Spartan Women Conclude Two-Game Road Trip at No. 21 Northwestern

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State women's basketball concludes its two-game road trip at No. 21/23 Northwestern on Monday, Feb. 10 at 9 p.m. ET at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network with Lisa Byington and Jantel Lavender on the call. This is the second of three Monday games this month for the Spartans.

• Michigan State is looking to end a four-game losing streak after falling to No. 13 Maryland on the road on Feb. 3. The Spartans are 11-11 overall and 4-7 in league play. No. 23/21 Northwestern has won two-straight and are 19-3 overall and 9-2 in B1G contests. The Wildcats are currently in third place in the standings.

• Sophomore guard Nia Clouden netted her team-leading 11th game that she was the high-point player for MSU against Maryland. Clouden has now scored in double-figures in 18 of the 22 games, including the last three. The sophomore guard was also 8-of-8 at the free throw line, tying her season-high and setting a new high for a Big Ten game.

• The Spartans have used eight different starting lineups this season. The most recent lineup of Taryn McCutcheon, Moira Joiner, Nia Clouden, Nia Hollie and Kayla Belles has started eight straight, the longest streak of the season.

• MSU's injuries continue to pile up with Mardrekia Cook and Victoria Gaines both out for the season. Shay Colley has missed 16 games so far this season. Only seven players have played in all 22 games with Claire Hendrickson, Tory Ozment and Julia Ayrault also missing time due to illness or injury.

SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN
Northwestern comes into the matchup with the Spartans with a 19-3 overall record, including 9-2 in league play. The Wildcats stand in third place just behind Maryland and Iowa who both have 10-2 conference records.

NU is first in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5) and is second in assists (18.2 apg) and steals (10.8 spg). The Wildcats are also second in scoring defense, allowing only 55.9 ppg. In league contests, Northwestern is second in scoring margin (+9.9), as well as field goal percentage defense (.391).

Individually, Lindsey Pulliam is third in the league in scoring, averaging 19.2 ppg, while Abi Scheid is 24th, scoring 11.8 ppg. Abbie Wolf is third in field goal percentage, shooting 55.8 percent, while Veronica Burton is tied for second in assists with 5.4 apg. Burton is also first in steals per game, averaging 3.7 spg. Pulliam is also third in scoring in league contests with 20.5 ppg.

SERIES HISTORY VS. NORTHWESTERN
Michigan State holds a 44-27 advantage in the series vs. Northwestern, with the Wildcats taking the meeting in East Lansing on Jan. 23, 76-48. Last season the teams split the meetings. The Wildcats won, 70-62, in Evanston in the regular season, before the Spartans bounced back with a 68-52 win in Indianapolis in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. MSU has won three of the last six overall meetings.

Michigan State is 25-8 in the series in games played in East Lansing, having won two of the last three match-ups as part of winning 19 of the last 21 on its home hardwood. In Evanston, Northwestern holds the lead 19-17. The Wildcats have won the last three games at home. The last Spartan win in Evanston came on Feb. 27. 2014, 61-57.

LAST TIME VS. THE WILDCATS
Michigan State women's basketball had its three-game winning streak snapped by No. 22 Northwestern, 76-48, on Jan. 23 at the Breslin Center. The Wildcats were relentless on both the offensive and defensive ends of the ball to stop the Spartans.

Michigan State falls to 11-8 overall and 4-4 in Big Ten games, while Northwestern improves to 17-2 overall an 7-1 in conference games, maintaining their perch atop the league standings tied with Iowa.
For the second-straight game, the Spartans were led by freshman guard Moira Joiner, who scored 17 points, draining five 3-pointers for the second game in a row, to go along with two assists and four rebounds.

FIGHTING THE INJURY BUG
Michigan State has been battling injuries all season. Preseason All-Big Ten selection Shay Colley has only played six games this season due to a knee injury. Her last game was against Indiana on Dec. 28. The Indiana game was also the last time that Victoria Gaines played before tearing her MCL. Mardrekia Cook was also lost for the season after tearing her Achilles' tendon in practice on Jan. 29.

By the second half against Maryland on Feb. 3, four of the five starters from the first game of the season were not available to due injury. Game one starters included Shay Colley, Taryn McCutcheon, Nia Clouden, Tory Ozment and Victoria Gaines. Only Clouden finished the game against Maryland, as McCutcheon was injured in the third quarter.

