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MSU Women’s Basketball to Face Notre Dame in Big Ten/ACC Challenge
8/3/2021 1:42:00 PM | Women's Basketball
EAST LANSING, Mich. - In the 14th edition of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, the Michigan State women's basketball team will host Notre Dame on Thursday, Dec. 2. The matchups for the 2021 Big Ten/ACC Challenge were announced jointly by both conferences on Tuesday.
The Challenge returns after a year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After playing on the road two of the last three seasons, the Spartans now return home to take on the Irish at the Breslin Center.
The last time the Challenge was played in 2019, the Big Ten earned its first victory over the ACC by a 9-5 margin. As has been the case in recent years, the vast majority of the 2019 Challenge games were remarkably close, with 10 of the 14 contests decided by 10 points or fewer. The Big Ten also claimed a pair of wins over ranked opponents in the event, with Ohio State toppling No. 2/2 Louisville, 67-60, and No. 14/16 Indiana winning at No. 21/22 Miami, 58-45.
This is the first-ever meeting between Michigan State and Notre Dame in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Overall, the Fighting Irish hold the overall series lead 11-10. The last time the two teams met, the Spartan came out on top with a 72-69 win in South Bend. Prior to that, Notre Dame had won the previous seven matchups.
Michigan State is 6-7 all-time in the Challenge. MSU won its inaugural contest, 68-51, over Clemson at the Breslin Center in 2007, before a 2008 loss to Georgia Tech. In 2009, Michigan State upset No. 4 North Carolina, 72-66, in East Lansing, and followed it up with a come-from-behind upset at No. 15 Florida State, 72-64, in 2010. In 2011, MSU lost to No. 9 Miami, 76-60, at the Breslin Center, but bounced back to win at NC State, 68-51, in 2012. In 2013, the Spartans remained on the road but lost to Florida State, 60-58.
In 2014, Michigan State came-from-behind to capture a 79-73 overtime win against Georgia Tech. In 2015, Louisville came out fast and despite a second-half comeback by MSU, the Cardinals captured the win, 85-78. The Spartans traveled to No. 21 Syracuse, falling to the Orange in the Carrier Dome, 75-64 in 2016. Michigan State was stopped at Miami in 2017 by the score of 67-57. In 2018, the Spartans dominated Virginia at home, 91-66, which was MSU's largest margin of victory in a Challenge game. In the last challenge in 2019, Michigan State fell on the road to Florida State in another tight battle, 78-68, in Tallahassee.
During the abbreviated 2020-21 season, Michigan State went 15-9, including a 9-7 record in Big Ten action. The Spartans reached the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. MSU is led by first-team All-Big Ten guard Nia Clouden, who averaged 18.7 points per game.
Game times, as well as television and streaming video coverage, for the 2021 Big Ten/ACC Women's Basketball Challenge will be announced at a later date. All Big Ten home games in this year's Challenge will appear on either the Big Ten Network (BTN), Big Ten Network+ or one of the ESPN networks, while ACC home games in the Challenge will be shown on either the ACC Network, ACC Network Extra or one of the ESPN networks.
2021 Big Ten/ACC Women's Basketball Challenge
Wednesday, Dec. 1
North Carolina at Minnesota
Nebraska at Wake Forest
Ohio State at Syracuse
Georgia Tech at Purdue
Virginia Tech at Wisconsin
Thursday, Dec. 2
Florida State at Illinois
NC State at Indiana
Iowa at Duke
Miami at Maryland
Michigan at Louisville
Notre Dame at Michigan State
Northwestern at Clemson
Penn State at Boston College
Rutgers at Pittsburgh
ACC/B1G Challenge History
2020 - Challenge postponed
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
The Challenge returns after a year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After playing on the road two of the last three seasons, the Spartans now return home to take on the Irish at the Breslin Center.
The last time the Challenge was played in 2019, the Big Ten earned its first victory over the ACC by a 9-5 margin. As has been the case in recent years, the vast majority of the 2019 Challenge games were remarkably close, with 10 of the 14 contests decided by 10 points or fewer. The Big Ten also claimed a pair of wins over ranked opponents in the event, with Ohio State toppling No. 2/2 Louisville, 67-60, and No. 14/16 Indiana winning at No. 21/22 Miami, 58-45.
This is the first-ever meeting between Michigan State and Notre Dame in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Overall, the Fighting Irish hold the overall series lead 11-10. The last time the two teams met, the Spartan came out on top with a 72-69 win in South Bend. Prior to that, Notre Dame had won the previous seven matchups.
Michigan State is 6-7 all-time in the Challenge. MSU won its inaugural contest, 68-51, over Clemson at the Breslin Center in 2007, before a 2008 loss to Georgia Tech. In 2009, Michigan State upset No. 4 North Carolina, 72-66, in East Lansing, and followed it up with a come-from-behind upset at No. 15 Florida State, 72-64, in 2010. In 2011, MSU lost to No. 9 Miami, 76-60, at the Breslin Center, but bounced back to win at NC State, 68-51, in 2012. In 2013, the Spartans remained on the road but lost to Florida State, 60-58.
In 2014, Michigan State came-from-behind to capture a 79-73 overtime win against Georgia Tech. In 2015, Louisville came out fast and despite a second-half comeback by MSU, the Cardinals captured the win, 85-78. The Spartans traveled to No. 21 Syracuse, falling to the Orange in the Carrier Dome, 75-64 in 2016. Michigan State was stopped at Miami in 2017 by the score of 67-57. In 2018, the Spartans dominated Virginia at home, 91-66, which was MSU's largest margin of victory in a Challenge game. In the last challenge in 2019, Michigan State fell on the road to Florida State in another tight battle, 78-68, in Tallahassee.
During the abbreviated 2020-21 season, Michigan State went 15-9, including a 9-7 record in Big Ten action. The Spartans reached the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. MSU is led by first-team All-Big Ten guard Nia Clouden, who averaged 18.7 points per game.
Game times, as well as television and streaming video coverage, for the 2021 Big Ten/ACC Women's Basketball Challenge will be announced at a later date. All Big Ten home games in this year's Challenge will appear on either the Big Ten Network (BTN), Big Ten Network+ or one of the ESPN networks, while ACC home games in the Challenge will be shown on either the ACC Network, ACC Network Extra or one of the ESPN networks.
2021 Big Ten/ACC Women's Basketball Challenge
Wednesday, Dec. 1
North Carolina at Minnesota
Nebraska at Wake Forest
Ohio State at Syracuse
Georgia Tech at Purdue
Virginia Tech at Wisconsin
Thursday, Dec. 2
Florida State at Illinois
NC State at Indiana
Iowa at Duke
Miami at Maryland
Michigan at Louisville
Notre Dame at Michigan State
Northwestern at Clemson
Penn State at Boston College
Rutgers at Pittsburgh
ACC/B1G Challenge History
2020 - Challenge postponed
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
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