Saturday, February 13
University Park, Pa.
12 PM
Michigan State University
at
Penn State
Spartan Women's Basketball Hits the Road Facing Penn State Saturday
2/12/2021 1:10:00 PM | Women's Basketball
This is the only regular-season meeting between the teams.
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State women's basketball returns to the road to take on Penn State on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 12 p.m. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network with Mike Hall and Christy Winters Scott on the call. This is the only regular-season meeting this season between the Spartans and the Lady Lions.
• The Spartans hold an overall record of 10-5 overall and 5-5 in Big Ten action. MSU is looking to rebound after a tough 63-60 loss to Northwestern on Feb. 7 Penn State stands 8-8 overall and 5-7 in league action. The Lady Lions had their four-game winning streak halted by Indiana on Feb. 10.
• Nia Clouden remains No. 23 on MSU's career scoring list, as 12 points vs. Northwestern gives her 1,121 points, passing Bella Engen (1994-98) with 1,099 points, former teammate Jenna Allen (2015-19) with 1,098 points and Becky Cummings (1997-2001) with 1,108 points. Next up is No. 22 Julie Polakowski (1982-86) with 1,143 points.
• After 15 games, the Spartans are currently ninth in the nation and third in the Big Ten in assists per game (18.7 apg) and 11th in the NCAA and third in the B1G assists to turnover ratio (1.36).Â
• Sophomore forward Taiyier Parks led the team in scoring with 13 points against Northwestern on Feb. 7. She also added 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the season and first of her career. She has now scored in double figures five times this season.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
Penn State enters the game with an 8-8 overall record and a 5-7 mark in Big Ten action. The Lady Lions had a four-game winning streak halted by a loss to Indiana on Feb. 10, 90-65. PSU has Big Ten wins against, Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois, Purdue and Wisconsin.Â
As a team, Penn State is eighth in the Big Ten in scoring, just behind MSU, scoring 76.1 points per game. The Lady Lions are 11th in scoring defense allowing, 75.0 ppg. Penn State is eighth in field goal percentage (.429) and 12th in field goal percentage defense (.431). The Lady Lions are 14th in blocked shots, averaging 2.6 bpg.
The Lady Lions have a fairly new roster this season. Â Kelly Jekot has played in nine games and is averaging 15.9 ppg. Johnasia Cash is 22nd in the Big Ten, averaging 14.8 ppg, while Makenna Marisa is 23rd with 14.5 ppg. Cash is also fourth in the league in rebounds, averaging 9.3 rpg. Marisa is seventh in the league in assists with 4.6 apg.
SERIES HISTORY VS. LADY LIONS
This is the 49th meeting between the Spartans and the Penn State. The Lady Lions lead the overall series 30-19, including 17-7 at Penn State. The Spartans have won six of the last 10 games. Last season, the teams split games with both teams winning at home. On Jan. 9, 2020, the Lady Lions stopped MSU, 86-73, while the Spartans returned the favor on Senior Day in East Lansing, 99-80 on March 1, 2020.
LAST TIME VS. PENN STATE
Senior guard Taryn McCutcheon celebrated Senior Day by becoming the Michigan State women's basketball all-time assist leader, as the Spartans closed out the regular season with a dominating 99-80 win over Penn State March 1, 2020 at the Breslin Center.
McCutcheon broke Spartan great and current assistant coach Kristin Haynie's career assist record with her seventh assist of the day with 40 seconds left in the third quarter. The bucket by Nia Hollie gave McCutcheon 575 assists, pushing her past Haynie who had 574 during her All-American career from 2001-05.
Despite injuries, the Spartans were able to start all four seniors in McCutcheon, Victoria Gaines, Shay Colley and Hollie along with sophomore guard Nia Clouden. Gaines and Colley, who were unable to play, kissed the Spartan before leaving the court.
Overall, Clouden led Michigan State with 20 points to go along with five assists and three rebounds. This was her seventh 20-point game of the season. To go along with a season-high nine assists, McCutcheon added 15 points.Â
BACK TO WHERE IS STARTED
Sophomore guard Jayla James and junior forward Alisia Smith both transferred from Penn State and are playing their first seasons with Michigan State. As a freshman, James played in 17 games at Penn State. In three seasons, Smith played 83 games for the Lady Lions, starting 48. She averaged 6.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
GETTING OVER 70
The magic number to victory this season is reaching 70 points. The Spartans are 10-1 this season when reaching 70-point plateau. Michigan State has lost five of its last seven games and during that stretch MSU has only reached 70 points three times.
