Sunday, February 7
East Lansing, Mich.
3 P.M.
Michigan State University
vs
Northwestern
Spartans Close Out Homestand Hosting No. 20 Northwestern Sunday
2/6/2021 1:06:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Michigan State snapped a two-game losing streak against Illinois Thursday
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State women's basketball concludes a two-game homestand on Sunday, Feb. 7 against No. 22/20 Northwestern. Tip-off at the Breslin Center will be at 3 p.m. The Spartans halted a two-game losing streak with a commanding, 81-60, win against Illinois on Feb. 4. The game will be streamed on Big Ten Network+.
• Michigan State holds a 10-4 record overall and 5-4 in Big ten action. Northwestern comes to town  with a 10-3 overall record and a 8-3 B1G mark. The Wildcats are fifth in the league standings, while the Spartans are seventh. Maryland stands atop the Big Ten standing with a 9-1 record.
• Nia Clouden vaults up from No. 26 to No. 23 on MSU's career scoring list, as 28 points vs. Illinois gives her 1,109 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 14 games, the Spartans are currently seventh in the nation and second in the Big Ten in assists per game (19.1 apg) and ninth in the NCAA and fourth in the B1G assists to turnover ratio (1.5).Â
•Michigan State unveiled a new starting five Thursday night of junior guard Nia Clouden, junior guard Janai Crooms, sophomore guard/forward Julia Ayrault, sophomore guard Moira Joiner and junior forward Alisia Smith. It was the first time this season with that starting five and is the fifth different starting lineup for the Spartans.
SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN
No. 22/20 Northwestern brings a 10-3 overall and 8-3 B1G ledger into Sunday's clash with the Spartans. Northwestern is coming off upsetting No. 11 Ohio State, 69-57, last Monday night in Evanston. The Wildcats have won two in a row and six of the their last seven with only a 74-61 loss to Indiana on Jan. 24 the only blemish in that stretch.
In the upset win over OSU, junior guard Veronica Burton posted a banner night with the third double-double of her career and just missing a triple-double, tallying 20 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, and dished out nine assist. Burton swiped four steals to boot, moving up to second on Northwestern's career all-time steals list.Â
Senior guard Lindsey Pulliam logged her first double-double of the season with 15 points and matched her career-best with 10 boards. Fellow senior guard Jordan Hamilton rounded out the three Northwestern double-digit scorers with 13 points, as all three had more than Ohio State's leading scorer in the game, Dorka Juhasz with 11 points.
Northwestern is ninth in the B1G in scoring offense (74.0 points per game) and fourth in scoring defense (61.4 ppg), to rank sixth in scoring margin (+12.6). NU also leads the B1G in turnover margin (+9.4) and is second in steals (13.0 spg).
Burton leads the Wildcats with 17.8 ppg, ranking eighth in the B1G, while Pulliam is close behind at 15th in the league with 16.2 ppg. Burton also leads the B1G in steals with 4.4 spg, while junior guard/forward Sydney Wood is third with 2.9 spg. Junior forward Courtney Shaw leads NU and is 12th in the conference in rebounding with 7.1 rpg.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE WILDCATS
This is the 73rd meeting between the Spartans and the Northwestern. Michigan State leads the overall series 44-28, which was MSU's record against Illinois on Thursday. The series has swayed toward the Wildcats in the last few years. Northwestern won both games last season handily. NU stopped MSU at home, 76-48, on Jan. 23, while winning in Evanston, 85-55 on Feb. 11. Northwestern has won six of the last 10 meetings, but MSU has won two of the last three outings in East Lansing.
LAST TIME VS. NORTHWESTERN
Sophomore guard Nia Clouden reached double figures for the 20th time this season, as the Michigan State women's basketball team fell to No. 19 Northwestern on the road on Feb. 11, 2020 at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Nia Clouden once again led Michigan State in scoring with 12 points and seven rebounds. She has led the Spartans in scoring 12 times this season. Clouden shared the team lead in scoring with freshman forward Kayla Belles who scored 12, while fighting through foul trouble. She scored six of her 12 points in the final period. Senior guard Taryn McCutcheon was close to a double-double with nine points and a team-leading eight rebounds.
Northwestern was led by Lindsey Pulliam who scored a game high 31 points, while Veronica Burton added 23.
LAND OF LINCOLN WEEK
After taking on Northwestern, the Spartans will taken on both Big Ten teams from the state of Illinois. This will be the first time since the 2014-15 that MSU will have played the Illini and the Wildcats, consecutively. That season lost at Northwestern and defeated Illinois at home.
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 fourth in scoring (19.7 ppg), 10th in assists (4.4 apg) and eighth in steals (1.9 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.)Â
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.
