Joiner Ties a Career High in Tight Overtime Loss to Wisconsin

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Senior guard Moira Joiner tied a career-high with 20 points, as the Spartan women's basketball team fell to Wisconsin in overtime, 84-80, Wednesday night in MSU's inaugural Pride Night.

The Spartans trailed by as many as 12 points in the fourth quarter, but Michigan State continued to battle. A Taiyier Parks jumper with 23 seconds remaining in regulation sent MSU to overtime for the second time this season.

With the loss, Michigan State falls to 10-7 overall and 2-4 in Big Ten action. Wisconsin improves to 6-11 overall and 2-4 in league play.

Michigan State had five players in double figures led by Joiner's 20. She also scored 20 points at Rutgers on Jan. 20, 2020. Parks earned her first double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard DeeDee Hagemann had a solid performance with 17 points, seven assists and three steals, while sophomore guard/forward Matilda Ekh scored 14 points. Graduate guard Kamaria McDaniel had her fifth double-digit scoring game with 11 points.

Wisconsin was led by 31 points Serah Williams.

The Spartans got off to a slow start in the first quarter, shooting only 28.0 percent in the first 10 minutes. After trailing much of the period, a McDaniel jumper tied the scored at 11 with under two minutes left in the quarter. Michigan State did not lead during the stanza.

MSU's shooting woes continued in the second quarter as Wisconsin jumped out to a 26-17 lead before a Hagemann bucket. The 25 points were the second-fewest in a half this season, scoring only 17 points in the first half against No. 4/5 Iowa State on Nov. 24. After an offensive foul, McDaniel scored as time expired to make it a 32-25 deficit at the half.

In the third quarter, Wisconsin took its first double-digit lead 39-29 after a pair of Williams free throws at the 6:16 mark. Both teams hit scoring droughts, going over three minutes without scoring a field goal. The teams traded baskets as MSU couldn't trim the margin below six points in the period. Joiner caught fire in the third period, scoring six of the Spartans' 16 points.

Michigan State wasn't done fighting, using a 6-0 run made it a one possession game 66-64 leading to a Wisconsin timeout with under two minutes remaining in regulation. Parks scored the final six points to send the game to overtime. Joiner was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field in the fourth quarter for 10 points, while Parks added six points.

In overtime, Wisconsin took control, taking as big a lead as five points. Williams scored six of the Badgers' 14 points to seal the victory.

Michigan State hits the road to take on No. 17/20 Michigan in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Jan. 14 a 2 p.m.

Michigan State Women's Basketball vs. Wisconsin

• Michigan State played its second overtime contest of the season, and not only were both Big Ten Conference contests, but they were also both at home, and falling in both as well, also losing to Purdue, 76-71 in OT, on Dec. 5.

• MSU still leads the all-time series with Wisconsin, 48-27, having its four-game win streak in the series snapped, and the Spartans have still won four of the last five as part of 16 of the last 18 meetings ... Michigan State also still holds a 27-7 lead in series games played in East Lansing, snapping the Spartans' eight-game win streak in the series on their home court.

• After winning its previous nine games when scoring 80 or more points, MSU has been dealt defeat in its last two games when doing so after a 94-85 loss at No. 13/14 Maryland (1/7/23) last time out, and 80 points in OT Wednesday.

• The Spartans suffered their first defeat when four or more players score in double-figures, as five players netted double-digits Wednesday night, led by senior guard Moira Joiner's career-high tying 20 points off the bench, while sophomore guard DeeDee Hagemann tallied 17 points, sophomore guard/forward Matilda Ekh added 14 points, while graduate guard Kamaria McDaniel and senior forward Taiyier Parks both netted 11 points, with Parks posting a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, also off the bench ... MSU entered the game 5-0 when four players post double-figures and 2-0 when five or more register double-digits.

• Joiner and Parks' combined for 31 points off the bench, part of MSU's 34 bench points, as the Spartans had a 34-10 bench scoring advantage, as Michigan State is now 10-4 when having more bench points.

• Senior guard Moira Joiner tied her career-high with 20 points, posting a season-best for the second game in a row after 19 points at Maryland (1/7/23) last time out ... Joiner matched her career mark of 20 points at Rutgers (1/20/20) ... the 20 points was Joiner's second-straight double-digit outing as part of the ninth of the season and 22nd of her career.

• Joiner tied for the team lead with three steals, posting multiple swipes for the second game in a row and the 10th time this season with more than one steals ... Wednesday marked the second-straight game and eighth overall game this season that Joiner has led the team in high steals either outright or shared, including outright in the last two contests.

• Sophomore guard DeeDee Hagemann registered 17 points, her most in a Big Ten Conference game, topping her previous B1G high of 15 vs. Indiana (12/29/22) this season and two shy of her career-high of 19 set vs. Western Michigan (11/13/22) ... the 17 points has Hagemann's second double-figure scoring outing in the last four games as part of her fifth of the season and 14th of her career.

• Hagemann also dished out a game-high seven assists, marking the fifth-straight game and 14th overall game this season that she's dished out three or more helpers, as part of the sixth game with five or more assists, including four times in the last five outings ... Wednesday was also the 10th game this season and 25th of her career that Hagemann led the team in helpers.

• Hagemann also shared top honors for the team with three steals, swiping multiple steals for the sixth time this season ... the three steals also tied Hagemann's second-most swipes this season, joining three vs. Florida A&M (11/17/22) and behind her career-high of five steals vs. Indiana (12/29/22) ... it was the fifth game that Hagemann has led or shared the team lead in steals, sharing high steals honors for the fourth time and outright once.

• Sophomore guard/forward Matilda Ekh added 14 points, posting double-figures for the sixth-straight game as part of nine times in the last 10 games ... overall it was Ekh's 12th double-digit scoring contest in her 16 games played, along with her 31st career game with double-figures in the scoring column.

• Ekh netted two 3-pointers, marking her third game in a row with multiple triples, as well as 13th time in her 16 games played ... in her last three games, Ekh has drained 12 3-pointers (4.0 per game), as well as 21 triples in her last six games played (3.5 per game) ... the two triples by Ekh gives her 115 for her career, closing within one of Taylor Alton (2008-12) for the No. 14 spot on MSU's career 3-pointers made list.

• Ekh was also 4-for-4 from the free throw line, marking the fourth game this season and 11th time in her career in going perfect from the charity stripe with more than one attempt ... overall it was Ekh's sixth time this season and 16th time going 100 percent at the free throw line, with three games both this season and last season going 1-for-1.

• Graduate guard Kamaria McDaniel accounted for 11 points, posting 10+ points for the fifth-consecutive game as part of registering double-figures for the 13th time this season.

• Senior forward Taiyier Parks notched her first double-double of the season and seventh of her career with 11 points and a team-leading 10 rebounds ... the 11 points was the third game in the last four outings that Parks posted double-digits points as part of the fifth game this season and 28th of her career with double-figures in the scoring column.

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Team Stats

Moira Joiner

DeeDee Hagemann

Matilda Ekh

Kamaria McDaniel

Players Mentioned

Matilda Ekh

DeeDee Hagemann

Moira Joiner

Kamaria McDaniel

Taiyier Parks