BEST OF THE BEST
Junior guard Nia Clouden joins a select group of company as one of only three players in the Big Ten that are in the top 12 in points, assists and steals per game. Clouden is fifth in scoring (19.2 ppg), 12th in assists (4.3 apg) and eighth in steals (1.9 spg). Rutgers' Arella Guirantes is third in scoring (21.2 ppg), tied for fourth in assists (5.4) and second in steals (2.7 spg.). Northwestern's Veronica Burton rounds out the list. She is 10th in scoring (17.1 ppg), sixth in assists (4.8 apg) and first in steals (4.1 spg.)Â
CROOMS PUTTING UP THE Â NUMBERS
Junior guard Janai Crooms had a well-rounded game for MSU, scoring 10 points for the second time in the last three outings. She added an MSU-high five steals against Northwestern on Feb. 7 with her career high six steals coming at Ohio State coming against Rutgers in 2019. The junior also had  four rebounds, four steals and one block to add to her stat line.
DOWN TO THE WIRE
With 10 Big Ten games under their belt, the Spartans currently stand eighth in the league standings with a 5-5 record. As of Feb. 12, Michigan State has five B1G games remaining on the schedule.
The Spartans currently have five games to make up on their schedule, having lost two games against Michigan, a road game against Ohio State, a home game against Indiana and a road game against Illinois.
MSU has still not played four teams in the Big Ten in Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers.
Maryland leads the league with a 9-1 conference record, while Michigan is 6-1 and Indiana is 10-2.
KEEPING YOUR BALANCE
While Nia Clouden leads the team in scoring and assists, the rest of the Spartan squad is rather balanced. MSU has seven players averaging over 5.0 ppg. Averaging 18.7 assists per game, Michigan State is getting helpers from all over the place. There are five players averaging over. 2.0 apg. Nia Clouden (4.3) and Tory Ozment (3.9) are providing over. 3.5 assists per game.
THE STARTING 5
Nia Clouden is the only Spartan to have started all 15 games this season, making her 77th career start in playing in her 77th career game. After unveiling a new starting lineup last time out vs. Illinois (Feb. 4), the Spartans went with the same lineup against Northwestern on Feb. 7 with Clouden, junior guard Janai Crooms, sophomore guard/forward Julia Ayrault, sophomore guard Moira Joiner and junior forward Alisia Smith. Sunday was the second game this season with that starting five and is the fifth different starting lineup for the Spartans.
JOINING THE CLUB
Against Maryland on Jan. 7, Nia Clouden scored her 1,000th career point with a jumper from the left wing with 9:43 left in the third quarter for her 14th point in the game. Clouden became the 29th player in MSU women's basketball history to reach the 1,000 career points plateau. She now has 1,121 points in her Spartan career, climbing up to No. 23 on the MSU career scoring list. She became the seventh player in the last seven years to reach the 1,000-point mark.
Years    Player           Points
2020-21   Nia Clouden       1,121
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
PARTY LIKE ITS 1985
Junior guard Nia Clouden is looking to become the first Spartan since Kris Emerson in the 1985-86 season to lead the team in scoring, assists and steals per game. She is currently averaging 19.2 points, 4.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game. Emerson led with 16.9 points, 3.0 assists and 1.9 steals per game during the 1985-86 season.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
Around the Big Ten, Nia Clouden ranks fifth in scoring (19.2 ppg), as well as standing 12th in assists (4.3 spg). She is also eighth in steals with 1.9 spg. Junior guard Tory Ozment is fourth in assist/turnover ratio (2.5). Sophomore Julia Ayrault is fifth in blocks (1.3), while fellow sophomore Alyza Winston is tied for 12th in 3-pointers made (1.8/game). As a team, the Spartans are third in assists (18.7 apg), third in steals (9.3 spg) and sixth in blocks (3.9 bpg).
LENDING A HELPING HAND
With a team-leading five assists against Illinois on Feb. 4, Nia Clouden has now dished out five or more helpers in seven games. She added two assists against Northwestern for 294 for her career, needing just six more for the 300-assist plateau. The 294 assists moves Clouden up to No. 17 on MSU's career assists list, passing Maxann Reese (1996-2000) with 291 helpers. Next up is Clouden's former graduate assistant, Kalisha Keene (2007-11), with 300 assists.
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.
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.
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. 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 156 of their last 176 games (.886) when scoring at least 70 points, and the Spartans are 174-29 (.857) under head coach Suzy Merchant when hanging at least 70 points on the scoreboard. The Spartans are now 10-1 this season when reaching the 70-point mark with the only loss coming against Maryland on Jan. 7.