KEEPING YOUR BALANCE
While Nia Clouden leads the team in scoring and assists, the rest of the Spartan squad is rather balanced. MSU has eight players averaging over 5.0 ppg. Averaging 19.1 assists per game, Michigan State is getting helpers from all over the place. There are five players averaging over. 2.0 apg. Nia Clouden (4.4) and Tory Ozment (4.2) are providing over. 4.0 assists per game.
THE STARTING 5
Nia Clouden is the only Spartan to have started all 14 games this season, making her 76th career start in playing in her 76th career game. Janai Crooms and Alisia Smith both made their fourth starts of their Spartan career against Indiana as the duo both transferred to MSU from Ohio State and Penn State, respectively, in the offseason. Michigan State unveiled a new starting five against Illinois of Clouden, Crooms, sophomore guard/forward Julia Ayrault, sophomore guard Moira Joiner and Smith. It was the first time 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 1,109 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           1,109
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 19.7 points, 4.4 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.
CHECK OUT THAT DEFENSE
Sophomore forward Taiyier Parks swiped half of MSU's 10 steals against Illinois on Feb. 4, as Parks' five steals was a new career-high, topping previous mark of four, done twice, last vs. Northwestern (1/23/20) and topping previous season-high of three vs. Saint Francis (11/27/20).
Fellow sophomore Julia Ayrault tied her career-high with three blocks against Illinois, marking the second time this season (last vs. Northern Illinois, 12/20/20) and the fifth time in her career. Thursday was Ayrault's 10th game with at least one block and also the seventh game with multiple blocks, as she now has 19 blocks in 14 games played (1.4 blocks per game).
AROUND THE LEAGUE
Around the Big Ten, Nia Clouden ranks fourth in scoring (19.7 ppg), as well as standing 10th in assists (4.4 spg). She is also eighth in steals with 1.9 spg. Junior guard Tory Ozment is fourth in assist/turnover ratio (2.6.). Sophomore Julia Ayrault is fifth in blocks (1.4), while fellow sophomore Alyza Winston is tied for ninth in 3-pointers made (1.9/game). As a team, the Spartans are second in assists (19.2 apg), third in steals (9.2 spg) and fourth in blocks (4.1 bpg).
LENDING A HELPING HAND
With a team-leading five assists against Illinois, Nia Clouden has now dished out five or more helpers in seven games. Her five assists gives her 292 for her career, needing just eight more for the 300-assists plateau. The 292 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.
SPARTANS AGAINST THE NCAA
After 14 games, the Spartans are currently seventh in the nation and second in the Big Ten in assists per game (19.1 apg) and ninth in the NCAA and fourth in the B1G assists to turnover ratio (1.5).Â
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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• Michigan State holds a 10-4 record overall and 5-4 in Big ten action. Northwestern comes to town  with a 10-3 overall record and a 8-3 B1G mark. The Wildcats are fifth in the league standings, while the Spartans are seventh. Maryland stands atop the Big Ten standing with a 9-1 record.
• Nia Clouden vaults up from No. 26 to No. 23 on MSU's career scoring list, as 28 points vs. Illinois gives her 1,109 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 14 games, the Spartans are currently seventh in the nation and second in the Big Ten in assists per game (19.1 apg) and ninth in the NCAA and fourth in the B1G assists to turnover ratio (1.5).Â
•Michigan State unveiled a new starting five Thursday night of junior guard Nia Clouden, junior guard Janai Crooms, sophomore guard/forward Julia Ayrault, sophomore guard Moira Joiner and junior forward Alisia Smith. It was the first time this season with that starting five and is the fifth different starting lineup for the Spartans.
SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN
No. 22/20 Northwestern brings a 10-3 overall and 8-3 B1G ledger into Sunday's clash with the Spartans. Northwestern is coming off upsetting No. 11 Ohio State, 69-57, last Monday night in Evanston. The Wildcats have won two in a row and six of the their last seven with only a 74-61 loss to Indiana on Jan. 24 the only blemish in that stretch.
In the upset win over OSU, junior guard Veronica Burton posted a banner night with the third double-double of her career and just missing a triple-double, tallying 20 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, and dished out nine assist. Burton swiped four steals to boot, moving up to second on Northwestern's career all-time steals list.Â
Senior guard Lindsey Pulliam logged her first double-double of the season with 15 points and matched her career-best with 10 boards. Fellow senior guard Jordan Hamilton rounded out the three Northwestern double-digit scorers with 13 points, as all three had more than Ohio State's leading scorer in the game, Dorka Juhasz with 11 points.
Northwestern is ninth in the B1G in scoring offense (74.0 points per game) and fourth in scoring defense (61.4 ppg), to rank sixth in scoring margin (+12.6). NU also leads the B1G in turnover margin (+9.4) and is second in steals (13.0 spg).
