in double figures through the first two games. Ozment has scored in double figures in both games and is averaging 10.5 ppg.
• Junior guard Janai Crooms was granted immediate eligibility from the NCAA for the 2020-21 season on Dec. 4. Crooms came to Michigan State after two successful seasons at Ohio State. In two years at OSU, she averaged 7.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
SCOUTING MINNESOTA
Minnesota has started the season 1-1 with a season-opening win against Eastern Illinois on Dec. 2, 72-68. On Dec. 6, the Gophers fell to sharp-shooting Drake, 99-66 in Minneapolis to conclude their non-conference schedule. Minnesota has only played eight players this season with Jasmine Powell leading the Gophers in scoring with 21.5 points per game. Kadi Sissoko (18.0 ppg) and Gadiva Hubbard (11.5 ppg) are the only other two Golden Gophers to average in double figures. Powell leads the Big Ten in assists with 7.5 apg, while MSU's Nia Clouden is fourth with 7.0 apg.
So far this young season, Minnesota is averaging 69.0 ppg, while allowing 83.5 ppg. The Gophers have been solid on the boards, bringing down 42.5 rpg. Minnesota has at least six players averaging at least 4.0 rpg. Sissoko leads the was with 8.5 rpg.
SERIES HISTORY VS. MINNESOTA
This is the only regular-season meeting between the Spartans and the Golden Gophers. Last season, Michigan State came out on top 66-54 against Minnesota in East Lansing on Feb. 17, 2020.
Overall, Michigan State leads the series with Minnesota, 44-23, with the Spartans winning eight of the last 10. During the 2018-19 season, both teams won at home with MSU defeating Minnesota 86-68 on Jan. 9. The Gophers returned the favor in Minneapolis, earning the win, 81-63, on March 3. The Spartans hold a 25-7 series advantage in games played in East Lansing.
LAST TIME VS. THE GOLDEN GOPHERS
Behind 61 points from underclassmen, Michigan State women's basketball captured a 66-54 win against Minnesota on Feb. 17, 2020. All but five points came from the Spartan freshmen and sophomores. Michigan State held the lead for over 35 minutes.
Nia Clouden earned her second career double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Her previous double-double last season came against Virginia on Nov. 28, 2018 with 10 points and 11 assists. Freshman guard Julia Ayrault tied her career high with 14 points, while adding five rebounds and two blocks. Freshman Moira Joiner why just shy of a double-double with a career-high 11 rebounds and nine points.
BIG TEN OPENERS
Michigan State is 19-19 in Big Ten openers, having won six of their last nine. MSU is now 8-5 in league openers in Coach Merchant's 13 seasons. Last season, the Spartans won their opener in East Lansing against No. 16 Iowa, 84-70. The last time that Michigan State played Minnesota in a B1G opener was to start the 2013-14 league action with MSU winning 81-56 on the road.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Due to the delayed start of the season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Spartans will play only five non-conference games, all which will be played at the Breslin Center.
After taking on Minnesota, the Spartans will play Iowa (Dec. 12). MSU will conclude non-conference action with a trio of games. In a five-game span, the Spartans will take on Central Michigan on Dec. 18, Northern Illinois on Dec. 20 and Oakland on Dec. 22.
PASSING THE BALL
Michigan State distributed the ball nicely in the season opener against Saint Francis on Nov. 27. The Spartans recorded 25 assists in the win with five different players having at least three helpers. Sophomore double-digit assist game with 10 helpers. It was her first since the 2018-19 season. She was just one shy of matching her career-high 11 assists. Redshirt-senior Mardrekia Cook, sophomore Moira Joiner and junior Tory Ozment all added three assists each.
AVOIDING THE SOPHOMORE SLUMP
• With 12 points against UDM on Dec. 2, sophomore forward Taiyier Parks recorded double-figure scoring for the second game in a row and fourth of her career. Parks' career-high of 15 points came versus these same Detroit Mercy Titans last season, on a career-high six field goals, one more than Wednesday night's total.
• Sophomore forward Julia Ayrault's 10 points and six rebounds were both season-highs, and the 10 points was her sixth career double-figure scoring outing. Ayrault also tied her career-high of four assists for the second game in a row after four helpers last time out vs. Saint Francis on Nov. 27.