CLOSING OUT THE GAMES
The Spartans have been extremely effective closing out games over the last couple years, winning 219 of its last 232 games (.944) Â when leading with five minutes left, including 169 of their last 184. In Coach Merchant's tenure, Michigan State is 254-19 (.930) when holding a lead with five minutes left. This season, MSU is 9-0 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. 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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• The Spartans hold an overall record of 10-5 overall and 5-5 in Big Ten action. MSU is looking to rebound after a tough 63-60 loss to Northwestern on Feb. 7 Penn State stands 8-8 overall and 5-7 in league action. The Lady Lions had their four-game winning streak halted by Indiana on Feb. 10.
• Nia Clouden remains No. 23 on MSU's career scoring list, as 12 points vs. Northwestern gives her 1,121 points, passing Bella Engen (1994-98) with 1,099 points, former teammate Jenna Allen (2015-19) with 1,098 points and Becky Cummings (1997-2001) with 1,108 points. Next up is No. 22 Julie Polakowski (1982-86) with 1,143 points.
• After 15 games, the Spartans are currently ninth in the nation and third in the Big Ten in assists per game (18.7 apg) and 11th in the NCAA and third in the B1G assists to turnover ratio (1.36).Â
• Sophomore forward Taiyier Parks led the team in scoring with 13 points against Northwestern on Feb. 7. She also added 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the season and first of her career. She has now scored in double figures five times this season.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
Penn State enters the game with an 8-8 overall record and a 5-7 mark in Big Ten action. The Lady Lions had a four-game winning streak halted by a loss to Indiana on Feb. 10, 90-65. PSU has Big Ten wins against, Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois, Purdue and Wisconsin.Â
As a team, Penn State is eighth in the Big Ten in scoring, just behind MSU, scoring 76.1 points per game. The Lady Lions are 11th in scoring defense allowing, 75.0 ppg. Penn State is eighth in field goal percentage (.429) and 12th in field goal percentage defense (.431). The Lady Lions are 14th in blocked shots, averaging 2.6 bpg.
The Lady Lions have a fairly new roster this season. Â Kelly Jekot has played in nine games and is averaging 15.9 ppg. Johnasia Cash is 22nd in the Big Ten, averaging 14.8 ppg, while Makenna Marisa is 23rd with 14.5 ppg. Cash is also fourth in the league in rebounds, averaging 9.3 rpg. Marisa is seventh in the league in assists with 4.6 apg.
SERIES HISTORY VS. LADY LIONS
This is the 49th meeting between the Spartans and the Penn State. The Lady Lions lead the overall series 30-19, including 17-7 at Penn State. The Spartans have won six of the last 10 games. Last season, the teams split games with both teams winning at home. On Jan. 9, 2020, the Lady Lions stopped MSU, 86-73, while the Spartans returned the favor on Senior Day in East Lansing, 99-80 on March 1, 2020.
LAST TIME VS. PENN STATE
Senior guard Taryn McCutcheon celebrated Senior Day by becoming the Michigan State women's basketball all-time assist leader, as the Spartans closed out the regular season with a dominating 99-80 win over Penn State March 1, 2020 at the Breslin Center.
McCutcheon broke Spartan great and current assistant coach Kristin Haynie's career assist record with her seventh assist of the day with 40 seconds left in the third quarter. The bucket by Nia Hollie gave McCutcheon 575 assists, pushing her past Haynie who had 574 during her All-American career from 2001-05.
Despite injuries, the Spartans were able to start all four seniors in McCutcheon, Victoria Gaines, Shay Colley and Hollie along with sophomore guard Nia Clouden. Gaines and Colley, who were unable to play, kissed the Spartan before leaving the court.
Overall, Clouden led Michigan State with 20 points to go along with five assists and three rebounds. This was her seventh 20-point game of the season. To go along with a season-high nine assists, McCutcheon added 15 points.Â
BACK TO WHERE IS STARTED
Sophomore guard Jayla James and junior forward Alisia Smith both transferred from Penn State and are playing their first seasons with Michigan State. As a freshman, James played in 17 games at Penn State. In three seasons, Smith played 83 games for the Lady Lions, starting 48. She averaged 6.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
GETTING OVER 70
The magic number to victory this season is reaching 70 points. The Spartans are 10-1 this season when reaching 70-point plateau. Michigan State has lost five of its last seven games and during that stretch MSU has only reached 70 points three times.
