Sunday, January 24
Madison, Wis.
4 PM ET
Michigan State University
9-2,4-2Big Ten
94
at
62
Wisconsin
3-10,0-10Big Ten
1
2
3
4
F
Michigan St.
17
23
25
29
94
Wisconsin
16
19
16
11
62
Team Stats
MSU
Wisc
FG%
.515
.408
3FG%
.318
.267
FT%
.864
.900
RB
34
27
TO
5
16
STL
10
2
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
19
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
11
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
15
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
Second-Half Spark Steers Spartans Past Wisconsin Sunday
1/24/2021 7:05:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The 32-point win was MSU’s biggest margin of victory under Coach Merchant.
MADISON, Wis. - Behind 19 points from junior forward Alisia Smith, the Michigan State women's basketball team pulled away and went on to dominate Wisconsin, 94-62, Sunday on at the Kohl Center. The 32-point margin of victory was the largest under MSU head coach Suzy Merchant.
After not playing a game for 14 days due to COVID-19 issues, the Spartans snapped a two-game losing streak to improve to 9-2 overall and 4-2 in Big Ten play. Wisconsin falls to 3-10 overall and 0-10 in conference action.
MSU's 32-point margin of victory was not only its largest in a B1G game this season, but the Spartans' largest margin of victory under Merchant, bettering the previous most of 31 vs. Northwestern, 56-25 on March 4, 2011, Merchant's third season leading the Spartans.
Smith's 19 points were a new Michigan State career high, leading MSU in scoring for the first time this season, and only the second time someone other than junior guard Nia Clouden led the Spartans in scoring outright. Clouden and sophomore forward Taiyier Parks both added 15 points, with Parks matching her career high. Sophomore guard Moira Joiner added 10 points for her third double-digit scoring game of the season, also added a team-high three steals. Junior guard Janai Crooms, sophomore guard Alyza Winston and freshman forward Kendall Bostic also added nine points apiece.
Wisconsin was led by 17 points from Imani Lewis, while Sydney Hilliard added 15.
Michigan State steadily pulled away from Wisconsin, leading by just one at 17-16 after the first quarter, and just 40-35 at halftime, before the Spartans out-scored the Badgers, 25-16, in the third quarter for a 65-51 lead and then a 29-11 scoring difference in the fourth quarter for the final 32-point margin at 94-62 win.
New Spartan starters Crooms and Smith scored the first five points of the game, as MSU jumped out to an early 11-4 start. The Badgers used a 7-0 run to tie the score at 13-13 with under three minutes remaining in the first quarter. Clouden snapped a four-minute MSU scoring drought with a jumper to put the Spartans' back on top at 15-13 with just over a minute left in the opening quarter. Despite the cold-spell on the offensive side, Michigan State still led after the first 10 minutes, 17-16.
Five-straight points from Parks in the second quarter put Michigan State back up by five, 25-20 with eight minutes left in the half. Joiner provided a some much-needed offense in the second quarter with a pair of 3-pointers. The Spartans protected the ball well without a single turnover in the first half, ending the game with a season-low five.
After a 3-point play by Smith, MSU opened up its first double digit lead of the night at 58-47 with 2:33 to play in the third quarter. Michigan State scored five-straight buckets to open up a 65-49 advantage with 29 ticks in the frame. The Spartans ended the third quarter on a 12-4 run to lead, 65-51.
In the fourth period, the Spartans continued to roll. Winston caught fire from long range hitting the first of her three 3-pointers in the final 10 minutes. Another Winston triple capped an 8-0 Spartan run that helped MSU pull ahead, 88-60 with 3:11 to go, and the Green & White cruised to the victory for MSU. The fourth quarter was also highlighted by six points off the bench by Bostic, including a trey from the corner.
After a slow start from the field in the first half, the Spartans shot a stellar 62.5 percent in the second half, finishing with 51.5 percent, their highest in a B1G game this season and second-highest of the season overall.
Michigan State is currently scheduled to take on Indiana in Bloomington on Jan. 31 at 4 p.m. ET.
Post-Game Notes at Wisconsin
• MSU's 32-point margin of victory was not only its largest in a B1G game this season, but the Spartans' largest margin of victory under head coach Suzy Merchant ... it was MSU's fourth 30-point margin of victory under Merchant, joining 31 vs. Northwestern, 3/4/11; 30 vs. Indiana, 2/13/13 and 30 vs. Northwestern, 1/3/18.
