Spartan Women's Basketball Welcomes No. 4/3 Indiana Thursday

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State women's basketball returns to Big Ten play after the holiday break, taking on No. 4/3 Indiana at the Breslin Center on Thursday, Dec. 29. Tip off time is set for 3 p.m. on BTN+ with Brendan Schabath and Zach Surdenik calling the action.

•     The Spartans improved to 8-5 after a pair of non-conference wins last week. Michigan State is looking for its first Big Ten victory after starting 0-2. Indiana still does not have a blemish on its record, standing 12-0 this season. The Hoosiers have started league play 2-0.

•    Redshirt-junior guard/forward Julia Ayrault has come on strong with the absence of junior guard Gabby Elliott. In the last three games, she has averaged 10.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. She also added a season-high four steals in the last game against Prairie View A&M on Dec. 20.

•    Graduate guard Kamaria McDaniel netted a game-high 19 points vs. PVAMU, getting back into double-figures for the first time in the last three contests. Overall, McDaniel has posted double-figures in nine games this season. She leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.1 ppg.

• Michigan State dished out 21 assists for the second game in a row, as well as the Spartans' fourth game this season with 20+ helpers, improving to 5-0 when distributing 20 or more assists.

SCOUTING INDIANA
No. 4/3 Indiana still holds a perfect 12-0 record so far this season, including a 2-0 mark in Big Ten action. The Hoosiers have big non-conference wins against Tennessee, Auburn and North Carolina. Indiana has a pair of Big Ten wins against Illinois and at Penn State.

The Hoosiers have been unstoppable through the first 12 games of the season. Indiana is third in the nation and first in the Big Ten in assist/turnover ratio (1.60). IU is also ninth in the NCAA and third in the Big Ten in assists per game with 19.2 apg. The Hoosiers also don't cough up the ball very often, standing 11th in the nation and first in the Big Ten in turnovers, averaging on 12 per game.

Overall, five Indiana players are averaging in double figures, led by McKenzie Holmes (19.9 ppg).

Chloe Moore-McNeil is second in the nation and first in the Big Ten in assist/turnover ratio (4.69). Moore-McNeil is 34th in the country and fourth in the league in assists per game, averaging 5. 1 apg. Mackenzie Holmes is second in the league in scoring, averaging 19.9 ppg. She is also second in field goal percentage (.690). Holmes is also getting it done on the boards, standing sixth in rebounding (7.1 rpg).

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE HOOSIERS
Michigan State leads the all-time series with Indiana, 48-32, including 23-11 in East Lansing. The Hoosiers have taken control of the series lately winning six of the last eight meetings. The last time MSU earned a win was a 69-61 victory in Indianapolis in the Big Ten on March 11, 2021. Last season, in the only meeting, the Hoosiers came out on top in Bloomington, 76-58. Michigan State's last win in East Lansing came in 20119 with a 77-61 victory.

BY THE NUMBERS VS. PRAIRIE VIEW A&M
• Sophomore guard DeeDee Hagemann and freshman guard Theryn Hallock shared game-high honors by each dishing out six assists ... it was Hagemann's second-highest of the season behind seven vs. Georgia Tech (Dec. 1) and her 10th game with three or more assists ... Hallock tied her season-high for the second-time, also distributing six helpers vs. Western Michigan (Nov. 13), and posted seventh game this season with three or more assists.

•Sophomore forward Isaline Alexander was one point short of her second-straight double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds Tuesday. It was her second-straight double-figure rebounding total after 10 boards vs. Detroit Mercy (Dec. 18).

RETURNING TO FORM
Against Prairie View A&M on Dec. 20, redshirt-junior guard/forward Julia Ayrault was one point and one rebound shy of her third career double-double with nine points and nine rebounds. Her nine boards tied her season high. Ayrault also added season-highs of four steals and three assists. The four steals was her first game with multiple swipes, while the three assists was also her first game with multiple helpers this season.

In the last three games, she has averaged 10.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. She also added a season-high four steals in the last game against Prairie View A&M on Dec. 20.

LAST TIME VS. THE HOOSIERS
Last season, the teams met only once. In Bloomington on Feb. 12, Indiana came away with a 76-58 win. For the first time since the 2015-16 season, the Spartans faced top-10 teams in a back-to-back games, after upsetting No. 4/4 Michigan on Thursday in East Lansing.

MSU was led by senior forward Alisia Smith who scored 12 points to go along with seven rebounds. Senior guard Nia Clouden was held to 10 points with four rebounds and two assists.

Indiana's Grace Berger scored a career-high 29 points to go along with seven boards.

BACK IN THE STARTING FIVE
Redshirt-senior guard/forward Tory Ozment earned her first two starts of the 2022-23 season against Detroit Mercy and Prairie View A&M. Ozment, who has played in all 13 games this season, now has 28 career starts in 83 career games played. She also scored a season-best seven points in 20 minutes of work in her start against Detroit Mercy on Dec. 18.