• Sophomore guard Alyza Winston posted double-figures with 10 points in her season-debut after missing the season-opener with an injury. Winston scored in double-digits for the third time in her career, as her career-high also came last season vs. Detroit Mercy with 17 points.
• Sophomore guard Moira Joiner tallied 10 points for her first double-figure scoring game of the season and sixth of her career. Joiner also dished out a career-high six assists, including helpers on back-to-back possessions in the fourth quarter.
ERASE HATE
Michigan State women's basketball head coach Suzy Merchant is proud to launch the Erase Hate campaign for the 2020-21 season. The Erase Hate campaign aims to put the focus on student-athlete driven programming to address social injustice issues.
Throughout this season, women's basketball players work to help lift up the voices of underrepresented groups both on campus and across the Greater Lansing area.
KEEPING THEM OFF THE SCOREBOARD
Through eight quarters this season, the MSU defense has held the opposition to single-digits in four quarters, including the second and fourth frames Wednesday, limiting the Titans to seven points in the second stanza and eight in the fourth ... the seven points allowed is the new lowest of the season, bettering the previous low of eight by Saint Francis in the both the second and third quarters of last week's game.
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS
Michigan State forced a season-high 25 turnovers, leading to a season-high 33-8 points off turnovers advantage. MSU's bench also had a 31-5 edge, as the Spartan reserves have out-scored their counterparts, 64-22, through two games. Michigan State also had a 30-6 fast break points advantage, now with a 58-15 tally through two contests ... after just 10 offensive boards which led to an 8-8 second-chance points scoring last time out vs. Saint Francis, the Spartans dominated on the offensive glass Wednesday night with 19 O-boards, which led to a 19-4 second-chance scoring advantage.
SEASON OPENERS
All-time, the Spartans are now 34-15 in season openers, but also 26-2 when the opener is in East Lansing. Coach Merchant is 11-3 in season openers at MSU, and has won 17 of her last 20, including her time at Eastern Michigan.
FAST BIG TEN START
MSU will open conference play on Dec. 9 at Minnesota, which will be the earliest Big Ten opener since falling to Indiana on Dec. 6, 2009. The Spartans first home Big Ten game will be against Iowa on Dec. 12. Michigan State will play a total of three league contests in December, concluding with a New Year's Eve road battle against Ohio State.
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Michigan State fans will fans will be without all-time assist leader Taryn McCutcheon, who graduated and is now playing in Iceland. Victoria Gaines, Shay Colley and Nia Hollie have also graduated. Forward Kayla Belles has transferred to BYU after getting married over the summer.
MASK UP, MICHIGAN
Things will look very different in the Breslin Center to start the season. Currently, there will be no fans in the stands, including the families of the players. Crowd noise will be piped and the music will be going to get the players hyped up. From the comfort of home, fans can look for familiar faces in the cardboard cutouts in the stands. All postgame media will be done via Zoom this year.
MAGIC NUMBERS
In head coach Suzy Merchant's tenure, when two numbers on the scoreboard were achieved it typically has been a sign of a MSU win. The Green & White have won 148 of their last 167 games (.886) when scoring at least 70 points, and the Spartans are 166-28 (.856) under head coach Suzy Merchant when hanging at least 70 points on the scoreboard. The Spartans are now 2-0 this season when reaching the 70-point mark.
CLOSING OUT THE GAMES
The Spartans have been extremely effective closing out games over the last couple years, winning 211 of their last 224 games (.942) when leading with five minutes left, including 161 of their last 176. In Coach Merchant's tenure, Michigan State is 246-19 (.928) when holding a lead with five minutes left. This season, MSU is 2-0 when leading with five minutes remaining.
CLOUDEN EARNS PRESEASON HONORS
Michigan State junior guard Nia Clouden has been named Preseason All-Big Ten by both the coaches and media. During the 2019-20 campaign, Clouden finished the season first on the team in scoring, averaging 14.5 points per game, which was also eighth in the Big Ten. She also tied for 14th in the league in assists (3.3 apg) and 11th in steals (1.7 spg). Last season, Clouden captured second-team All-Big Big Ten honors after being named to the honorable mention squad as a freshman.
• MSU's B1G opener vs. Minnesota will be the earliest Big Ten opener since falling to Indiana on Dec. 6, 2009. The Spartans first home Big Ten game will be against Iowa on Dec. 12. Michigan State will play a total of three league contests in December, concluding with a New Year's Eve road battle against Ohio State.
