Thursday, January 7
East Lansing, Mich.
5 PM ET
Michigan State University
vs
Maryland
No. 23 Michigan State Women Host No. 12 Maryland Thursday
1/6/2021 11:43:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The Spartans and the Terps are both 3-0 in league play.
EAST LANSING, Mich. - No. 23/24 Michigan State women's basketball returns to the Breslin Center to play the first of two regular-season games against No. 12/12 Â Maryland on Thursday, Jan. 7 at 5 p.m. The game will be telecast on the Big Ten Network with Lisa Byington and Christy Winters Scott on the call. MSU stands 8-0 overall and 3-0 in league play, while Maryland is 7-1 and also 3-0 in B1G action.
• Michigan State improved to 8-0 for the first time since 2012-13, when the Spartans also started 8-0.This is the longest winning streak since Michigan State won eight-straight from Nov. 23-Dec. 30 during the 2018-19 season. With a win against Maryland on Thursday the Spartans will have their best start in school history.Â
•After eight games, the Spartans are currently third in the nation and first in the Big Ten in assists per game (21.2 apg) and fourth in the NCAA and second in the B1G assists to turnover ratio (1.63). Michigan State is still 18th and third in the Big Ten in turnover margin +6.75 margin. Junior guard Nia Clouden is ninth in the Big Ten in assists per game 5.0 apg.
•Junior guard Nia Clouden's 23 points on Jan. 3 gives her 986 career points, just 14 points away from the 1,000 career points milestone. She is looking to become the 29th member of MSU's  1,000-point club.
• MSU is also 3-0 in Big Ten play for the first time since the 2013-14 season.SCOUTING MARYLAND
Maryland and Michigan State both stand atop the Big Ten standing with 3-0 records. Overall, the Terrapins are 7-1 with their only loss coming against Missouri State on Nov. 28. The Bears are coached by former MSU assistant coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton with former MSU All-American Tori Jankoska serving as an assistant coach. Maryland has Big Ten wins at Rutgers, at Penn State and at home against Indiana on Jan. 4.
The Terps are second in the nation and first in the Big Ten in scoring offense with 95.6 points per game. They are also 16th in the NCAA and first in the league in 3-pointers per game, averaging 9.5 per game. Maryland is eighth in the country and second in the league, behind Michigan State, in assists per game, averaging 19.8 apg.Â
Ashley Owusu is eighth in the league in scoring, averaging 18.6 ppg. She is also 14th in assists per game with 4.3. Diamond Miller is ninth in scoring, averaging 18. 1 ppg.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE TERRAPINS
The Spartans and the Terrapins will meet twice in the regular season. The two teams will also meet in College Park on Feb. 10. Last season in College Park, it was all Terps with Maryland winning 93-54. The Terrapins out -scored the Spartans 45-22 in the first half to take control. Ashley Owusu led all scorers with 22 points, while Taylor Mikesell added 21. MSU was led by 17 points from Maryland native  Nia Clouden.
Overall, Maryland leads the overall series 13-2. Michigan State has one win in East Lansing and one win in College Park. The Spartans win at home came on Jan. 11, 2019 with a resounding, 77-60, victory. Michigan State's first-ever win against Maryland came on Jan. 11, 2017, 82-68.
LAST TIME VS. MARYLAND
Injury-plagued Michigan State women's basketball could not handle the many weapons of No. 13 Maryland, falling 94-53, at the XFINITY Center on Feb. 2, 2020.
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.
OLD LINE STATE CONNECTIONS
The Spartans have two players from the Old Line State. Junior guard Nia Clouden hails from Owings Mills, Maryland. Sophomore guard Jayla James comes to MSU from Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
In three games against Maryland, Clouden has averaged 14.7 ppg, including 17 points last season in a loss at College Park. She also has averaged 2.7 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game.
GETTING TESTED
Maryland will be the first ranked team that the Spartans have faced this season. Iowa was receiving votes when the two teams met in December.
FILLING OUT THE ROSTER
During the month of December, Michigan State had three player become eligible. Junior guard Janai Crooms, a transfer from Ohio State, was cleared to play on Dec. 4 and has had an immediate impact. Against Oakland on Dec. 22, she had a season-high 10 rebounds. Penn State transfers Alisia Smith and Jayla James found out they were eligible on Dec. 22, just in time to play against Oakland. Smith, a junior forward, scored nine points in her Spartan debut.