EVERYONE CHIPS IN
The Michigan State bench out-scored Prairie View A&M's bench, 47-24, as the Spartan reserves scored 40+ points for the second game in a row and the seventh time this season. MSU's bench had 45 points last time out vs. Detroit Mercy (Dec. 18). Tuesday's 47 points is the third-highest of the season behind 53 points, done twice, first in the season-opener vs. Delaware State (Nov. 7) and again vs. Florida A&M (Nov. 17), along with also scoring 42 vs. Central Michigan (Nov. 19), 41 against Purdue Fort Wayne (Nov. 13) and 40 vs. Oakland (Nov. 15). The Spartans are now 8-2 when their bench out-scores the opposition's reserves.

CLOSE CALLS
During the Spartans five-game losing streak, four of the five loses have come by a margin of eight points or less. On Nov. 27, MSU fell to No. 18/18 Oregon, 86-78. MSU lost to Georgia Tech on Dec. 1, 66-63, before falling in overtime to Purdue on Dec. 5, 76-71. Against No. 3/4 Ohio State, the Spartans fell, 74-68. Michigan State lost the final four games of the losing streak by a total of 22 points.

COLD AS ICE
Sophomore forward Isaline Alexander notched the first double-double of her collegiate career and the first of the season by a Spartan player, hauling in a game-high and career-high 10 rebounds against Detroit Mercy on Dec. 18. She also posted the first double-digit rebounding outing of the season by a Spartan player. Against Prairie View A&M on Dec. 20, she also brought down 10 rebounds. She leads the team in rebounding, averaging 5.5 rpg.

DID YOU KNOW?
Michigan State dished out 21 assists for the second game in a row, as well as the Spartans' fourth game this season with 20+ helpers, improving to 5-0 when distributing 20 or more assists.

BIG TEN OPENERS
Michigan State is 20-21 in Big Ten openers, having won seven of their 12. MSU is 9-7 in league openers in Coach Merchant's 16 seasons after losing to Iowa in last season's league opener. During the 2020-21 season, the Spartans won their opener in Minneapolis, 81-68 over the Gophers.

FACING THE TOP DOGS
The game against No. 3/4 Ohio State was the second top-10 game for Michigan State this season. On Nov. 24, the Spartans fell to No. 5/4 Iowa State, 80-49, in Portland. Last season, MSU went 1-2 against top-10 foes with a win No. 4/4 over Michigan (Feb. 24) and losses to No. 9/11 Iowa (Dec. 5) and No. 7/7 Indiana (Feb. 12).

MCDANIEL MAKING THE MOST OF HER TIME
Graduate guard Kamaria McDaniel netted a game-high 19 points against Prairie View A&M on Dec. 20, getting back into double-figures for the first time in the last three contests after a season-long streak of back-to-back games in single digits, which came on the heels of a six-game streak in double-digit scoring. Overall, McDaniel has posted double-figures in nine games this season. She leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.1 ppg.

MORE MO PLEASE
Senior guard Moira Joiner has had a resurgence since returning from concussion symptoms that shortened her 2021-22 season. In 13 games this season, she has averaged 9.3 points per game. Against Central Michigan on Nov. 19, she scored a season-high 17 points. She also tied her career high with five made 3-pointers. She also made five treys against Rutgers on Jan. 20, 2020 and Northwestern on Jan. 23, 2020, which were back-to-back games.
She has now started games against Iowa State (Nov. 24) and Ohio State (Dec. 11). Against the Buckeyes, she was just short of here season high with 16 points to go along with four assists. She also played a season-high 34 minutes against OSU. She also added 11 points against both Detroit Mercy on Dec. 18 Prarie View A&M on Dec. 20. Overall, she has scored in double figures in seven games this season.

FREQUENT FLYER
Sophomore guard Matilda Ekh returned to the lineup for the Spartans against Oregon on Nov. 27. After playing against Central Michigan on Nov. 19, Ekh traveled to Sweden for a National Team game against Israel. She arrived in Portland on Friday and scored 14 points for the Spartans against Oregon on Nov. 25. She also scored 14 points against Georgia Tech on Dec. 1 and 12 against Purdue on Dec. 5.

BALANCED ATTACK
Without All-American Nia Clouden to dominate the box score this season, the Spartans are looking for a more balanced attack. In 12 games this season, Michigan State has spread out the scoring. Senior forward Taiyier Parks led in scoring with a career-high 18 against Purdue Fort Wayne. Sophomore guard Matilda Ekh was atop the score sheet with 20 against Western Michigan and 16 against Florida A&M. Three players led MSU in scoring against Central Michigan with sophomore forward Isaline Alexander, junior guard Gabby Elliott and senior guard Moira Joiner all scored 17 points. Graduate guard Kamaria McDaniel scored 22 points against Purdue for her third-straight 20-point game. Ekh and redshirt-junior guard Julia Ayrault tied for the team in scoring against Detroit Mercy with 13 points each.

TOPPING THE CHARTS
Michigan State is among the Big Ten's leaders this season. The Spartans are currently second in the B1G in turnover margin (+8.5) and second in steals (12.3 spg). MSU is also first in the league in offensive rebounds per game (15.8) and fourth in the conference in assists (18.9 apg).