BEST OF THE BEST
Junior guard Nia Clouden joins a select group of company as one of only three players in the Big Ten that are in the top 12 in points, assists and steals per game. Clouden is fifth in scoring (19.2 ppg), 12th in assists (4.3 apg) and eighth in steals (1.9 spg). Rutgers' Arella Guirantes is third in scoring (21.2 ppg), tied for fourth in assists (5.4) and second in steals (2.7 spg.). Northwestern's Veronica Burton rounds out the list. She is 10th in scoring (17.1 ppg), sixth in assists (4.8 apg) and first in steals (4.1 spg.)Â
CROOMS PUTTING UP THE Â NUMBERS
Junior guard Janai Crooms had a well-rounded game for MSU, scoring 10 points for the second time in the last three outings. She added an MSU-high five steals against Northwestern on Feb. 7 with her career high six steals coming at Ohio State coming against Rutgers in 2019. The junior also had  four rebounds, four steals and one block to add to her stat line.
DOWN TO THE WIRE
With 10 Big Ten games under their belt, the Spartans currently stand eighth in the league standings with a 5-5 record. As of Feb. 12, Michigan State has five B1G games remaining on the schedule.
The Spartans currently have five games to make up on their schedule, having lost two games against Michigan, a road game against Ohio State, a home game against Indiana and a road game against Illinois.
MSU has still not played four teams in the Big Ten in Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers.
Maryland leads the league with a 9-1 conference record, while Michigan is 6-1 and Indiana is 10-2.
KEEPING YOUR BALANCE
While Nia Clouden leads the team in scoring and assists, the rest of the Spartan squad is rather balanced. MSU has seven players averaging over 5.0 ppg. Averaging 18.7 assists per game, Michigan State is getting helpers from all over the place. There are five players averaging over. 2.0 apg. Nia Clouden (4.3) and Tory Ozment (3.9) are providing over. 3.5 assists per game.
THE STARTING 5
Nia Clouden is the only Spartan to have started all 15 games this season, making her 77th career start in playing in her 77th career game. After unveiling a new starting lineup last time out vs. Illinois (Feb. 4), the Spartans went with the same lineup against Northwestern on Feb. 7 with Clouden, junior guard Janai Crooms, sophomore guard/forward Julia Ayrault, sophomore guard Moira Joiner and junior forward Alisia Smith. Sunday was the second game this season with that starting five and is the fifth different starting lineup for the Spartans.
JOINING THE CLUB
Against Maryland on Jan. 7, Nia Clouden scored her 1,000th career point with a jumper from the left wing with 9:43 left in the third quarter for her 14th point in the game. Clouden became the 29th player in MSU women's basketball history to reach the 1,000 career points plateau. She now has 1,121 points in her Spartan career, climbing up to No. 23 on the MSU career scoring list. She became the seventh player in the last seven years to reach the 1,000-point mark.
Years    Player           Points
2020-21   Nia Clouden       1,121
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
PARTY LIKE ITS 1985
Junior guard Nia Clouden is looking to become the first Spartan since Kris Emerson in the 1985-86 season to lead the team in scoring, assists and steals per game. She is currently averaging 19.2 points, 4.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game. Emerson led with 16.9 points, 3.0 assists and 1.9 steals per game during the 1985-86 season.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
Around the Big Ten, Nia Clouden ranks fifth in scoring (19.2 ppg), as well as standing 12th in assists (4.3 spg). She is also eighth in steals with 1.9 spg. Junior guard Tory Ozment is fourth in assist/turnover ratio (2.5). Sophomore Julia Ayrault is fifth in blocks (1.3), while fellow sophomore Alyza Winston is tied for 12th in 3-pointers made (1.8/game). As a team, the Spartans are third in assists (18.7 apg), third in steals (9.3 spg) and sixth in blocks (3.9 bpg).
LENDING A HELPING HAND
With a team-leading five assists against Illinois on Feb. 4, Nia Clouden has now dished out five or more helpers in seven games. She added two assists against Northwestern for 294 for her career, needing just six more for the 300-assist plateau. The 294 assists moves Clouden up to No. 17 on MSU's career assists list, passing Maxann Reese (1996-2000) with 291 helpers. Next up is Clouden's former graduate assistant, Kalisha Keene (2007-11), with 300 assists.
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.
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.
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. 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 156 of their last 176 games (.886) when scoring at least 70 points, and the Spartans are 174-29 (.857) under head coach Suzy Merchant when hanging at least 70 points on the scoreboard. The Spartans are now 10-1 this season when reaching the 70-point mark with the only loss coming against Maryland on Jan. 7.
CLOSING OUT THE GAMES
The Spartans have been extremely effective closing out games over the last couple years, winning 219 of its last 232 games (.944) Â when leading with five minutes left, including 169 of their last 184. In Coach Merchant's tenure, Michigan State is 254-19 (.930) when holding a lead with five minutes left. This season, MSU is 9-0 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. 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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