Burton leads the Wildcats with 17.8 ppg, ranking eighth in the B1G, while Pulliam is close behind at 15th in the league with 16.2 ppg. Burton also leads the B1G in steals with 4.4 spg, while junior guard/forward Sydney Wood is third with 2.9 spg. Junior forward Courtney Shaw leads NU and is 12th in the conference in rebounding with 7.1 rpg.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE WILDCATS
This is the 73rd meeting between the Spartans and the Northwestern. Michigan State leads the overall series 44-28, which was MSU's record against Illinois on Thursday. The series has swayed toward the Wildcats in the last few years. Northwestern won both games last season handily. NU stopped MSU at home, 76-48, on Jan. 23, while winning in Evanston, 85-55 on Feb. 11. Northwestern has won six of the last 10 meetings, but MSU has won two of the last three outings in East Lansing.
LAST TIME VS. NORTHWESTERN
Sophomore guard Nia Clouden reached double figures for the 20th time this season, as the Michigan State women's basketball team fell to No. 19 Northwestern on the road on Feb. 11, 2020 at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Nia Clouden once again led Michigan State in scoring with 12 points and seven rebounds. She has led the Spartans in scoring 12 times this season. Clouden shared the team lead in scoring with freshman forward Kayla Belles who scored 12, while fighting through foul trouble. She scored six of her 12 points in the final period. Senior guard Taryn McCutcheon was close to a double-double with nine points and a team-leading eight rebounds.
Northwestern was led by Lindsey Pulliam who scored a game high 31 points, while Veronica Burton added 23.
LAND OF LINCOLN WEEK
After taking on Northwestern, the Spartans will taken on both Big Ten teams from the state of Illinois. This will be the first time since the 2014-15 that MSU will have played the Illini and the Wildcats, consecutively. That season lost at Northwestern and defeated Illinois at home.
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 fourth in scoring (19.7 ppg), 10th in assists (4.4 apg) and eighth in steals (1.9 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.)Â
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.
KEEPING YOUR BALANCE
While Nia Clouden leads the team in scoring and assists, the rest of the Spartan squad is rather balanced. MSU has eight players averaging over 5.0 ppg. Averaging 19.1 assists per game, Michigan State is getting helpers from all over the place. There are five players averaging over. 2.0 apg. Nia Clouden (4.4) and Tory Ozment (4.2) are providing over. 4.0 assists per game.
THE STARTING 5
Nia Clouden is the only Spartan to have started all 14 games this season, making her 76th career start in playing in her 76th career game. Janai Crooms and Alisia Smith both made their fourth starts of their Spartan career against Indiana as the duo both transferred to MSU from Ohio State and Penn State, respectively, in the offseason. Michigan State unveiled a new starting five against Illinois of Clouden, Crooms, sophomore guard/forward Julia Ayrault, sophomore guard Moira Joiner and Smith. It was the first time 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 1,109 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           1,109
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 19.7 points, 4.4 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.
CHECK OUT THAT DEFENSE
Sophomore forward Taiyier Parks swiped half of MSU's 10 steals against Illinois on Feb. 4, as Parks' five steals was a new career-high, topping previous mark of four, done twice, last vs. Northwestern (1/23/20) and topping previous season-high of three vs. Saint Francis (11/27/20).
Fellow sophomore Julia Ayrault tied her career-high with three blocks against Illinois, marking the second time this season (last vs. Northern Illinois, 12/20/20) and the fifth time in her career. Thursday was Ayrault's 10th game with at least one block and also the seventh game with multiple blocks, as she now has 19 blocks in 14 games played (1.4 blocks per game).
AROUND THE LEAGUE
Around the Big Ten, Nia Clouden ranks fourth in scoring (19.7 ppg), as well as standing 10th in assists (4.4 spg). She is also eighth in steals with 1.9 spg. Junior guard Tory Ozment is fourth in assist/turnover ratio (2.6.). Sophomore Julia Ayrault is fifth in blocks (1.4), while fellow sophomore Alyza Winston is tied for ninth in 3-pointers made (1.9/game). As a team, the Spartans are second in assists (19.2 apg), third in steals (9.2 spg) and fourth in blocks (4.1 bpg).
LENDING A HELPING HAND
With a team-leading five assists against Illinois, Nia Clouden has now dished out five or more helpers in seven games. Her five assists gives her 292 for her career, needing just eight more for the 300-assists plateau. The 292 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.
SPARTANS AGAINST THE NCAA
After 14 games, the Spartans are currently seventh in the nation and second in the Big Ten in assists per game (19.1 apg) and ninth in the NCAA and fourth in the B1G assists to turnover ratio (1.5).Â
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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