Spartan Women Return Home to Face Illinois Thursday

*** Not the game will now be at 8 p.m. on the Big Ten Network ***
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State women's basketball finally returns home for its first home game since Jan. 10. The Spartans come home for a pair of games this week, beginning with Illinois on Thursday, Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. at the Breslin Center. MSU will conclude the homestand on Sunday, Feb. 7 at 3 p.m. The game against Illinois will now be at 8 p.m. on the Big Ten Network, while MSU will take on Northwestern on the Big Ten Network+.

• Michigan State stands 9-4 overall and 4-4 in Big ten action. The Spartans look to stop a two-game losing streak after losses to Maryland and Indiana. Illinois is 2-10 overall and 0-9 in the very competitive Big Ten. The first game against the two teams was postponed on Jan. 14 due to COVID-19 issues within the Michigan State program.

• 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 19.1 points, 4.4 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Emerson led with 16.9 points, 3.0 assists and 1.9 steals per game during the 1985-86 season.

• After 13 games, the Spartans are currently seventh in the nation and second in the Big Ten in assists per game (19.2 apg) and ninth in the NCAA and fourth in the B1G assists to turnover ratio (1.5).

• Nia Clouden moved up to No. 26 on MSU's career scoring list, as her 19 points Jan. 31 gives her 1,081 points, passing Jamie Wesley (1994-98) with 1,075 points, and closing in on the Top 25 of the last, as Bella Engen (1994-98) holds the No. 25 spot with 1,088 points. SCOUTING ILLINOIS
Illinois totes a 2-10 ledger into Thursday's match-up with the Spartans, including 0-9 in Big Ten play, as well as 0-5 on the road. The Illini won two of their first three games, all non-conference, before entering Big Ten play and are on a nine-game losing skien, with their last winning coming on Dec. 6 over Omaha. Illinois has had three games postponed (vs. Michigan on Dec. 19, vs. Southern Illinois on Dec. 22 and vs. Michigan State on Jan. 14).

Last time out, Illinois lost, 69-57, at Wisconsin on last Sunday (Jan. 31). Sophomore guard Jeanae Terry tallied her second-straight double-double, netting a career-high 28 points to go with 11 rebounds. The Illini registered season-highs with 12 steals and 20 forced turnovers, but were limited to just 28.8 percent (19-of-66) from the field.

Illinois is 14th in the B1G in scoring offense (60.1 ppg) and eighth in scoring defense (71.0 ppg), one spot behind Michigan State at seventh (68.7 ppg). The Illini are also 14th in scoring margin (-10.9).

Terry leads Illinois with 12.6 ppg as well as leading the team and ranking fourth in the B1G in rebounding with 9.2 rpg. Terry is also eighth in the league in steals (2.0 spg), 15th in the conference in assists (3.8 apg), 20th in free throw percentage (.698) and 23rd in assist-turnover ratio (1.0)

Sophomore forward Kennedi Myles is ninth in the league with 8.0 rpg, while redshirt-junior center Eva Rubin is fifth in the B1G in blocked shots with 1.5 per game. Sophomore guard Jada Peebles leads the team with 1.3 3-pointers per game, good for 22nd in the B1G, as well as leading the Illini and ranking fourth in the league in minutes (34.3 mpg).

A native of Detroit, Terry is one of three Michigananders on the Illini roster, along with freshman guard Aaliyah Nye of East Lansing and freshman guard Aaliyah McQueen of Flint.

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE ILLINI
This is the 73rd meeting between the Spartans and the Illini. Michigan State leads the overall series 44-28, including winning the last eight games. The last time Illinois capture a win was on Jan. 23. 2014 with the Illini taking a 61-51 victory in East Lansing. The last time that Illinois won in Champaign was a 56-46 win on Feb. 2, 2007. Overall, Michigan State leads the series in Champaign, 18-15. Last season, the Spartans came out on top 72-58 on Feb. 26, 2020. Shay Colley led the team in scoring with 14 points, while Nia Clouden had her second double-double of the season.

LAST TIME VS. ILLINOIS
In its road Big Ten finale, the Michigan State women's basketball team used a balanced attack to defeat Illinois, 72-58, on Feb. 26 at the State Farm Center.