• The Spartans' 94 points was their most in a road game this season, topping 81 in a win at Minnesota (12/9/20), as well as the most in a Big Ten game, bettering 87 in 93-87 loss vs. No. 12 Maryland (1/7/21) ... it also matched MSU's second-highest total points behind season-best 94 in 94-56 win vs. Oakland (12/22/20).
• Michigan State steadily pulled away from Wisconsin, leading by just one at 17-16 after the first quarter, and just 40-35 at halftime, before the Spartans out-scored the Badgers, 25-16, in the third quarter for a 65-51 lead and then a 29-11 scoring difference in the fourth quarter for the final 32-point margin at 94-62 win.
• MSU's starting line-up of junior guard Nia Clouden, sophomore guard Alyza Winston, sophomore guard/forward Julia Ayrault, junior forward Alisia Smith and junior guard Janai Crooms was the first game this season that the Spartans have had that starting five.
• Clouden is the only Spartan to have started all 11 games this season ... Clouden made her 74th career start in playing in her 74th career game.
• Crooms and Smith both made their first starts of their Spartan career, as the duo both transferred to MSU from Ohio State and Penn State, respectively, in the offseason ... Crooms played in her ninth game in a Green & White jersey, while Smith was playing in her fifth game on Sunday.
• Ayrault and Winston made their eighth starts of their careers, all in the last eight games this season ... Sunday was Ayrault's 39th career game played, while Winston logged her 40th career game.
• With 15 points Sunday, Clouden continues to score in double-figures in every game this season, now with 11 double-digit games, as part of 22-straight contests in her career, netting double-figures in 38 of her last 41 games played, tallying double-figures in all but three games last season ... in her career, Clouden has now scored in double-figures in 61 of 74 career games played ... Sunday was only the second time this season that Clouden has not led the team in scoring
• Smith posted an MSU career-high and her second game in double-digits in her five games in a Spartan uniform, and both career-bests have come on the road in a Sunday afternoon game, topping her previous career-high of 15 at Purdue (1/3/21) ... Smith has been outstanding on the road, now with 34 points in two road games, compared to a total of 14 in three home games.
• Sunday was the first time this season that Smith led MSU in scoring and only the second time this season that someone other than Clouden topped the Spartans in the scoring column outright, joining Winston's 25 points vs. Iowa on 12/12/20, along with freshman Kendall Bostic tying Clouden for high-point honors with 15 points in season-opener vs. Saint Francis.
• Sophomore forward Taiyier Parks came off the bench for just the third time this season and posted a season-high and tied her career-high with 15 points, topping previous season-best of 12 vs. Detroit Mercy on 12/2/20 and matching career-high of 15, also vs. Detroit Mercy on 11/8/19 ... Parks logged her fourth game in double-figures this season and sixth of her career ... with six rebounds, Parks also shared top rebounding honors, marking the team-leading fifth game this season that she topped the Spartans in the rebounding column.
• Parks' 15 points paced MSU's bench to a 38-10 bench-point scoring advantage ... Michigan State's bench has out-scored the opposition's reserves in all 11 games this season, including Sunday's sixth game by double-figures.
• Sophomore guard Moria Joiner netted 10 points off the bench, her third double-digit scoring outing of the season ... Joiner drained two 3-pointers, matching a season-high of two treys vs. Detroit Mercy (12/2/20).
• Winston's three 3-pointers was her third game this season with three or more triples, as part of her sixth game with double-digit 3-pointers ... Winston continues to lead MSU in 3-point shooting, now with 22 treys on the season.
• MSU shot 55.3 percent from the field Sunday, the Spartans' season-high in a B1G game this season, bettering 44.2 percent vs. Maryland (1/7/21) and the second-highest of the season behind 65.0 vs. Oakland (12/22/20) ... MSU made 34 field goals Sunday, tying for the most in a B1G contest (34 vs. Maryland, 1/7/21) and tying for second-most overall behind season-high 39 in aforementioned game vs. Oakland.
• After zero turnovers in the first half, the Spartans finished by committing just a season-low five turnovers, their second single-digit miscue total of the season, behind seven vs. Central Michigan (12/18/20).
• MSU has topped the 70-point plateau in 10 of the 11 games ... Michigan State has won 155 of its last 175 games (.886) when scoring at least 70 points, and the Spartans are 173-29 (.856) under head coach Suzy Merchant when hanging at least 70 points on the scoreboard ... Michigan State is now 9-1 this season when reaching the 70-point mark.
• Sunday was MSU's seventh game topping 80 points and second topping the 90-point plateau.
