MSU Opens West Palm Beach Invitational against FCGU Monday

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Michigan State women's basketball will end the non-conference schedule with a pair of games at the West Palm Beach Invitational. The Spartans will take on Florida Gulf Coast on Dec. 20, before facing West Virginia on Dec. 21. MSU enters the tournament with a 7-4 overall record and stand 1-1 in the Big Ten.

• The series between the Spartans and the Eagles is tied 1-1 with MSU winning at home in 2009 and FGCU taking the victory in 2011 in Boca Raton.

• The Spartans are also seventh in the nation and first in the Big Ten in assists per game with 19.2 apg, while standing third in the NCAA and first in the B1G in total assists with 216. Senior guard Nia Clouden is 31st in the country and fourth in the B1G in scoring with 19.2 ppg.

• Freshman guard/forward Matilda Ekh scored 20 points in MSU's win over Illinois on Dec. 9, becoming the first Spartan to score 20 points since Nia Clouden during the 2018-19 campaign.

• Nia Clouden's 17 points against Illinois on Dec. 9 gives her 1,492 career points, leaving her one point shy of the No. 10 spot on the MSU career points list, held by Kristen Rasmussen (1996-2000) with 1,493 points. Clouden also dished out four assists, giving her 380 career helpers, also just one assist shy of the No. 9 spot on the Spartans' career assists list, held by Kim Archer (1983-88) with 381 assists.

SCOUTING FLORIDA GULF COAST
Florida Gulf Coast stands 9-1 this season with its only loss coming against Princeton at home on Dec. 1, 58-55. The Eagles are receiving votes in both polls. Most recently, FGCU has home wins against Palm Beach Atlantic and Ave Maria. In their only true road game, the Eagles earned a win at LSU, 88-74.

Michigan State will see a familiar face when taking on FGCU in junior guard Kierstan Bell, who played at Ohio State during the 2019-20 season. She was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team that season. This season, Bell is fifth in the nation in scoring, averaging 23.6 points per game. She also averages 8.3 rebounds per game.

As a team, Florida Gulf Coast is 11th in the nation in scoring (82.2 ppg) and sixth in the NCAA in scoring margin (+25.5).

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE EAGLES
The series between the Spartans and the Eagles is tied 1-1, but the teams haven't met since 2011. Michigan State won the first meeting in 2009, 94-71, in East Lansing. In 2011, the Florida Gulf Coast evened out the series with a 59-58 win in Boca Raton.

SCOUTING WEST VIRGINIA
West Virginia heads to the West Palm Beach Invitational with a 6-2 overall record. The Mountaineers snapped a two-game losing streak with back-to-back wins against Charlotte and James Madison, the latter a 75-68 overtime victory on the road. Prior to playing the Spartans, West Virginia faces off against South Florida on Dec. 20 in their first game of the invite.

The Mountaineers are led by KK Deans who is eighth in the Big 12 in scoring, averaging 16.5 points per game. She has also dished out 28 assists and recorded 18 steals. Esmery Martinez is also in double-digit scoring territory with 11.8 points per game and averages 8.6 boards. West Virginia is seventh in the Big 12 in scoring and leads the league in steals, averaging 11.38 per game.

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE MOUNTAINEERS
West Virginia had Michigan State have met only once with the Mountaineers defeating the Spartans, 63-57, on Dec. 21, 2019 at the Florida Sunshine Classic in Orlando. The Spartans were led by Nia Clouden who scored 16 points with eight rebounds in the loss. The Mountaineers' Kari Biblack led all scorers with 21 points.

TURNING IT AROUND
Against Illinois on Dec. 9, MSU rallied from a 31-26 halftime deficit, marking their second win this season after trailing at intermission, also rallying in the Marshall game (11/30). MSU has trailed at the break in its last four games, and is now 2-2 this season when having the lower score at halftime.

SPARTAN FUN FACTS

Four Spartans posted double-figures, as MSU improved to 7-1 this season when four or more players score in double-digits, including 5-1 when four are in double-figures.
Against Illinois, senior guard Nia Clouden netted 17 points, as she has posted double-digits in all 11 games this season as part of 15-straight games dating back to last season as part of in 43 of last 46 games and part of 82 of 98 career games played.
Michigan State is 6-2 when out-rebounding its opponent.

BIG TEN OPENERS
Michigan State is now 20-20 in Big Ten openers, having won seven of their 11. MSU is now 9-6 in league openers in Coach Merchant's 15 seasons after losing to No. 9/11 Iowa on Dec. 5. Last season, the Spartans won their opener in Minneapolis, 81-68 over the Gophers. The last time that Michigan State played Iowa in a B1G opener was to start the 2018-19, defeating the No. 16 Hawkeyes, 84-70 in East Lansing.