LOGGING IN THE MINUTES
With the multitude of injuries of late, the five Michigan State freshmen have been logging in more minutes of late. Freshman guard Moira Joiner has had a solid rookie campaign for the Spartans. She is 13th among freshman in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 7.0 ppg. She is also third in 3-point field goals made with 30. Julia Ayrault is tied for fifth in rebounding with 4.6 rpg. Taiyier parks is tied for 10th (4.1 rpg), while Joiner is tied for 14th (3.2 rpg.). Ayrault is this tied for first in blocks among freshman with 1.0 bpg.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS
With 16 points on Jan. 30, senior guard Taryn McCutcheon now has 1,111 points, vaulting from No. 24 on MSU's career scoring list up to No. 22, passing former teammate Jenna Allen (2015-19) with 1,098 points and Becky Cummings (1997-2001) with 1,108 points. McCutcheon is just 42 points shy of the No. 21 spot, held by Julie Polakowski (1982-86) with 1,143 points. McCutcheon's five assists gives her 70 for the season and 545 for her career. The senior guard is now just 30 helpers from breaking the school record of 574 assists, held by her current assistant coach Kristin Haynie (2001-05).

BEING A BOSS AT THE BREZ
The Spartans continue to dominate at home. Last season, Michigan State set a record with 15 wins at home. Since the 2016-17 season, the Spartans are 45-11 at the friendly confines of the Breslin Center. MSU has won 26 of the last 29 games at home. This season, the Spartans are 8-2 at home. Michigan State's only losses this season came against No. 22 Northwestern on Jan. 23 and against Purdue on Jan. 30.

SPARTAN TIDBITS
• Sophomore guard Nia Clouden netted her team-leading 11th game that she was the high-point player for MSU ... Clouden has now scored in double-figures in 18 of the 22 games, including the last three ... the sophomore guard was also 8-of-8 at the free throw line, tying her season-high and setting a new high for a Big Ten game.

• With several injuries and foul trouble mounting against Maryland on Feb. 3. Freshman center Cydni Dodd stepped up with a career-high six points and added another career-best with seven rebounds in 13 minutes of action.

TURNING IT AROUND
Michigan State is looking to end a four-game losing streak. During that stretch, the Spartans are being out-scored 80.0-56.0. Rebounding will be a key factor for MSU as it is being out-rebounded 35.5-31.3 rpg. For the season, the Spartans are out-rebounding their opponents 38.6-36.1. Nia Clouden, Taryn McCutcheon, Moira Joiner, Nia Hollie and Kayla Belles have started all four games during the losing streak, but the rest of the lineup has fluctuated because of injuries.

FABULOUS FRESHIE
Freshman guard Moira Joiner is looking to place herself among the top rookies in MSU history. She has made 30 3-pointers this season and is just six away from tying Kalisha Keane who had 36 as a freshman during the 2007-08 season. Through 22 games, Joiner is shooting 42.9 percent from long range, which is currently second among MSU freshman all time. Lindsay Bowen holds the record, shooing 46.4 percent and a freshman during the 2002-03 season.

UP NEXT
After facing back-to-back ranked teams in No. 13 Maryland and No. 21 Northwestern on the road, the Spartans return home for a two-game homestand. Michigan State will host Rutgers on Thursday, Feb. 13 and Minnesota on Monday, Feb. 17.

EXCLUSIVE COMPANY
Guard Taryn McCutcheon is part of an exclusive Michigan State group. She is one of only five players in Spartan history with at least 900 points and 400 assists. Tori Jankoska is the all-time points leader with 2,212 points, while current MSU assistant coach Kristin Haynie holds the all-time assist crown with 574 helpers. McCutcheon and Haynie are now the only Spartans with at least 1,000 points and 500 assists.

Player Pts   Assists
Tori Jankoska (2013-17) 2,212   489
Kristin Haynie (2001-05) 1,199   574
Taryn McCutcheon (2017-)   1,111   545
Brittney Thomas (2007-11) 932   401
Deb Traxinger (1978-82) 926   443

SWITCHING STARTERS
Through 22 games this season, Nia Clouden and Taryn McCutcheon are the only two players to have started every game. Overall, the Spartans have had eight different starting lineups. Against Maryland, the Spartans used the lineup of Clouden, McCutcheon, Moira Joiner, Kayla Belles and Nia Hollie for the eighth-straight game, earning a 3-5 record. Gaines had become a fixture in the starting five before being lost for the season against Indiana on Dec. 28. Shay Colley and Mardrekia Cook have both missed time to injury, forcing them to come in and out of the starting five.

CLOUDEN VS. THE LEAGUE
Sophomore guard Nia Clouden is among the best in several categories in the Big Ten. She is currently 10th in the league in scoring, averaging 14.6 points per game. Penn State's Kamaria McDaniel leads the league in scoring with 19.7 ppg. Clouden is also third in free throw percentage (.810). She is providing help on the defensive end of the ball as well, standing tied for sixth in steals (2.0 spg). In Big Ten games, Clouden is tied for seventh in assists, providing 3.9 helpers per game. She is also tied for sixth in league games in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.7).