SUPER SMITTY
Junior forward and Lansing native Alisia Smith has made an immediate impact since earning eligibility for MSU on Dec. 22. Against Oakland in her MSU debut she scored nine points. She topped that with 15 points, including nine in the fourth quarter to guide MSU past Purdue on Jan. 3. Her all-time career high was 19 against Virginia in 2018 when she was at Penn State.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
Around the Big Ten, Nia Clouden ranks seventh in scoring (19.1 ppg), as well as standing fifth in steals (2.5 spg). Two Spartans standout in assists per game with Clouden holding down the ninth spot (5.0 apg), and fellow junior Tory Ozment standing 11t (4.5 apg.). Sophomore Julia Ayrault is fifth in blocks (1.5 bpg), while fellow sophomore Alyza Winston is tied for fifth in 3-pointers made (2.29/game).
CLOUDEN WITH A CHANCE OF SCORING
With 23 points against Purdue on Jan. 3, junior guard Nia Clouden posted her fourth 20+ point game of the season, all coming in the last five games, as part of her 14th 20-point outing of her career, and MSU is now 10-4 when Clouden scores 20+ points. Clouden netted two 3-pointers for her second game this season with multiple triples, joining three treys vs. Detroit Mercy (12/2/20).
Clouden now has 19-straight career games in double-digits dating back to last year, having posted double-figures in 35 of her last 38 games played, doing so in every game but three last season. For her career, Clouden now has double-digits in 58 of her 71 games played.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
For the third-straight week, the Big Ten has six Top 25 teams in the Associated Press poll, while also having six schools in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA)/USA Today Top 25 poll, with both being the most ranked teams among all conferences. This is the first time in Big Ten women's basketball history the conference has had six AP Top 25 teams for multiple weeks in the same season, let alone consecutive weeks (the Big Ten had six in the AP Top 25 for single weeks on Nov. 17, 2014 and Jan. 14, 2019).
LOOKING TOWARD 1,000
With 23 points on Jan. 3 at Purdue, Nia Clouden now has 986 career points, closing in on the 1,000 career points milestone. She is looking to become the seventh player in the last seven years to reach the 1,000-point mark.
Years    Player             Points
2019-20   Taryn McCutcheon      1,119
2018-19   Jenna Allen          1,098
2017-18   Branndais Agee      1,250
2015-16   Tori Jankoska        2,212
2014-15   Aerial Powers        1,817
2014-15   Becca Mills          1,157
SPARTANS AGAINST THE NCAA
After eight games, the Spartans are currently third in the nation and first in the Big Ten in assists per game (21.2 apg) and fourth in the NCAA and second in the B1G assists to turnover ratio (1.63). Michigan State is still 18th and third in the Big Ten in turnover margin +6.75 margin. Junior guard Nia Clouden is ninth in the Big Ten in assists per game 5.0 apg.
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.
GETTING IN THE LINEUP
Juniors Tory Ozment and Nia Clouden are the lone Spartans to start in all eight games this season. Sophomore Julia Ayrault and Alyza Winston started for the fifth time of their careers, all in the last five games. Meanwhile, Clouden made her 71st career start in playing in her 71st career game. Ozment started for the 20th time of her career in playing her 56th game. Sophomore Taiyier Parks started for the sixth time this season in the eight games as part of her ninth career start, while playing in her 38th career game. Redshirt-senior Mardrekia Cook and sophomore Moira Joiner are the only other two Spartans to start this season.Â
PUTTING UP BIG NUMBERS
After not having a pair of 20-point scorers in the same since Feb. 3, 2019 vs. Purdue when Shay Colley and Sidney Cooks netted 20 points apiece before Winston and Clouden did it last against Minnesota on Dec. 9, the Spartan duo has now reached that feat in back-to-back games with Winston's 25 points and Clouden's 21 points on Dec. 12 vs. Iowa.
Clouden and Winston's back-to-back 20-point games marks the first time that the Spartans have had two 20-point scorers in consecutive games since the 2016-17 season, when Aerial Powers (27) and Branndais Agee (20) did so on Feb. 3. vs. Michigan, then Powers (31) and Agee (22) on Feb. 5 vs. Maryland.
MAKING IT RAIN
Against Oakland on Dec. 22, Â MSU finished with a season-high 65.0 percent shooting from the field (39-of-60), cooling off from over 70 percent partway through the fourth quarter, which would have topped the school record of 67.2 percent vs. Bowling Green (12/23/86). Michigan State's 39 field goals was also a season-best.
The Spartans also set a school record, shooting 92.3 percent in the third quarter, going 12-of-13. Nia Clouden led the way with 11 of the Spartans' 31 points. Sophomore guard Moira Joiner also scored seven points.