Michigan State was led by senior guard Shay Colley who scored 14 points to go along with four rebounds and one assist. Colley has played in two-straight games after missing 14-straight games. Sophomore guard Nia Clouden also earned her second double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Seven different Spartans scored at least five points in the win. Freshman guard Moira Joiner added 11 points as well, adding seven rebounds.

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 10 in points, assists and steals per game. Clouden is fifth in scoring (19.1 ppg), 10th in assists (4.4 apg) and eighth in steals (2.0 spg). Rutgers' Arella Guirantes is third in scoring (22.5 ppg), fifth in assists (5.4) and second in steals (3.1 spg.). Northwestern's Veronica Burton rounds out the list. She is 10th in scoring (17.8 ppg), sixth in assists (5.1 apg) and first in steals (4.4 spg.)

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 1,081 points in her Spartan career, climbing up to No. 26 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       1,081
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

PUTTING UP THE BIG NUMBERS
MSU's 32-point margin of victory against Wisconsin on Jan. 24 was not only its largest in a B1G game this season, but also the Spartans' largest margin of victory in a B1G game 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 STARTING 5
Nia Clouden is the only Spartan to have started all 13 games this season, making her 76th career start in playing in her 76th career game. Janai Crooms and Alisia Smith both made their third starts of their Spartan career against Indiana as the duo both transferred to MSU from Ohio State and Penn State, respectively, in the offseason. Crooms played in her 10th game in a Green & White jersey, while Smith was playing in her seventh game on Sunday. Julia Ayrault and Alyza Winston made their 10th starts of their careers, all in the last 10th games this season.

HOLDING ONTO THE BALL
After zero turnovers in the first half against Wisconsin on Jan. 24, 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).

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 19.1 points, 4.4 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Emerson led with 16.9 points, 3.0 assists and 1.9 steals per game during the 1985-86 season.

GETTING IN THE GROOVE
Junior guard Janai Crooms tallied an MSU career-high 10 points, as she has tied or set a new season-high scoring output in each of the last four games, tallying 33 points in the last four games, including three starts, compared to just 23 points in the combined seven previous games.

AROUND THE LEAGUE
Around the Big Ten, Nia Clouden ranks fifth in scoring (19.1 ppg), as well as standing ninth in assists (4.6 spg). She is also ninth in steals with 2.0 spg. Junior guard Tory Ozment is fifth in assist/turnover ratio (2.9.). Sophomore Julia Ayrault is seventh in blocks (1.2), while fellow sophomore Alyza Winston is tied for eighth in 3-pointers made (2.0/game). As a team, the Spartans are second in assists (19.2 apg), fourth in steals (9.2 spg) and fourth in blocks (4.1 bpg).

LENDING A HELPING HAND
Nia Clouden now has 287 career assists, just four away from the No. 17 spot on MSU's career assists list, as Maxann Reese (1996-2000) is No. 17, and Clouden is just 13 helpers from the 300-assists plateau, and would become just the 17th player in MSU women's basketball history to reach the 300 helpers mark

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.

SPARTANS AGAINST THE NCAA
After 13 games, the Spartans are currently seventh in the nation and second in the Big Ten in assists per game (19.2 apg) and ninth in the NCAA and fourth in the B1G assists to turnover ratio (1.5). Michigan State is 33rd and fifth in the Big Ten in turnover margin +4.4 margin.

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 155 of their 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. The Spartans are now 9-1 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 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. This season, MSU is 9-0 when leading with five minutes remaining.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Five Big Ten programs, the second-most of any Division I conference, are appearing in the latest Associated Press and Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA)/USA Today Top 25 polls, with two others receiving votes in one or both polls. Nine different Big Ten teams have been ranked or receiving votes in one or both polls at some point this season. The Spartans' received votes in the WBCA/USA Today poll.

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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Players Mentioned

Branndais Agee

Jenna Allen

Julia Ayrault

Nia Clouden

Shay Colley

Janai Crooms

Jayla James

Tori Jankoska

Moira Joiner

Taryn McCutcheon

Tory Ozment

Alisia Smith

Alyza Winston