Balanced Attack Sparks Spartan Women Past Illinois, 72-58

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - In its road Big Ten finale, the Michigan State women's basketball team used a balanced attack to defeat Illinois, 72-58, Wednesday at the State Farm Center.

With the win, the Spartans improve to15-13 overall and 8-9 in Big Ten action, winning four of their last five games. Illinois falls to 11-17 overall and 2-15 in league action. MSU has now beaten Illinois eight-straight times.

Michigan State was led by senior guard Shay Colley who scored 14 points to go alone with four rebounds and one assist. Colley has played in two-straight games after missing 14-straight games. Sophomore guard Nia Clouden also earned her second double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Seven different Spartans scored at least five points in the win. Freshman guard Moira Joiner added 11 points as well, adding seven rebounds.

MSU also dominated on the boards, out-rebounding the Illini, 50-35.

Illinois was led by 16 points and seven rebounds from Ali Andrews.

The Spartans scored the first seven points of the game before a Holesinska trey. After the fast start, MSU missed its next five shots, and Illinois tied it at 10-10 after a 7-0 run. Michigan State returned the 7-0 run favor to re-take the lead 17-10. Behind eight first-period points from Clouden, the Spartans led after one quarter, 21-17.

Illinois took its only lead of the game after a Holesinska reverse layup to go up 22-21. MSU went on to lead the game for 39 minutes of the game. Turnovers were a problem for both teams in the first half, while also both going cold from the field. At the end of the half, MSU used a 10-0 run to take its first double-digit lead, 36-25. That score stood as both teams headed into the locker room.

In the third quarter, freshman guard Alyza Winston drained back-to-back treys as Michigan State jumped out to a 48-35 lead. Winston and Colley scored 10 of MSU's 19 points in the quarter as the Spartans maintained a double-digit lead for all of the second half.

Colley continued to dominate in the second half, scoring 12 points in the final 20 minutes of the game. MSU made three-straight baskets due in part to a trey from Colley and an assist on a Taiyier Parks layup, as MSU neared a 20-point lead, 64-45. The Spartans kept its big lead with help on the glass, out-rebounding the Illini 14-5 in the fourth period.

MSU will now prepare for its regular-season finale against Penn State on Sunday March 1, where it will say goodbye to seniors Victoria Gaines, Taryn McCutcheon, Nia Hollie and Shay Colley. Tip off is set for 2 p.m.

Michigan State Notes vs. Illinois

• The Spartans used the same starting line-up of senior guard Taryn McCutcheon, sophomore guard Nia Clouden, freshman guard Moira Joiner, sophomore forward Tory Ozment and sophomore forward Kayla Belles for the sixth-straight game ... This was the eighth game this season with those five starting for the Spartans, as MSU is 6-2 with that lineup ... It is Michigan State's eighth different starting lineup of the season.

• The Spartans reached 70 points for the first time since Jan. 9 when they fell to Penn State, 86-73. MSU has reached the 70-point mark for just the third time during Big Ten play. Overall, MSU is now 8-1 when scoring at least 70 points.

• Senior guard Shay Colley played in her second-straight game after missing 11-straight games due to Canadian National Team duties and injury. Colley scored a team-high 14 points, just one points shy of her season high. She scored 15 points against Kansas State on Nov. 30. She has now scored in double figures four times in eight games.

• Clouden's 11 points was her ninth-straight game in double-figures and 25th of the season in 28 games ... It was the 48th double-figure scoring outing of Clouden's career.

• McCutcheon's five points on Thursday gives her 1,174 for her career, staying in the No. 21 spot, previously held by Julie Polakowski (1982-86) with 1,143 points. She is now just seven points behind Rene Haynes (2003-07), who scored 1,181 career points.

• With Shay Colley, Moira Joiner and Nia Clouden scoring in double figures, the Spartans improve to 5-1 this season when three players score in double figures.

• Freshman guard Alyza Winston's eight points tied her season high in Big Ten games, also providing eight points against Wisconsin on Jan. 12. Winston went 3-for-3 from the field with two 3-pointers. Her season-high is 17 points against Detroit Mercy on Nov. 18.

• McCutcheon dished out five assists, giving her five-straight games with at least three assists ... The five helpers gives the senior guard 96 this season and 568 for her career ... McCutcheon is now just seven helpers from breaking the school record of 574 assists, held by her current assistant coach Kristin Haynie (2001-05).

Players Mentioned

Kayla Belles

Nia Clouden

Shay Colley

Victoria Gaines

Nia Hollie

Moira Joiner

Taryn McCutcheon

Tory Ozment

Taiyier Parks

Alyza Winston