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. Starting with the game on Jan. 7, a limited number of family member of the players will be allowed. 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 154 of their last 172 games (.890) when scoring at least 70 points, and the Spartans are 172-28 (.860) under head coach Suzy Merchant when hanging at least 70 points on the scoreboard. The Spartans are now 8-0 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 217 of its last 230 games (.943) Â when leading with five minutes left, including 167 of their last 182. In Coach Merchant's tenure, Michigan State is 252-19 (.930) when holding a lead with five minutes left. This season, MSU is 7-0 when leading with five minutes remaining.Â
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.
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• Michigan State improved to 8-0 for the first time since 2012-13, when the Spartans also started 8-0.This is the longest winning streak since Michigan State won eight-straight from Nov. 23-Dec. 30 during the 2018-19 season. With a win against Maryland on Thursday the Spartans will have their best start in school history.Â
•After eight games, the Spartans are currently third in the nation and first in the Big Ten in assists per game (21.2 apg) and fourth in the NCAA and second in the B1G assists to turnover ratio (1.63). Michigan State is still 18th and third in the Big Ten in turnover margin +6.75 margin. Junior guard Nia Clouden is ninth in the Big Ten in assists per game 5.0 apg.
•Junior guard Nia Clouden's 23 points on Jan. 3 gives her 986 career points, just 14 points away from the 1,000 career points milestone. She is looking to become the 29th member of MSU's  1,000-point club.
• MSU is also 3-0 in Big Ten play for the first time since the 2013-14 season.SCOUTING MARYLAND
Maryland and Michigan State both stand atop the Big Ten standing with 3-0 records. Overall, the Terrapins are 7-1 with their only loss coming against Missouri State on Nov. 28. The Bears are coached by former MSU assistant coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton with former MSU All-American Tori Jankoska serving as an assistant coach. Maryland has Big Ten wins at Rutgers, at Penn State and at home against Indiana on Jan. 4.
The Terps are second in the nation and first in the Big Ten in scoring offense with 95.6 points per game. They are also 16th in the NCAA and first in the league in 3-pointers per game, averaging 9.5 per game. Maryland is eighth in the country and second in the league, behind Michigan State, in assists per game, averaging 19.8 apg.Â
Ashley Owusu is eighth in the league in scoring, averaging 18.6 ppg. She is also 14th in assists per game with 4.3. Diamond Miller is ninth in scoring, averaging 18. 1 ppg.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE TERRAPINS
The Spartans and the Terrapins will meet twice in the regular season. The two teams will also meet in College Park on Feb. 10. Last season in College Park, it was all Terps with Maryland winning 93-54. The Terrapins out -scored the Spartans 45-22 in the first half to take control. Ashley Owusu led all scorers with 22 points, while Taylor Mikesell added 21. MSU was led by 17 points from Maryland native  Nia Clouden.
Overall, Maryland leads the overall series 13-2. Michigan State has one win in East Lansing and one win in College Park. The Spartans win at home came on Jan. 11, 2019 with a resounding, 77-60, victory. Michigan State's first-ever win against Maryland came on Jan. 11, 2017, 82-68.
LAST TIME VS. MARYLAND
Injury-plagued Michigan State women's basketball could not handle the many weapons of No. 13 Maryland, falling 94-53, at the XFINITY Center on Feb. 2, 2020.
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.
OLD LINE STATE CONNECTIONS
The Spartans have two players from the Old Line State. Junior guard Nia Clouden hails from Owings Mills, Maryland. Sophomore guard Jayla James comes to MSU from Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
In three games against Maryland, Clouden has averaged 14.7 ppg, including 17 points last season in a loss at College Park. She also has averaged 2.7 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game.
GETTING TESTED
Maryland will be the first ranked team that the Spartans have faced this season. Iowa was receiving votes when the two teams met in December.
FILLING OUT THE ROSTER
During the month of December, Michigan State had three player become eligible. Junior guard Janai Crooms, a transfer from Ohio State, was cleared to play on Dec. 4 and has had an immediate impact. Against Oakland on Dec. 22, she had a season-high 10 rebounds. Penn State transfers Alisia Smith and Jayla James found out they were eligible on Dec. 22, just in time to play against Oakland. Smith, a junior forward, scored nine points in her Spartan debut.
SUPER SMITTY
Junior forward and Lansing native Alisia Smith has made an immediate impact since earning eligibility for MSU on Dec. 22. Against Oakland in her MSU debut she scored nine points. She topped that with 15 points, including nine in the fourth quarter to guide MSU past Purdue on Jan. 3. Her all-time career high was 19 against Virginia in 2018 when she was at Penn State.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
Around the Big Ten, Nia Clouden ranks seventh in scoring (19.1 ppg), as well as standing fifth in steals (2.5 spg). Two Spartans standout in assists per game with Clouden holding down the ninth spot (5.0 apg), and fellow junior Tory Ozment standing 11t (4.5 apg.). Sophomore Julia Ayrault is fifth in blocks (1.5 bpg), while fellow sophomore Alyza Winston is tied for fifth in 3-pointers made (2.29/game).