• Junior guard Nia Clouden netted 15 points vs Detroit Mercy, including 10 in the first half, marking her second double-figure scoring game in as many outings this season. She now has 13-straight career games in double-digits dating back to last year, having posted double-figures in 29 of last 32 games played.
• Junior guard Tori Ozment is one of five Spartans to average in double figures through the first two games. Ozment has scored in double figures in both games and is averaging 10.5 ppg.
• Junior guard Janai Crooms was granted immediate eligibility from the NCAA for the 2020-21 season on Dec. 4. Crooms came to Michigan State after two successful seasons at Ohio State. In two years at OSU, she averaged 7.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
SCOUTING MINNESOTA
Minnesota has started the season 1-1 with a season-opening win against Eastern Illinois on Dec. 2, 72-68. On Dec. 6, the Gophers fell to sharp-shooting Drake, 99-66 in Minneapolis to conclude their non-conference schedule. Minnesota has only played eight players this season with Jasmine Powell leading the Gophers in scoring with 21.5 points per game. Kadi Sissoko (18.0 ppg) and Gadiva Hubbard (11.5 ppg) are the only other two Golden Gophers to average in double figures. Powell leads the Big Ten in assists with 7.5 apg, while MSU's Nia Clouden is fourth with 7.0 apg.
So far this young season, Minnesota is averaging 69.0 ppg, while allowing 83.5 ppg. The Gophers have been solid on the boards, bringing down 42.5 rpg. Minnesota has at least six players averaging at least 4.0 rpg. Sissoko leads the was with 8.5 rpg.
SERIES HISTORY VS. MINNESOTA
This is the only regular-season meeting between the Spartans and the Golden Gophers. Last season, Michigan State came out on top 66-54 against Minnesota in East Lansing on Feb. 17, 2020.
Overall, Michigan State leads the series with Minnesota, 44-23, with the Spartans winning eight of the last 10. During the 2018-19 season, both teams won at home with MSU defeating Minnesota 86-68 on Jan. 9. The Gophers returned the favor in Minneapolis, earning the win, 81-63, on March 3. The Spartans hold a 25-7 series advantage in games played in East Lansing.
LAST TIME VS. THE GOLDEN GOPHERS
Behind 61 points from underclassmen, Michigan State women's basketball captured a 66-54 win against Minnesota on Feb. 17, 2020. All but five points came from the Spartan freshmen and sophomores. Michigan State held the lead for over 35 minutes.
Nia Clouden earned her second career double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Her previous double-double last season came against Virginia on Nov. 28, 2018 with 10 points and 11 assists. Freshman guard Julia Ayrault tied her career high with 14 points, while adding five rebounds and two blocks. Freshman Moira Joiner why just shy of a double-double with a career-high 11 rebounds and nine points.
BIG TEN OPENERS
Michigan State is 19-19 in Big Ten openers, having won six of their last nine. MSU is now 8-5 in league openers in Coach Merchant's 13 seasons. Last season, the Spartans won their opener in East Lansing against No. 16 Iowa, 84-70. The last time that Michigan State played Minnesota in a B1G opener was to start the 2013-14 league action with MSU winning 81-56 on the road.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Due to the delayed start of the season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Spartans will play only five non-conference games, all which will be played at the Breslin Center.
After taking on Minnesota, the Spartans will play Iowa (Dec. 12). MSU will conclude non-conference action with a trio of games. In a five-game span, the Spartans will take on Central Michigan on Dec. 18, Northern Illinois on Dec. 20 and Oakland on Dec. 22.
PASSING THE BALL
Michigan State distributed the ball nicely in the season opener against Saint Francis on Nov. 27. The Spartans recorded 25 assists in the win with five different players having at least three helpers. Sophomore double-digit assist game with 10 helpers. It was her first since the 2018-19 season. She was just one shy of matching her career-high 11 assists. Redshirt-senior Mardrekia Cook, sophomore Moira Joiner and junior Tory Ozment all added three assists each.
AVOIDING THE SOPHOMORE SLUMP
• With 12 points against UDM on Dec. 2, sophomore forward Taiyier Parks recorded double-figure scoring for the second game in a row and fourth of her career. Parks' career-high of 15 points came versus these same Detroit Mercy Titans last season, on a career-high six field goals, one more than Wednesday night's total.
