Monday, December 20
West Palm Beach, Fla.
11 AM
Michigan State University
84
vs
85
Florida Gulf Coast
Nia Clouden Breaks School Record with 50 Points in Overtime Loss FGCU
12/20/2021 3:39:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Junior forward Taiyier Parks added a double-double as well.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Despite a program record-breaking 50-point performance from senior guard Nia Clouden, Michigan State women's basketball was edged by Florida Gulf Coast, 85-84 in double overtime Monday in the first game of the West Palm Beach Invitational.
FGCU's Kierstan Bell's fast break layup with 43 seconds led the Eagles to victory. Michigan State led by four with 58 second left before Bell scored the final five points of the game.
Clouden broke All-American Tori Jankoska's record of 42 points, which was set against Ohio State on Jan. 17, 2017. The 50 points is also the most points scored in the NCAA this season. She becomes just third Big Ten player ever to score 50 points, joining Minnesota's Rachel Banham (2015-16) and Michigan's Naz Hillman (2020-21).
Additionally, Clouden ties MSU men's basketball's Terry Furlow for the most points scored by either a Michigan State men's or women's basketball player. Furlow scored 50 points against Iowa on Jan. 5, 1976.
Clouden ended the game with 50 points to go along with six rebounds. Junior forward Taiyier Parks earned her third career double-double with 14 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, while graduate forward Tamara Farquhar had five points and 16 rebounds.
Despite a slow start, the Eagles were led by 28 points from Bell.
With the loss, Michigan State falls to 7-5 overall, while Florida Gulf Coast improves to 10-1 this season.
Clouden scored the first seven points of the game for MSU as the Eagles jumped out to an early 9-7 lead with under five minutes left in the first quarter. Michigan State took its first lead of the game after a Clouden free throw 10-9. Neither team shot well in the first quarter, with sharp-shooing FGCU going 1-for-9 from long range in the period. FGCU leading scorer Bell was hampered with three fouls in the first period.
The Eagles scored the first seven points of the second period to make it a 21-19 game. Florida Gulf Coast's long range game came to life in the second quarter going 4-for-12 in the period, as the MSU offense slowed down. Parks led the way for MSU in the second quarter with six points. FGCU out-scored MSU, 20-12, in the second quarter to take a 32-31 lead into the locker room. Andrea Cecil's layup with four second left was the first lead the Eagles had in the period. Parks and Clouden provided 25 of the Spartans' 31 first half points.
Michigan State scored nine of the opening 12 points of the second half, before FGCU bounced back to take a 43-40 lead. Clouden helped spark an 8-0 run as MSU took a 48-43 lead. The Spartans were able to maintain the lead for the remainder of the quarter.
The Spartans looked to end the game in regulation, but the Eagles had other plans. The period featured three lead changes and was tied three times. Florida Gulf Coast took a three-point lead after a Bell layup at 66-63 with 2:17 remaining in regulation. Clouden was once again clutch, draining a trey with 1:49 left to tie the game. Neither team was able to break the tie, as MSU headed to overtime for the first time this season.
In the first overtime, it was the Spartans' turn to take a three-point advantage with 3:25 left, but the Eagles did not back down. Bell eventually gave FGCU a 76-75 lead with 11 seconds remaining. With just two seconds left in the first overtime, Farquhar was fouled, hitting 1-of-2 to send it to double overtime.
The Spartans conclude the West Palm Beach Invitational against West Virginia on Tuesday, Dec. 21 at 11 a.m. ET.
Post-Game Notes vs. Florida Gulf Coast
FGCU's Kierstan Bell's fast break layup with 43 seconds led the Eagles to victory. Michigan State led by four with 58 second left before Bell scored the final five points of the game.
Clouden broke All-American Tori Jankoska's record of 42 points, which was set against Ohio State on Jan. 17, 2017. The 50 points is also the most points scored in the NCAA this season. She becomes just third Big Ten player ever to score 50 points, joining Minnesota's Rachel Banham (2015-16) and Michigan's Naz Hillman (2020-21).
Additionally, Clouden ties MSU men's basketball's Terry Furlow for the most points scored by either a Michigan State men's or women's basketball player. Furlow scored 50 points against Iowa on Jan. 5, 1976.
Clouden ended the game with 50 points to go along with six rebounds. Junior forward Taiyier Parks earned her third career double-double with 14 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, while graduate forward Tamara Farquhar had five points and 16 rebounds.
Despite a slow start, the Eagles were led by 28 points from Bell.
With the loss, Michigan State falls to 7-5 overall, while Florida Gulf Coast improves to 10-1 this season.
Clouden scored the first seven points of the game for MSU as the Eagles jumped out to an early 9-7 lead with under five minutes left in the first quarter. Michigan State took its first lead of the game after a Clouden free throw 10-9. Neither team shot well in the first quarter, with sharp-shooing FGCU going 1-for-9 from long range in the period. FGCU leading scorer Bell was hampered with three fouls in the first period.
The Eagles scored the first seven points of the second period to make it a 21-19 game. Florida Gulf Coast's long range game came to life in the second quarter going 4-for-12 in the period, as the MSU offense slowed down. Parks led the way for MSU in the second quarter with six points. FGCU out-scored MSU, 20-12, in the second quarter to take a 32-31 lead into the locker room. Andrea Cecil's layup with four second left was the first lead the Eagles had in the period. Parks and Clouden provided 25 of the Spartans' 31 first half points.
Michigan State scored nine of the opening 12 points of the second half, before FGCU bounced back to take a 43-40 lead. Clouden helped spark an 8-0 run as MSU took a 48-43 lead. The Spartans were able to maintain the lead for the remainder of the quarter.
The Spartans looked to end the game in regulation, but the Eagles had other plans. The period featured three lead changes and was tied three times. Florida Gulf Coast took a three-point lead after a Bell layup at 66-63 with 2:17 remaining in regulation. Clouden was once again clutch, draining a trey with 1:49 left to tie the game. Neither team was able to break the tie, as MSU headed to overtime for the first time this season.
In the first overtime, it was the Spartans' turn to take a three-point advantage with 3:25 left, but the Eagles did not back down. Bell eventually gave FGCU a 76-75 lead with 11 seconds remaining. With just two seconds left in the first overtime, Farquhar was fouled, hitting 1-of-2 to send it to double overtime.
The Spartans conclude the West Palm Beach Invitational against West Virginia on Tuesday, Dec. 21 at 11 a.m. ET.
Post-Game Notes vs. Florida Gulf Coast
- Nia Clouden's 50 points ties the most of any MSU men's or women's basketball player, tying Terry Furlow (men's basketball), who scored 50 in 1976.
- The 50 points is also the most scored by a DI women's basketball player this season, ahead of Delaware's Jasmine Dickey, who scored 48 against Eastern Michigan on Nov. 26.
- Clouden breaks Tori Jankoska's record of 42 points, which was set against Ohio State on 1/19/17
- Junior forward Taiyier Parks earned her first double-double of the season and third of her career with 14 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Graduate forward Tamara Farquhar also added 16 rebounds, which was the most by a Spartan this season.
- Clouden had her streak of six-straight 20-point games halted, scoring 18 points against Iowa. She has led the team in scoring in eight-straight games and in eight of the team's 10 games.
- Freshman DeeDee Hagemann was close to a triple-double with nine points, six assists and seven rebounds.
- Clouden's 50 points give her 1,542 for her career, jumping up to No. 10 on the MSU career scoring list, passing Kristen Rasmussen (1996-2000), who scored 1,492 career points. She is now just 11 points shy of tying Kalisha Keane (2007-11) with 1,553 points.
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