Sophomore guard Matilda Ekh is second in the Big Ten in 3-point field percentage, shooting .418. She is also third in made 3-pointer per game with 2.8. Sophomore guard DeeDee Hagemann stands fourth in the Big Ten in assist/turnover ration (2.72). Graduate guard Kamaria McDaniel is tied for 18th in the league in scoring, averaging 14.1 ppg.

AROUND THE NATION
This week, Michigan State is 11th in the nation and fourth in the Big Ten in assists, averaging 18.9, behind Ohio State (19.8 apg). MSU is also ninth in the nation and second in the Big Ten in turnover margin (+8.5).

Individually, sophomore DeeDee Hagemann is 18th in the NCAA and fourth in the Big Ten in assist/turnover ratio (2.72). Graduate guard Kamaria McDaniel is 40th in the nation and fourth in the league in total free throws made with 54.

SEASON OPENERS
All-time, the Spartans are 35-15 in season openers, but 28-2 when the opener is in East Lansing. Coach Merchant is 13-3 in season openers at MSU, and has won 19 of her last 22, including her time at Eastern Michigan. Last season, the Spartans earned a dominating 86-37 win over Delaware State on Nov. 7.

UP NEXT
Michigan State will open the 2023 part of the schedule on the road against Northwestern on Monday, Jan. 2 at 8 p.m. ET. The Spartans will remain on the road to face Maryland on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 1 p.m.

TITLE IX CELEBRATION
Throughout the season, Michigan State will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX. MSU Athletics kicked off its year-round celebration on June 23, 2022. While the work in advancing women's athletics is not complete, the Spartans will celebrate the advancements that have been made in the last 50 years.

LEGENDARY SPARTAN
Former Michigan State women's basketball guard Nia Clouden was drafted 12th in the first round by the Connecticut Sun at the 2022 WNBA Draft. Clouden was the 12th Big Ten student-athlete drafted by the Sun franchise (which began as the Orlando Miracle from 1999-2002). Clouden, an Owings Mills, Maryland native, became the eighth Spartan to be selected in the WNBA draft. Tori Jankoska was the ninth overall pick in the 2017 draft by the Chicago Sky, while Aerial Powers was the fifth overall pick in 2016 going to the Dallas Wings.

Maxann Reese and Kristen Rasmussen were the first Spartans selected in the WNBA, drafted in 2000. Reese was taken in the third round, while Rasmussen was selected in the fourth. In 2003, Syreeta Broomfield was drafted in the third round. In 2005, Kristin Haynie was the ninth overall pick by Sacramento, while Liz Shimek was taken in the second round by Phoenix in 2006.

SPARTANS: THE NEW CLASS
Michigan State women's basketball head coach Suzy Merchant announced the signing of two National Letters of Intent on Thursday, including Jordan Wood (Chicago, Illinois/Carmel Catholic High School) and Bree Robinson (Mississauga, Ontario/ Webb School).

Wood is a 6-4 forward, who is a native of Chicago, Illinois. She attends Carmel Catholic High School and is coached by Ben Berg. Wood is currently ranked No. 62 in the ESPNW HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings. As a junior, she scored 1,000 points, as well as leading the Corsairs to a Class 3A Illinois State Championship. Last season, she averaged 14.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, while also leading the team in assists (3.2 apg). She is a three-time All-East Suburban Catholic Conference and All-Area honoree, as well as capturing First-Team All-State accolades. Wood played AAU for Midwest Elite, competing on the EYBL Nike National circuit for coach Ralph Gesuado.

Robinson is a 5-8 guard, who is a native of Mississauga, Ontario, plays for head coach Matthew Shewmake at the Webb School (Tenn.). She helped lead the Webb school to a Tennessee State Championship, earning First-Team All-District 3 honors in the process. She also has a vast amount of international experience playing for Team Canada. She was the captain for Team Canada, playing in the U16 FIBA Americas in 2021, capturing a silver medal. She was also named Canletes 2022 All Canadian Player of the Year. She played for AAU Become One, competing on the GUAA Under Armour circuit for coach Handel Kipp.

CLOSING OUT THE GAMES
The Spartans have been extremely effective closing out games over the last couple years, winning 246 of its last 259 games (.950) when leading with five minutes left, including 196 of their last 211. In Coach Merchant's tenure, Michigan State is 280-21 (.930) when holding a lead with five minutes left. This season, MSU is 8-0 when leading with five minutes remaining.

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 178 of their last 210 games (.848) when scoring at least 70 points, and the Spartans are 198-43 (.822) under head coach Suzy Merchant when hanging at least 70 points on the scoreboard. This season, MSU is 8-2 this season when scoring 70 points. The Spartans have losses to Oregon and Purdue went reaching the 70-point mark.

Spartan Women's Basketball Welcomes No. 4/3 Indiana Thursday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Isaline Alexander

Julia Ayrault

Nia Clouden

Matilda Ekh

Gabby Elliott

DeeDee Hagemann

Theryn Hallock

Moira Joiner

Kamaria McDaniel

Tory Ozment

Taiyier Parks

Alisia Smith