CLOUDEN WITH A CHANCE OF SCORING
With 23 points against Purdue on Jan. 3, junior guard Nia Clouden posted her fourth 20+ point game of the season, all coming in the last five games, as part of her 14th 20-point outing of her career, and MSU is now 10-4 when Clouden scores 20+ points. Clouden netted two 3-pointers for her second game this season with multiple triples, joining three treys vs. Detroit Mercy (12/2/20).
Clouden now has 19-straight career games in double-digits dating back to last year, having posted double-figures in 35 of her last 38 games played, doing so in every game but three last season. For her career, Clouden now has double-digits in 58 of her 71 games played.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
For the third-straight week, the Big Ten has six Top 25 teams in the Associated Press poll, while also having six schools in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA)/USA Today Top 25 poll, with both being the most ranked teams among all conferences. This is the first time in Big Ten women's basketball history the conference has had six AP Top 25 teams for multiple weeks in the same season, let alone consecutive weeks (the Big Ten had six in the AP Top 25 for single weeks on Nov. 17, 2014 and Jan. 14, 2019).
LOOKING TOWARD 1,000
With 23 points on Jan. 3 at Purdue, Nia Clouden now has 986 career points, closing in on the 1,000 career points milestone. She is looking to become the seventh player in the last seven years to reach the 1,000-point mark.
Years    Player             Points
2019-20   Taryn McCutcheon      1,119
2018-19   Jenna Allen          1,098
2017-18   Branndais Agee      1,250
2015-16   Tori Jankoska        2,212
2014-15   Aerial Powers        1,817
2014-15   Becca Mills          1,157
SPARTANS AGAINST THE NCAA
After eight games, the Spartans are currently third in the nation and first in the Big Ten in assists per game (21.2 apg) and fourth in the NCAA and second in the B1G assists to turnover ratio (1.63). Michigan State is still 18th and third in the Big Ten in turnover margin +6.75 margin. Junior guard Nia Clouden is ninth in the Big Ten in assists per game 5.0 apg.
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.
GETTING IN THE LINEUP
Juniors Tory Ozment and Nia Clouden are the lone Spartans to start in all eight games this season. Sophomore Julia Ayrault and Alyza Winston started for the fifth time of their careers, all in the last five games. Meanwhile, Clouden made her 71st career start in playing in her 71st career game. Ozment started for the 20th time of her career in playing her 56th game. Sophomore Taiyier Parks started for the sixth time this season in the eight games as part of her ninth career start, while playing in her 38th career game. Redshirt-senior Mardrekia Cook and sophomore Moira Joiner are the only other two Spartans to start this season.Â
PUTTING UP BIG NUMBERS
After not having a pair of 20-point scorers in the same since Feb. 3, 2019 vs. Purdue when Shay Colley and Sidney Cooks netted 20 points apiece before Winston and Clouden did it last against Minnesota on Dec. 9, the Spartan duo has now reached that feat in back-to-back games with Winston's 25 points and Clouden's 21 points on Dec. 12 vs. Iowa.
Clouden and Winston's back-to-back 20-point games marks the first time that the Spartans have had two 20-point scorers in consecutive games since the 2016-17 season, when Aerial Powers (27) and Branndais Agee (20) did so on Feb. 3. vs. Michigan, then Powers (31) and Agee (22) on Feb. 5 vs. Maryland.
MAKING IT RAIN
Against Oakland on Dec. 22, Â MSU finished with a season-high 65.0 percent shooting from the field (39-of-60), cooling off from over 70 percent partway through the fourth quarter, which would have topped the school record of 67.2 percent vs. Bowling Green (12/23/86). Michigan State's 39 field goals was also a season-best.
The Spartans also set a school record, shooting 92.3 percent in the third quarter, going 12-of-13. Nia Clouden led the way with 11 of the Spartans' 31 points. Sophomore guard Moira Joiner also scored seven points.
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. Starting with the game on Jan. 7, a limited number of family member of the players will be allowed. 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 154 of their last 172 games (.890) when scoring at least 70 points, and the Spartans are 172-28 (.860) under head coach Suzy Merchant when hanging at least 70 points on the scoreboard. The Spartans are now 8-0 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 217 of its last 230 games (.943) Â when leading with five minutes left, including 167 of their last 182. In Coach Merchant's tenure, Michigan State is 252-19 (.930) when holding a lead with five minutes left. This season, MSU is 7-0 when leading with five minutes remaining.Â
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.
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