Saturday, February 12
Bloomington, Ind.
3 PM
Michigan State University
13-11,7-6Big Ten
58
at
76
No. 7/6 Indiana
18-3,10-1Big Ten
1
2
3
4
F
Michigan St.
12
15
14
17
58
Indiana
17
15
30
14
76
MSU Women’s Basketball Stopped by No. 7/6 Indiana Saturday
2/12/2022 5:48:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Spartans played their second top-10 team this week.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Playing their second top-10 ranked team in three days, the Michigan State women's basketball showed its wear and tear, falling to No. 7/6 Indiana 76-58, Saturday afternoon at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
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.
With the loss, Michigan State stands 13-11 overall and 7-6 in Big Ten action. Indiana improves to 18-3 overall and 10-1 in league contests.
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.
Michigan State jumped out to an early 10-4 lead after freshman guard/forward Matilda Ekh's first 3-pointer with just over five minutes left in the first period. The Hoosiers responded with a 6-0 run to tie the game after a pair of Chloe Moore-McNeil free throws. With the Spartan offense stalling, Indiana ended the quarter on a 13-2 run over the final 4:59 to lead 17-12 after one period.
With Clouden out of the game with three fouls midway through the second quarter, the Hoosiers opened up a 24-16 advantage. The Indiana offense also went cold going 4:48 without a field goal before a Nicole Cardano-Hillary trey. With six seconds left in the quarter, Cardano-Hillary earned the steal, while Ali Patberg converted the layup. After 20 minutes, Indiana held a 32-27 lead.
The Hoosiers opened up their first double-digit lead of the day at 41-29 after a 3-point play by Patberg. IU started the half scoring 15 of the first 20 points, including six straight. The Spartans' tired legs began to show in the period with Indiana out-scoring Michigan State, 30-14, in the stanza.
Michigan State was able to out-score the Hoosiers, 17-14, in the fourth period with five points in the final stanza. The Spartan freshmen also got minutes with forward Isaline Alexander scoring four of her eight points in the period. All 11 of the MSU players that dressed saw action in the game.
The Spartans remain on the road to take on Wisconsin in Madison on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Post-Game Notes: at Indiana 2-12-22
• By facing No. 4/4 Michigan on Thursday and No. 7/6 Indiana on Saturday, it marks the first time that MSU has played back-to-back games against Top-10 teams since the 2016 Big Ten Tournament, when the Spartans beat No. 9/9 Ohio State (3/5/16), 82-63, in the semifinals before losing to No. 5/5 Maryland (3/6/16), 60-44, in the championship game in consecutive days ... it is the first time since facing Top-10 teams in back-to-back games in the regular-season since 2006, when MSU lost to No. 7/7 Ohio State (1/22/06), 67-65, and at No. 8/8 Purdue (1/26/06), 73-53 ... that also marked the Spartans' second set of back-to-back Top-10 foes in the 2005-06 season, as the Green & White played No. 2/1 Tennessee (11/24/05) and No. 10/10 Maryland (11/25/05) in consecutive days of the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• The Spartans' starting line-up of senior guard Nia Clouden, freshman guard DeeDee Hagemann, graduate forward Tamara Farquhar, freshman guard/forward Matilda Ekh and senior forward Alisia Smith was MSU's 10th game in a row with that starting five, as part of the 13th total time this season ... overall, it is MSU's fourth different starting line-up overall this season.
• Michigan State was held under 60 points for the first time in its last nine game, last being held under 60 with 59 points in a 69-59 loss vs. Purdue (1/9/22), while the 58 points is MSU's fewest in a B1G game this season and lowest in its last 11 games since scoring 54 in a loss to RV/RV West Virginia (12/21/21) in West Palm Beach.
• Senior forward Alisia Smith netted a team-high 12 points, as he tallied double-figures for the fourth time in the last six games as part of the ninth time this season and 14th time in her MSU career ... Smith also pulled down a team-high seven rebounds, her sixth game with five or more boards in the last seven outings.
• With 10 points Saturday, Clouden now has 1,782 career points, climbing up to No. 3 on MSU's career scoring list, passing Liz Shimek (2002-06) with 1,780 points ... next up is Aerial Powers (2013-16) with 1,817 points.
• The 10 points by Clouden snapped her streak of 20-point games in B1G play at three in a row, but she has now scored in double-figures 23 times this season and 94 in her career.
• Clouden made one 3-pointer Saturday, as she now has 53 triples this season and now with 139 career treys, taking over sole possession of the No. 9 spot on MSU's career 3-pointers list, pulling away from a tie with former Spartan player and current MSU assistant director of sports performance Annalise Pickrel (2010-14) with 138 ... Clouden is now five away for the No. 8 spot held by Christine Powers (1991-95) with 144 treys.
