Thursday, February 13
East Lansing, Mich.
7 PM
Michigan State University
12-12,5-8Big Ten
57
vs
53
Rutgers
17-7,7-6Big Ten
1
2
3
4
F
Rutgers
21
10
11
11
53
Michigan St.
13
11
15
18
57
Team Stats
RU
MSU
FG%
.442
.360
3FG%
.167
.375
FT%
.857
.923
RB
34
28
TO
14
13
STL
5
7
Game Leaders
Pts
16
FGM
4
3FGM
4
FTM
4
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Women's BasketballGuard
/ Women's BasketballGuard
/ Women's BasketballGuard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard/Forward
/ Women's BasketballSecond-Half Surge Sends Spartans Past Scarlet Knights
2/13/2020 11:03:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Michigan State halts five-game losing streak with the win.
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Freshman guard Moira Joiner's 3-pointer with 1:54 remaining in the game completed Michigan State women's basketball's comeback with a 57-53 win over Rutgers Thursday night. MSU was able to overcome a 12-point second-half deficit.
The win snapped the Spartans' five-game losing streak. With the win, Michigan State evens out its record to 12-12 and 5-8 in Big Ten play. Rutgers falls to 17-7 over all and 7-6 in league play.
The Spartans were led by 16 points from senior guard Taryn McCutcheon who tied a season high with four 3-pointers. Sophomore forward Kayla Belles added 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds, while sophomore guard Nia Clouden score 10 points with five assists.
Rutgers got a career high from Jordan Wallace with 19 points and nine rebounds.
After MSU made the first basket of the game, Rutgers used a 10-0 run to take a 10-3 lead, as MSU took an early timeout. The Scarlet Knights sharp shooting continued for the remainder of the first quarter, shooting 63 percent from the field. Wallace scored 11 points in the first quarter alone, as Rutgers led after the first period 21-13.
In the second quarter, the Spartan defense tightened up, but they were unable to gain ground on Rutgers. At the end of the half, McCutcheon, Belles and Joiner led the Spartans with six points apiece.
Midway through the third period, the Rutgers took its biggest lead of the game, 42-30. The Spartans responded with a 9-0 run over 1:50 to trim the Scarlet Knight advantage to 42-36. The run was capped off by a 3-pointer from McCutcheon, leading to a Rutgers timeout. MSU kept RU off the scoreboard for 4:55, missing its final eight field goal attempts of the quarter.
The Spartan run continued into the fourth quarter, as MSU scored 13 straight, taking a 43-42 lead. A 3-pointer by Khadaizha Sanders put RU back on top 45-43. The Scarlet Knights responded six-straight to re-take the lead 49-43, as the MSU offense went cold. The Spartans 10-0 run gave them the 53-49 lead with 1:15 left in the game. After trailing by as many as 12 points, MSU did not relinquish its lead, going 6-for-6 from the charity stripe in the final two minutes.
Michigan State will conclude its two-game homestand Breslin Center against Minnesota on Monday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
Michigan State Notes vs. Rutgers
• Michigan State used the starting line-up of senior guard Taryn McCutcheon, sophomore guard Tory Ozment, sophomore forward Kayla Belles, sophomore guard Nia Clouden and freshman guard Moria Joiner. This was the fourth game with that starting five for the Spartans. Michigan State is 3-1 with this lineup. It is MSU's eighth different starting lineup of the season.
• This is the first time that Michigan State has defeated Rutgers twice in a season. The Spartans improved to 6-5 all-time against the Scarlet Knights, including going 4-2 at the Breslin Center. MSU had lost three-straight to RU prior to the Spartans winning twice this season.
• Sophomore guard Nia Clouden has now scored in double-figures in 21 of the 24 games, including the last five ... the sophomore guard also added four rebounds and a tied for the team lead with five assists.
• Taryn McCutcheon's five assists gives her 80 for the season and 552 for her career ... the senior guard is now just 22 helpers from breaking the school record of 574 assists, held by her current assistant coach Kristin Haynie (2001-05).
• The Spartans hit nine 3-pointers in the win against Rutgers, which was the most since defeating the Scarlet Knights on the road on Jan. 20. This was the ninth time this season that Michigan State has made at least eight 3-pointers in a game. The Spartans are 7-2 when making at least eight buckets from long range.
• Taryn McCutcheon went 4-for-9 from long distance against Rutgers, which ties her season high. It was the fifth time this season that she has made at least four 3-pointers with MSU going 3-2 in those games.