• Michigan State led Wisconsin, 83-60, with 5:00 to go Sunday, and MSU has now won 218 of its last 231 games (.944) when leading with five minutes left, including 168 of their last 183 ... In Coach Merchant's tenure, Michigan State is 253-19 (.930) when holding a lead with five minutes left ... MSU improved to 9-0 this season when leading with five minutes remaining, while the Spartans are 0-1 when trailing and 0-1 when tied with five to go.
After not playing a game for 14 days due to COVID-19 issues, the Spartans snapped a two-game losing streak to improve to 9-2 overall and 4-2 in Big Ten play. Wisconsin falls to 3-10 overall and 0-10 in conference action.
MSU's 32-point margin of victory was not only its largest in a B1G game this season, but the Spartans' largest margin of victory under Merchant, bettering the previous most of 31 vs. Northwestern, 56-25 on March 4, 2011, Merchant's third season leading the Spartans.
Smith's 19 points were a new Michigan State career high, leading MSU in scoring for the first time this season, and only the second time someone other than junior guard Nia Clouden led the Spartans in scoring outright. Clouden and sophomore forward Taiyier Parks both added 15 points, with Parks matching her career high. Sophomore guard Moira Joiner added 10 points for her third double-digit scoring game of the season, also added a team-high three steals. Junior guard Janai Crooms, sophomore guard Alyza Winston and freshman forward Kendall Bostic also added nine points apiece.
Wisconsin was led by 17 points from Imani Lewis, while Sydney Hilliard added 15.
Michigan State steadily pulled away from Wisconsin, leading by just one at 17-16 after the first quarter, and just 40-35 at halftime, before the Spartans out-scored the Badgers, 25-16, in the third quarter for a 65-51 lead and then a 29-11 scoring difference in the fourth quarter for the final 32-point margin at 94-62 win.
New Spartan starters Crooms and Smith scored the first five points of the game, as MSU jumped out to an early 11-4 start. The Badgers used a 7-0 run to tie the score at 13-13 with under three minutes remaining in the first quarter. Clouden snapped a four-minute MSU scoring drought with a jumper to put the Spartans' back on top at 15-13 with just over a minute left in the opening quarter. Despite the cold-spell on the offensive side, Michigan State still led after the first 10 minutes, 17-16.
Five-straight points from Parks in the second quarter put Michigan State back up by five, 25-20 with eight minutes left in the half. Joiner provided a some much-needed offense in the second quarter with a pair of 3-pointers. The Spartans protected the ball well without a single turnover in the first half, ending the game with a season-low five.
After a 3-point play by Smith, MSU opened up its first double digit lead of the night at 58-47 with 2:33 to play in the third quarter. Michigan State scored five-straight buckets to open up a 65-49 advantage with 29 ticks in the frame. The Spartans ended the third quarter on a 12-4 run to lead, 65-51.
In the fourth period, the Spartans continued to roll. Winston caught fire from long range hitting the first of her three 3-pointers in the final 10 minutes. Another Winston triple capped an 8-0 Spartan run that helped MSU pull ahead, 88-60 with 3:11 to go, and the Green & White cruised to the victory for MSU. The fourth quarter was also highlighted by six points off the bench by Bostic, including a trey from the corner.
After a slow start from the field in the first half, the Spartans shot a stellar 62.5 percent in the second half, finishing with 51.5 percent, their highest in a B1G game this season and second-highest of the season overall.
Michigan State is currently scheduled to take on Indiana in Bloomington on Jan. 31 at 4 p.m. ET.
Post-Game Notes at Wisconsin
• MSU's 32-point margin of victory was not only its largest in a B1G game this season, but the Spartans' largest margin of victory under head coach Suzy Merchant ... it was MSU's fourth 30-point margin of victory under Merchant, joining 31 vs. Northwestern, 3/4/11; 30 vs. Indiana, 2/13/13 and 30 vs. Northwestern, 1/3/18.
• The Spartans' 94 points was their most in a road game this season, topping 81 in a win at Minnesota (12/9/20), as well as the most in a Big Ten game, bettering 87 in 93-87 loss vs. No. 12 Maryland (1/7/21) ... it also matched MSU's second-highest total points behind season-best 94 in 94-56 win vs. Oakland (12/22/20).
• Michigan State steadily pulled away from Wisconsin, leading by just one at 17-16 after the first quarter, and just 40-35 at halftime, before the Spartans out-scored the Badgers, 25-16, in the third quarter for a 65-51 lead and then a 29-11 scoring difference in the fourth quarter for the final 32-point margin at 94-62 win.