• Freshman forward Isaline Alexander tallied a career-high tying eight points for the second game in a row and the third time overall this season ... Alexander also snared a career-high six rebounds, nearly doubling her previous career-high of four games in the last game ... the first-year Spartan has now scored more points in the previous two games than she had in her previous 11 games played prior to this past Thursday's win over Michigan ... Alexander has posted 18 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks in a combined 45 minutes over the last three games.
• Freshman guard/forward Matilda Ekh tallied seven points, giving her 279 for her freshman campaign, moving up to No. 13 on MSU's freshman scoring list, pulling away from a tie for No. 14 with Brittney Thomas (2007-08) with 272 points and passing Nanette Gibson (1978-79) with 278 points ... Ekh is just 20 points away from the No. 12 spot, held by Mary Kay McNall (1982-83) with 299 points, and just 21 points away from becoming the 12th freshman in Spartan women's basketball history with 300 points in their first year for the Green & White.
• Ekh's seven points was just the second time this season that she was held under double-digits in back-to-back games, as she was held to just six points Thursday vs. Michigan, which snapped her streak of seven-straight games in double-figures and eight of the previous nine games before Thursday.
• By netting 1-of-4 from 3-point range, Ekh is now 53-of-124 at 42.7 percent, maintaining the No. 2 spot on the Spartans' freshman 3-point percentage list, just ahead of current teammate Moira Joiner's .386 (30-of-101) in 2020-21, and behind the record holder Lindsay Bowen (2002-03) at .464 (77-of-166) ... Ekh's 124 3-point attempts is No. 5 on the freshman 3-pointers attempted list.
• Freshman guard DeeDee Hagemann netted nine points for the second-consecutive game and dished out four assists, tying for the team lead ... it was the fourth-straight game that Hagemann has led or shared the team-lead in assists, as part of the 15th game this season.
• With four assists in Saturday's game, Hagemann now has 126 for her freshman season ... after becoming just the eighth Spartan women's basketball player to register 100 assists as a freshman in MSU's game last week vs. Maryland (2/3/22), Hagemann now has moved up to No. 6 on MSU's assists by a freshman list, passing former Spartan and current assistant coach Kristin Haynie (2001-02) with 117 helpers last time out vs. Michigan ... Hagemann is just three away from tying for the No. 5 spot, held by Kiana Johnson (2011-12) with 129 assists.
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.
With the loss, Michigan State stands 13-11 overall and 7-6 in Big Ten action. Indiana improves to 18-3 overall and 10-1 in league contests.
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.
Michigan State jumped out to an early 10-4 lead after freshman guard/forward Matilda Ekh's first 3-pointer with just over five minutes left in the first period. The Hoosiers responded with a 6-0 run to tie the game after a pair of Chloe Moore-McNeil free throws. With the Spartan offense stalling, Indiana ended the quarter on a 13-2 run over the final 4:59 to lead 17-12 after one period.
With Clouden out of the game with three fouls midway through the second quarter, the Hoosiers opened up a 24-16 advantage. The Indiana offense also went cold going 4:48 without a field goal before a Nicole Cardano-Hillary trey. With six seconds left in the quarter, Cardano-Hillary earned the steal, while Ali Patberg converted the layup. After 20 minutes, Indiana held a 32-27 lead.
The Hoosiers opened up their first double-digit lead of the day at 41-29 after a 3-point play by Patberg. IU started the half scoring 15 of the first 20 points, including six straight. The Spartans' tired legs began to show in the period with Indiana out-scoring Michigan State, 30-14, in the stanza.
Michigan State was able to out-score the Hoosiers, 17-14, in the fourth period with five points in the final stanza. The Spartan freshmen also got minutes with forward Isaline Alexander scoring four of her eight points in the period. All 11 of the MSU players that dressed saw action in the game.
The Spartans remain on the road to take on Wisconsin in Madison on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Post-Game Notes: at Indiana 2-12-22
• By facing No. 4/4 Michigan on Thursday and No. 7/6 Indiana on Saturday, it marks the first time that MSU has played back-to-back games against Top-10 teams since the 2016 Big Ten Tournament, when the Spartans beat No. 9/9 Ohio State (3/5/16), 82-63, in the semifinals before losing to No. 5/5 Maryland (3/6/16), 60-44, in the championship game in consecutive days ... it is the first time since facing Top-10 teams in back-to-back games in the regular-season since 2006, when MSU lost to No. 7/7 Ohio State (1/22/06), 67-65, and at No. 8/8 Purdue (1/26/06), 73-53 ... that also marked the Spartans' second set of back-to-back Top-10 foes in the 2005-06 season, as the Green & White played No. 2/1 Tennessee (11/24/05) and No. 10/10 Maryland (11/25/05) in consecutive days of the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• The Spartans' starting line-up of senior guard Nia Clouden, freshman guard DeeDee Hagemann, graduate forward Tamara Farquhar, freshman guard/forward Matilda Ekh and senior forward Alisia Smith was MSU's 10th game in a row with that starting five, as part of the 13th total time this season ... overall, it is MSU's fourth different starting line-up overall this season.