FAST BIG TEN START
MSU opened conference play on Dec. 5 against Iowa, which is the earliest Big Ten opener since falling to Indiana on Dec. 6, 2009. The Spartans first home Big Ten game will be against Illinois on Dec. 9. Michigan State will play a total of three league contests in December, concluding with hosting Nebraska on Dec. 30.

AROUND THE NATION
The Spartans are distributing the ball really well through the first 11 games. Michigan State is third in the nation with 216 total assists and are seventh in assists per game, averaging 19.2 apg. MSU is also 22nd in the nation in free throw percentage (.779). Senior guard Nia Clouden has been stellar in getting to the line. She is 20th in the NCAA in free throw percentage (.914). Clouden is also 12th in the nation and third in the Big Ten in scoring with 211 points.

EKH EARNS B1G HONOR
On Dec. 13, guard/forward Matilda Ekh captured her first Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor after leading the Spartans in scoring in a win against Illinois. She marked a new career high with 20 points in Michigan State's 75-60 win over the Illini on Dec. 9. Ekh has now scored in double figures seven times this season, second only to senior guard Nia Clouden. She went 6-for-9 from beyond the arc, as she became the first Spartan freshman to tally 20 points in a game since Clouden during the 2018-19 season.

LOOKING ACROSS THE LEAGUE
Senior guard Nia Clouden stands fourth in the B1G in scoring with 19.2 points per game. Clouden also holds the fifth spot in the league in assists with 5.1 helpers per contest, while freshman guard DeeDee Hagemann is up to fifth with 5.0 apg. Freshman guard/forward Matilda Ekh and Clouden are 10th (2.1) and 16th (1.7), respectively in the league in 3-point field goals per game. Clouden is also third in the league in free-throw percentage (.914).

As a team, the Spartans are second in the Big Ten in free throw percentage (.779) and seventh scoring margin (+12.5). Michigan State is first in assists, averaging 19.6 apg.

BIGS PUTTING UP THE BIG NUMBERS
The Spartans are finding the key to success is their post players putting up the big numbers. When junior forward Taiyier Parks reached double figures in scoring MSU is 3-0 this season and 11-2 in her career. This season she has scored in double digits in wins against Niagara, Oakland and Illinois. When senior forward Alisia Smith reaches double figures, the Spartans are 3-0 this year and 8-1 during her two seasons with MSU. She has reached double digits against Oakland, Marshall and Illinois. Both Parks and Smith reached double figures against Illinois, scoring 10 and 13, respectively.

SWEDISH SENSATION
Freshman Matilda Ekh has been stellar in the first 11 games of the season. She is third on the team in scoring, averaging 11.2 points per game. Ekh is second in overall points score with 123. She has scored in double figures in seven games, including a season-high 20 points against Illinois on Dec. 9. She also set a new season-high with eight rebounds against Marshall on Nov. 30.

REACHING THE TOP 10
Senior guard Nia Clouden continues to climb up the charts at Michigan State. Clouden's 17 points against Illinois on Dec. 9 give her 1,492 for her career, holding down the No. 11 spot and closing in on the No. 10 spot on the MSU career points list, held by Kristen Rasmussen (1996-2000). She is just one point shy of Rasmussen's 1,493 career points. With 380 career assists, Clouden is just two helpers away from passing Kim Archer (1983-88) for the No. 9 spot. Archer had 381 assists during her time in the Green and White.

Clouden is looking to join Tori Jankoska as the only MSU players to finish their careers in the top 10 in scoring and assists.

MERCHANT MILESTONES
Spartan head coach Suzy Merchant reached the 300-win mark as head coach of the Spartans against Bryant on Nov. 19. She now holds a 303-191 record at Michigan State. Karen Langeland is the all-time leader with a 376-290 record at MSU. Merchant is also 11 wins away from tying Langeland for the most Big Ten wins by a MSU coach with 156. Merchant also reached 500 career wins against Valparaiso on Tuesday, Nov. 16. Overall, she holds a 504-281 record overall.

UP NEXT
Following a break the Holidays, the Spartans will return to Big Ten action on Thursday, Dec. 30, hosting Nebraska at 2 p.m.

20 DIMES FOR WINS
MSU is also 6-0 this season when dishing out 20 or more assists. Against Illinois, Michigan State dished out 20 assists for the first time since the game at Oakland (11/26) when MSU had 27. Michigan State also distributed 27 helpers in the win over Niagara (Nov. 14), while also dishing out 20+ assists vs. Morehead State (26), Valparaiso (20) and Bryant (24).

ACC/BIG TEN CHALLENGE HISTORY
This season, Michigan State played in the 14th annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge, falling to 6-8 after a 76-71 loss to No. 24/25 Notre Dame. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic there was no Challenge during the 2020-21 season. During the 2019-20 season, MSU lost to No. 8 Florida State, 78-68, to hold a 6-7 record in the ACC/B1G Challenge.