• The Spartans five starters really put in the minutes against Rutgers with four playing over 30 minutes. Taryn McCutcheon led the way, playing 39 minutes. Nia Clouden added 38 minutes, while Moira Joiner and Kayla Belles added 34 and 31 minutes, respectively. Belles' 31 minutes were a career high.
• Michigan State held Rutgers' leading scorer Arella Guirantes to under her season average, scoring 12 points. Guirantes came into the game second in the Big Ten in scoring with 19.4 ppg.
The win snapped the Spartans' five-game losing streak. With the win, Michigan State evens out its record to 12-12 and 5-8 in Big Ten play. Rutgers falls to 17-7 over all and 7-6 in league play.
The Spartans were led by 16 points from senior guard Taryn McCutcheon who tied a season high with four 3-pointers. Sophomore forward Kayla Belles added 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds, while sophomore guard Nia Clouden score 10 points with five assists.
Rutgers got a career high from Jordan Wallace with 19 points and nine rebounds.
After MSU made the first basket of the game, Rutgers used a 10-0 run to take a 10-3 lead, as MSU took an early timeout. The Scarlet Knights sharp shooting continued for the remainder of the first quarter, shooting 63 percent from the field. Wallace scored 11 points in the first quarter alone, as Rutgers led after the first period 21-13.
In the second quarter, the Spartan defense tightened up, but they were unable to gain ground on Rutgers. At the end of the half, McCutcheon, Belles and Joiner led the Spartans with six points apiece.
Midway through the third period, the Rutgers took its biggest lead of the game, 42-30. The Spartans responded with a 9-0 run over 1:50 to trim the Scarlet Knight advantage to 42-36. The run was capped off by a 3-pointer from McCutcheon, leading to a Rutgers timeout. MSU kept RU off the scoreboard for 4:55, missing its final eight field goal attempts of the quarter.
The Spartan run continued into the fourth quarter, as MSU scored 13 straight, taking a 43-42 lead. A 3-pointer by Khadaizha Sanders put RU back on top 45-43. The Scarlet Knights responded six-straight to re-take the lead 49-43, as the MSU offense went cold. The Spartans 10-0 run gave them the 53-49 lead with 1:15 left in the game. After trailing by as many as 12 points, MSU did not relinquish its lead, going 6-for-6 from the charity stripe in the final two minutes.
Michigan State will conclude its two-game homestand Breslin Center against Minnesota on Monday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
Michigan State Notes vs. Rutgers
• Michigan State used the starting line-up of senior guard Taryn McCutcheon, sophomore guard Tory Ozment, sophomore forward Kayla Belles, sophomore guard Nia Clouden and freshman guard Moria Joiner. This was the fourth game with that starting five for the Spartans. Michigan State is 3-1 with this lineup. It is MSU's eighth different starting lineup of the season.
• This is the first time that Michigan State has defeated Rutgers twice in a season. The Spartans improved to 6-5 all-time against the Scarlet Knights, including going 4-2 at the Breslin Center. MSU had lost three-straight to RU prior to the Spartans winning twice this season.
• Sophomore guard Nia Clouden has now scored in double-figures in 21 of the 24 games, including the last five ... the sophomore guard also added four rebounds and a tied for the team lead with five assists.
• Taryn McCutcheon's five assists gives her 80 for the season and 552 for her career ... the senior guard is now just 22 helpers from breaking the school record of 574 assists, held by her current assistant coach Kristin Haynie (2001-05).
• The Spartans hit nine 3-pointers in the win against Rutgers, which was the most since defeating the Scarlet Knights on the road on Jan. 20. This was the ninth time this season that Michigan State has made at least eight 3-pointers in a game. The Spartans are 7-2 when making at least eight buckets from long range.
• Taryn McCutcheon went 4-for-9 from long distance against Rutgers, which ties her season high. It was the fifth time this season that she has made at least four 3-pointers with MSU going 3-2 in those games.
• The Spartans five starters really put in the minutes against Rutgers with four playing over 30 minutes. Taryn McCutcheon led the way, playing 39 minutes. Nia Clouden added 38 minutes, while Moira Joiner and Kayla Belles added 34 and 31 minutes, respectively. Belles' 31 minutes were a career high.
• Michigan State held Rutgers' leading scorer Arella Guirantes to under her season average, scoring 12 points. Guirantes came into the game second in the Big Ten in scoring with 19.4 ppg.
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