• Michigan State was held under 60 points for the first time in its last nine game, last being held under 60 with 59 points in a 69-59 loss vs. Purdue (1/9/22), while the 58 points is MSU's fewest in a B1G game this season and lowest in its last 11 games since scoring 54 in a loss to RV/RV West Virginia (12/21/21) in West Palm Beach.
• Senior forward Alisia Smith netted a team-high 12 points, as he tallied double-figures for the fourth time in the last six games as part of the ninth time this season and 14th time in her MSU career ... Smith also pulled down a team-high seven rebounds, her sixth game with five or more boards in the last seven outings.
• With 10 points Saturday, Clouden now has 1,782 career points, climbing up to No. 3 on MSU's career scoring list, passing Liz Shimek (2002-06) with 1,780 points ... next up is Aerial Powers (2013-16) with 1,817 points.
• The 10 points by Clouden snapped her streak of 20-point games in B1G play at three in a row, but she has now scored in double-figures 23 times this season and 94 in her career.
• Clouden made one 3-pointer Saturday, as she now has 53 triples this season and now with 139 career treys, taking over sole possession of the No. 9 spot on MSU's career 3-pointers list, pulling away from a tie with former Spartan player and current MSU assistant director of sports performance Annalise Pickrel (2010-14) with 138 ... Clouden is now five away for the No. 8 spot held by Christine Powers (1991-95) with 144 treys.
• Freshman forward Isaline Alexander tallied a career-high tying eight points for the second game in a row and the third time overall this season ... Alexander also snared a career-high six rebounds, nearly doubling her previous career-high of four games in the last game ... the first-year Spartan has now scored more points in the previous two games than she had in her previous 11 games played prior to this past Thursday's win over Michigan ... Alexander has posted 18 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks in a combined 45 minutes over the last three games.
• Freshman guard/forward Matilda Ekh tallied seven points, giving her 279 for her freshman campaign, moving up to No. 13 on MSU's freshman scoring list, pulling away from a tie for No. 14 with Brittney Thomas (2007-08) with 272 points and passing Nanette Gibson (1978-79) with 278 points ... Ekh is just 20 points away from the No. 12 spot, held by Mary Kay McNall (1982-83) with 299 points, and just 21 points away from becoming the 12th freshman in Spartan women's basketball history with 300 points in their first year for the Green & White.
• Ekh's seven points was just the second time this season that she was held under double-digits in back-to-back games, as she was held to just six points Thursday vs. Michigan, which snapped her streak of seven-straight games in double-figures and eight of the previous nine games before Thursday.
• By netting 1-of-4 from 3-point range, Ekh is now 53-of-124 at 42.7 percent, maintaining the No. 2 spot on the Spartans' freshman 3-point percentage list, just ahead of current teammate Moira Joiner's .386 (30-of-101) in 2020-21, and behind the record holder Lindsay Bowen (2002-03) at .464 (77-of-166) ... Ekh's 124 3-point attempts is No. 5 on the freshman 3-pointers attempted list.
• Freshman guard DeeDee Hagemann netted nine points for the second-consecutive game and dished out four assists, tying for the team lead ... it was the fourth-straight game that Hagemann has led or shared the team-lead in assists, as part of the 15th game this season.
• With four assists in Saturday's game, Hagemann now has 126 for her freshman season ... after becoming just the eighth Spartan women's basketball player to register 100 assists as a freshman in MSU's game last week vs. Maryland (2/3/22), Hagemann now has moved up to No. 6 on MSU's assists by a freshman list, passing former Spartan and current assistant coach Kristin Haynie (2001-02) with 117 helpers last time out vs. Michigan ... Hagemann is just three away from tying for the No. 5 spot, held by Kiana Johnson (2011-12) with 129 assists.
Team Stats
MSU
IND
FG%
.389
.436
3FG%
.308
.350
FT%
.632
.778
RB
36
33
TO
11
7
STL
1
3
Game Leaders
Pts
12
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
1
Pts
8
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballGuard
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
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