B1G/ACC Challenge History
2021 - Notre Dame 76, MSU 71
2019 - Florida State 78, MSU 68
2018 - MSU 91, Virginia 66
2017 - Miami 67, MSU 57
2016 - Syracuse 75, MSU 64
2015 - Louisville 85, MSU 78
2014 - MSU 79, Georgia Tech 73 (OT)
2013 - Florida State 60, MSU 58
2012 - MSU 68, N.C. State 51
2011 - Miami 76, MSU 60
2010 - MSU 72, Florida State 64
2009 - MSU 72, North Carolina 66
2008 - Georgia Tech 57, MSU 50
2007 - MSU 68, Clemson 51
Bold = home games

SOLID FROM THE STRIPE
The Spartans tied a school record going 10-for-10 from the charity stripe against the Beacons on Nov. 16. The last time MSU didn't miss from the free throw line with at least 10 attempts was against Central Michigan in the NCAA Tournament, going 11-for-11 on March, 23, 2019. The last time at the Breslin Center was when MSU went 19-for-19 against Michigan on Feb., 23, 2016.

SEASON OPENERS
All-time, the Spartans are now 34-15 in season openers, but 27-2 when the opener is in East Lansing. Coach Merchant is 12-3 in season openers at MSU, and has won 18 of her last 21, including her time at Eastern Michigan. This season, the Spartans earned a dominating 93-31 win over Morehead State on Nov. 9 paced by six MSU players reaching double figures.

IT'S RAINING THREES
The Spartans set a new school record with 17 3-pointers against Morehead State on Nov. 9. The previous record 15 by Michigan State vs. Bowling Green on Nov. 6, 2018 at the Breslin Center. Michigan State shot 60.7 percent from long range. Senior guard Laurel Jacqmain set a new career high with 11 points, highlighted by back-to-back-to-back treys in the fourth quarter.

HAGEMANN EARNS B1G HONOR
DeeDee Hagemann was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on on Nov. 15. The Detroit, Michigan native captured the first Freshman of the Week honor of the season after a stellar first week of action, scoring in double figures in both games. For the week, she averaged 10.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, while adding 6.0 helpers per contest. She was the first Spartan named Big Ten Freshman of the Week since Nia Clouden on Dec. 31, 2018.

LAST TIME OUT
Behind a career-high 20 points by freshman Matilda Ekh, Michigan State women's basketball captured its home Big Ten opener against Illinois, 75-60, at the Breslin Center.

The Spartans out-scored the Fighting Illini, 49-26, in the second half to overcome an eight-point half-time deficit.

For the first time this season freshman guard/forward Matilda Ekh led the team in scoring with a career-high 20 points, draining a career-best 6-for-9 from the beyond the arc.

MASK UP, MICHIGAN
Currently, masks are required indoors for all individuals. Michigan State University requires all campus visitors, faculty, staff and students to wear a mask while indoors, regardless of vaccination status.

KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR CLOUDEN
Senior guard Nia Clouden added to her preseason accolades. Clouden was named to the John R. Wooden Award® Women's Preseason Top 50 Watch List and the 2022 Wade Trophy preseason Watch List, as well as the Naismith Watch List. She had already been named to the Lieberman Watch List and earned preseason All-Big Ten honors.

CLOSING OUT THE GAMES
The Spartans have been extremely effective closing out games over the last couple years, winning 229 of its last 241 games (.950) when leading with five minutes left, including 179 of their last 193. In Coach Merchant's tenure, Michigan State is 264-19 (.933) when holding a lead with five minutes left. This season, MSU is 6-0 when leading with five minutes remaining.

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 164 of their last 190 games (.863) when scoring at least 70 points, and the Spartans are 184-34 (.844) under head coach Suzy Merchant when hanging at least 70 points on the scoreboard. This season, MSU is now 7-1 this season when scoring 70 points. The Spartans scored 71 points in the loss to Notre Dame on Dec. 2.

MEET THE NEW SIGNEES
Michigan State women's basketball head coach Suzy Merchant announced the signing of two National Letters of Intent, including Theryn Hallock (Grand Rapids, Michigan/ Forest Hills Central High School) and Abbey Kimball (Grand Rapids, Michigan/ West Catholic High School).

Hallock is a 5-11 guard, who is a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, attends Forest Hills Central and is coached by Kristina Prins. As a junior, she averaged 23.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 6.6 steals per game. She reached the 1,000-career point mark as a junior last season. She also earned first-team all-state honors.

Kimball is a 5-10 guard, who is a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, plays for head coach Jill VanderEnde at West Catholic High School. She is rated No. 80 nationally overall and No. 18 at her position by HoopGurlz. During her junior season, she averaged 22.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 5.0 steals per game. Kimball has captured first-team all-conference honors for three-straight seasons.