FINDING CONSISTENCY
Nia Clouden has been the most consistent Spartan this season, leading the team in scoring 11 times this year. Taryn McCutcheon has led six times, while Julia Ayrault and Moira Joiner have both led twice. Kayla Belles and Alyza Winston are the only other players to lead MSU in scoring.

On the boards is a very different story, as 10 different players have led the squad in rebounds. Kayla Belles has both led the team in rebounding nine times, followed by Julia Ayrault who has had the most rebounds on five occasions.

SPARTANS IN THE B1G/NCAA RANKINGS
After 22 games, Michigan State is 45th in the nation and third in the Big Ten in steals per game (10.1 spg). The Spartans continue to deny their opponents the three-point shot, standing 62nd in the country and second in the Big Ten 3-point field goal defense, holding teams to 28.3 percent from beyond the arc. MSU is fourth in the Big Ten in 3-pointers made (7.1) and second in offensive rebounds (15.0).

In Big Ten contests, Nia Clouden is tied for 18th in scoring, averaging 12.8 ppg. Clouden is also fifth in assists with 4.3 apg. Sophomore forward Kayla Belles is fifth in blocks per game (1.7). Freshman guard Moira Joiner is sixth in 3-pointers made with 23, while senior guard Taryn McCutcheon is tied for 10th with 19.

FREQUENT FLIER
Three Spartans earned international experience during the offseason. MSU head coach Suzy Merchant earned a silver medal as the head coach of U.S. Pan American team that competed in Lima, Peru. Sophomore guard Nia Clouden also participated in the U.S. U19 World Cup Trials in Colorado Spring in May. Redshirt-senior guard Shay Colley continues her quest for the 2020 Olympics continuing training with the Canadian National Team.

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 144 of their last 163 games (.883) when scoring at least 70 points, and the Spartans are 162-28 (.852) under head coach Suzy Merchant when hanging at least 70 points on the scoreboard. The Spartans are now 7-1 this season when reaching the 70-point mark with its only loss coming against Penn State on Jan. 9.

CLOSING OUT THE GAMES
The Spartans have been extremely effective closing out games over the last couple years, winning 204 of their last 217 games (.940) when leading with five minutes left, including 154 of their last 169. In Coach Merchant's tenure, Michigan State is 239-19 (.926) when holding a lead with five minutes left. This season, MSU is 11-1 when leading with five minutes remaining with the only loss coming against No. 8 Florida State.

RETURN TO THE GREAT LAKES STATE
Michigan State adds two new coaches to the staff this season in Dean Lockwood and former Spartan All-American Kristin Haynie. Lockwood and Haynie come to Michigan State with extensive basketball roots in the state of Michigan, as well as highly-decorated careers. During his 15-year tenure as an assistant coach at Tennessee, Lockwood won two NCAA titles. Haynie returns to Michigan State where she earned All-American honors, leading MSU to the 2005 National Championship game.

GAME REWIND: Maryland 94, MSU 53
Injury-plagued Michigan State women's basketball could not handle the many weapons of No. 13 Maryland, falling 94-53, at the XFINITY Center Monday night.

Michigan State was already without seniors Victoria Gaines and Shay Colley, along with redshirt-junior Mardrekia Cook, who are done for the season. Already sidelined with multiple injuries, the Spartans were down two more players on Monday with both sophomore guard Tory Ozment and freshman Julia Ayrault missing the game. Senior guard Taryn McCutcheon also suffered an injury in the third quarter and didn't return.

SIGNING DAY
Michigan State women's basketball head coach Suzy Merchant announced the signing of Kendall Bostic (Kokomo, Indiana/Northwestern High School) to a National Letter of Intent. Bostic is a 6-2 forward who plays for head coach Katie Layden at Northwestern High School in Kokomo, Indiana and AAU basketball for Tony Marlin and the Indiana Flight/Elite. Bostic is ranked No. 16 at her position and No. 67 overall by ESPN HoopGurlz. Last season, Northwestern captured its second consecutive state championship, as Bostic earned State Championship Player of the Game accolades, along with AP First-Team All-State and Co-Player of the Year honors.

Spartan Women Conclude Two-Game Road Trip at No. 21 Northwestern

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Players Mentioned

Jenna Allen

Julia Ayrault

Kayla Belles

Nia Clouden

Shay Colley

Mardrekia Cook

Cydni Dodd

Victoria Gaines

Claire Hendrickson

Nia Hollie

Tori Jankoska

Moira Joiner

Taryn McCutcheon

Tory Ozment

Alyza Winston