• MSU's starting line-up of junior guard Nia Clouden, sophomore guard Alyza Winston, sophomore guard/forward Julia Ayrault, junior forward Alisia Smith and junior guard Janai Crooms was the first game this season that the Spartans have had that starting five.
• Clouden is the only Spartan to have started all 11 games this season ... Clouden made her 74th career start in playing in her 74th career game.
• Crooms and Smith both made their first starts of their Spartan career, as the duo both transferred to MSU from Ohio State and Penn State, respectively, in the offseason ... Crooms played in her ninth game in a Green & White jersey, while Smith was playing in her fifth game on Sunday.
• Ayrault and Winston made their eighth starts of their careers, all in the last eight games this season ... Sunday was Ayrault's 39th career game played, while Winston logged her 40th career game.
• With 15 points Sunday, Clouden continues to score in double-figures in every game this season, now with 11 double-digit games, as part of 22-straight contests in her career, netting double-figures in 38 of her last 41 games played, tallying double-figures in all but three games last season ... in her career, Clouden has now scored in double-figures in 61 of 74 career games played ... Sunday was only the second time this season that Clouden has not led the team in scoring
• Smith posted an MSU career-high and her second game in double-digits in her five games in a Spartan uniform, and both career-bests have come on the road in a Sunday afternoon game, topping her previous career-high of 15 at Purdue (1/3/21) ... Smith has been outstanding on the road, now with 34 points in two road games, compared to a total of 14 in three home games.
• Sunday was the first time this season that Smith led MSU in scoring and only the second time this season that someone other than Clouden topped the Spartans in the scoring column outright, joining Winston's 25 points vs. Iowa on 12/12/20, along with freshman Kendall Bostic tying Clouden for high-point honors with 15 points in season-opener vs. Saint Francis.
• Sophomore forward Taiyier Parks came off the bench for just the third time this season and posted a season-high and tied her career-high with 15 points, topping previous season-best of 12 vs. Detroit Mercy on 12/2/20 and matching career-high of 15, also vs. Detroit Mercy on 11/8/19 ... Parks logged her fourth game in double-figures this season and sixth of her career ... with six rebounds, Parks also shared top rebounding honors, marking the team-leading fifth game this season that she topped the Spartans in the rebounding column.
• Parks' 15 points paced MSU's bench to a 38-10 bench-point scoring advantage ... Michigan State's bench has out-scored the opposition's reserves in all 11 games this season, including Sunday's sixth game by double-figures.
• Sophomore guard Moria Joiner netted 10 points off the bench, her third double-digit scoring outing of the season ... Joiner drained two 3-pointers, matching a season-high of two treys vs. Detroit Mercy (12/2/20).
• Winston's three 3-pointers was her third game this season with three or more triples, as part of her sixth game with double-digit 3-pointers ... Winston continues to lead MSU in 3-point shooting, now with 22 treys on the season.
• MSU shot 55.3 percent from the field Sunday, the Spartans' season-high in a B1G game this season, bettering 44.2 percent vs. Maryland (1/7/21) and the second-highest of the season behind 65.0 vs. Oakland (12/22/20) ... MSU made 34 field goals Sunday, tying for the most in a B1G contest (34 vs. Maryland, 1/7/21) and tying for second-most overall behind season-high 39 in aforementioned game vs. Oakland.
• After zero turnovers in the first half, the Spartans finished by committing just a season-low five turnovers, their second single-digit miscue total of the season, behind seven vs. Central Michigan (12/18/20).
• MSU has topped the 70-point plateau in 10 of the 11 games ... Michigan State has won 155 of its last 175 games (.886) when scoring at least 70 points, and the Spartans are 173-29 (.856) under head coach Suzy Merchant when hanging at least 70 points on the scoreboard ... Michigan State is now 9-1 this season when reaching the 70-point mark.
• Sunday was MSU's seventh game topping 80 points and second topping the 90-point plateau.
• Michigan State led Wisconsin, 83-60, with 5:00 to go Sunday, and MSU has now won 218 of its last 231 games (.944) when leading with five minutes left, including 168 of their last 183 ... In Coach Merchant's tenure, Michigan State is 253-19 (.930) when holding a lead with five minutes left ... MSU improved to 9-0 this season when leading with five minutes remaining, while the Spartans are 0-1 when trailing and 0-1 when tied with five to go.
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