• Sophomore forward Julia Ayrault's 10 points and six rebounds were both season-highs, and the 10 points was her sixth career double-figure scoring outing. Ayrault also tied her career-high of four assists for the second game in a row after four helpers last time out vs. Saint Francis on Nov. 27.
• Sophomore guard Alyza Winston posted double-figures with 10 points in her season-debut after missing the season-opener with an injury. Winston scored in double-digits for the third time in her career, as her career-high also came last season vs. Detroit Mercy with 17 points.
• Sophomore guard Moira Joiner tallied 10 points for her first double-figure scoring game of the season and sixth of her career. Joiner also dished out a career-high six assists, including helpers on back-to-back possessions in the fourth quarter.
ERASE HATE
Michigan State women's basketball head coach Suzy Merchant is proud to launch the Erase Hate campaign for the 2020-21 season. The Erase Hate campaign aims to put the focus on student-athlete driven programming to address social injustice issues.
Throughout this season, women's basketball players work to help lift up the voices of underrepresented groups both on campus and across the Greater Lansing area.
KEEPING THEM OFF THE SCOREBOARD
Through eight quarters this season, the MSU defense has held the opposition to single-digits in four quarters, including the second and fourth frames Wednesday, limiting the Titans to seven points in the second stanza and eight in the fourth ... the seven points allowed is the new lowest of the season, bettering the previous low of eight by Saint Francis in the both the second and third quarters of last week's game.
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS
Michigan State forced a season-high 25 turnovers, leading to a season-high 33-8 points off turnovers advantage. MSU's bench also had a 31-5 edge, as the Spartan reserves have out-scored their counterparts, 64-22, through two games. Michigan State also had a 30-6 fast break points advantage, now with a 58-15 tally through two contests ... after just 10 offensive boards which led to an 8-8 second-chance points scoring last time out vs. Saint Francis, the Spartans dominated on the offensive glass Wednesday night with 19 O-boards, which led to a 19-4 second-chance scoring advantage.
SEASON OPENERS
All-time, the Spartans are now 34-15 in season openers, but also 26-2 when the opener is in East Lansing. Coach Merchant is 11-3 in season openers at MSU, and has won 17 of her last 20, including her time at Eastern Michigan.
FAST BIG TEN START
MSU will open conference play on Dec. 9 at Minnesota, which will be the earliest Big Ten opener since falling to Indiana on Dec. 6, 2009. The Spartans first home Big Ten game will be against Iowa on Dec. 12. Michigan State will play a total of three league contests in December, concluding with a New Year's Eve road battle against Ohio State.
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Michigan State fans will fans will be without all-time assist leader Taryn McCutcheon, who graduated and is now playing in Iceland. Victoria Gaines, Shay Colley and Nia Hollie have also graduated. Forward Kayla Belles has transferred to BYU after getting married over the summer.
MASK UP, MICHIGAN
Things will look very different in the Breslin Center to start the season. Currently, there will be no fans in the stands, including the families of the players. Crowd noise will be piped and the music will be going to get the players hyped up. From the comfort of home, fans can look for familiar faces in the cardboard cutouts in the stands. All postgame media will be done via Zoom this year.
MAGIC NUMBERS
In head coach Suzy Merchant's tenure, when two numbers on the scoreboard were achieved it typically has been a sign of a MSU win. The Green & White have won 148 of their last 167 games (.886) when scoring at least 70 points, and the Spartans are 166-28 (.856) under head coach Suzy Merchant when hanging at least 70 points on the scoreboard. The Spartans are now 2-0 this season when reaching the 70-point mark.
CLOSING OUT THE GAMES
The Spartans have been extremely effective closing out games over the last couple years, winning 211 of their last 224 games (.942) when leading with five minutes left, including 161 of their last 176. In Coach Merchant's tenure, Michigan State is 246-19 (.928) when holding a lead with five minutes left. This season, MSU is 2-0 when leading with five minutes remaining.
CLOUDEN EARNS PRESEASON HONORS
Michigan State junior guard Nia Clouden has been named Preseason All-Big Ten by both the coaches and media. During the 2019-20 campaign, Clouden finished the season first on the team in scoring, averaging 14.5 points per game, which was also eighth in the Big Ten. She also tied for 14th in the league in assists (3.3 apg) and 11th in steals (1.7 spg). Last season, Clouden captured second-team All-Big Big Ten honors after being named to the honorable mention squad as a freshman.
Players Mentioned
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