Monday, January 2
Evanston, Ill.
8 PM ET
Michigan State University
10-5,2-2Big Ten
71
at
64
Northwestern
6-7,0-3Big Ten
1
2
3
4
F
Michigan St.
15
28
19
9
71
Northwestern
20
12
17
15
64
Team Stats
MSU
NU
FG%
.373
.361
3FG%
.476
.167
FT%
.630
.810
RB
40
41
TO
13
14
STL
6
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
21
FGM
6
3FGM
5
FTM
4
Pts
17
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Pts
7
FGM
1
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG/F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballPhoto by: Matthew Mitchell
Spartan Women’s Basketball Outlasts Northwestern, 71-64
1/2/2023 10:53:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Matilda Ekh leads all scorers with 21 points, while Julia Ayrault adds 10 boards.
EVANSTON, Ill. - Michigan State women's basketball earned its fourth-straight win with a 71-64 victory over Northwestern on Monday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
The Spartans improved 10-5 overall and improved to 2-2 in Big Ten action. This was MSU's first win at Welsh-Ryan since 2014. The Wildcats fall to 6-7 overall and 0-3 in league action.
Michigan State had three players in double figures led by 21 points by sophomore guard Matilda Ekh, who went 5-for-8 from beyond the arc. Senior forward Taiyier Parks had her second-straight double-digit scoring game with 17 points and six rebounds, while graduate guard Kamaria McDaniel added 13 points. Redshirt-junior guard/forward Julia Ayrault was a beast on the boards with 10 rebounds to lead all players.
Northwestern was led by 12 points from Sydney Wood.
The Spartan offense was slow to get going, starting 1-for-6 from the field. Parks broke a three-minute scoring drought to make it a 6-4 NU lead. The Wildcats continued its sharp shooting in the first quarter as MSU's shooting woes lingered, as NU went up 15-7. Northwestern led by as many as 10 points in the first period.
Michigan State scored the first five points of the second quarter to tie the score at 20-20. Ekh came to life in the second stanza with three treys before the media timeout. The Spartans used a 7-0 run to go up 35-27, leading to a NU timeout at the 2:52 mark of the second period. Ekh ended the quarter, going 5-for-6 from beyond the arc for 17 points, as MSU out-scored NU 28-12 in the period. MSU led at the half, 43-32.
In the third quarter, Northwestern went over three minutes without scoring and MSU went on a 6-0 run to take a 51-36 advantage. An Ayrault triple halted a Spartan nearly three minute scoring drought with under five minutes left in the stanza, as MSU took its biggest lead 62-44. Ayrault helped MSU surge to its biggest lead with six points in the third quarter.
Northwestern scored six of the first eight points of the fourth quarter to trim the MSU lead to 64-55 at the 7:59 mark. Sophomore forward Isaline Alexander halted a 6-0 NU run to re-establish the double-digit lead. The Spartans went over four minutes without a field goal as the Wildcats clawed their way back into the game. Northwestern out-scored Michigan State 15-9 in the period, but MSU was able to hold on for the win.
The Spartans will remain on the road to take on No. 13 Maryland on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 1 p.m.
Michigan State Women's Basketball Post-Game Notes: at Northwestern
• Michigan State won its fourth-straight game, marking the Spartans' second winning streak of four or more games this season, joining a six-game win streak to open the season, as MSU improved to 10-5 overall and leveled its B1G record at 2-2.
• MSU won in Evanston for the first time since Feb. 27, 2014, snapping a streak of five losses at Northwestern ... overall, Michigan State has won the last two games in the series after winning last year's match-up in East Lansing, and MSU now leads the all-time series, 46-29, and trims NU's lead in games played at Evanston to 20-18.
• The Spartans' starting line-up of graduate guard Kamaria McDaniel, sophomore guard/forward Matilda Ekh, sophomore guard DeeDee Hagemann, sophomore forward Isaline Alexander and redshirt-senior guard/forward Tory Ozment was the fourth consecutive game that MSU started with those five ... it is Michigan State's fifth different starting line-up.
• MSU pulled away from a 25-25 tie early in the second stanza with an 18-5 spurt to open a 43-30 lead, its largest of the half on a 3-pointer by Ekh with 30 seconds to go before halftime.
• The Spartans scored 28 points in the second quarter, turning a 20-15 score at the end of the first frame, into a 43-32 halftime lead.
• MSU's 28 points in the second quarter tied the Spartans' second-most points in the second quarter, matching a 28-point second quarter in Game 5 vs. Florida A&M (11/17/22), and trailing only a 31-point second quarter vs. Detroit Mercy (12/18/22) in Game 12.
• Michigan State's 71 points Monday was the 12th game this season that MSU has reached the 70-point plateau, improving to 10-2 when doing so ... under head coach Suzy Merchant, the Spartans have won 180 of their last 212 games (.849) when scoring at least 70 points and Monday was the 200th win under Coach Merchant in netting 70+ points, now 200-43 (.823) when hanging at least 70 points on the scoreboard.
• Three players posted double-figures, marking the fifth game this season that three Spartans were in double-digits in the scoring column, going 2-3 when doing so.
• Michigan State drained 10 3-pointers as a team Monday night, marking the Spartans' third time in the last four game hitting double-digit triples, as part of the seventh overall game this season hitting 10+ 3-pointers.
• The Spartans had just 13 turnovers, marking their fewest in a Big Ten game this season, bettering the previous low mark of 15 miscues last time out vs. Indiana (12/29/22).
• Boosted by senior forward Taiyier Parks with 17 points, along with senior guard Moira Joiner's seven points and redshirt-junior guard Julia Ayrault with six points, MSU had a 30-19 bench scoring advantage ... the Spartans are now 10-2 when the MSU bench outscores the opposition's bench ... the Michigan State reserves' 30 points Monday marked the ninth game this season with 30+ points bench scoring.
• Sophomore guard/forward Matilda Ekh netted 17 of her season-high 21 points in the second quarter alone, after going scoreless in the first quarter ... Ekh's 17 second-quarter points was 5.0 points more than her 12.0 points per game average entering Monday night ... with the 21 points, Ekh posted double-figures for the fourth-straight game and 10th time this season in her 14 games played this season, as part of her 29th career game in double-digit scoring ... Ekh's 21 points was her second 20-point outing of the season, joining 20 vs. Western Michigan (11/13/22) and sixth of her career, as MSU improves to 2-0 this season and 5-1 in her career when Ekh nets 20+ points.
• Ekh was 5-for-6 from 3-point range in the second quarter, finishing the game 5-for-8 behind the arc ... the five triples was one shy of her season and career-best, with six 3-pointers vs. Western Michigan (11/13/22), her third career game with six treys ... Ekh's fifth game with four or more triples, as part of her 11th game with multiple 3-pointers this season in her 14 games played.
• Ekh was 4-for-4 from the free throw line, her third game this season going perfect at the charity stripe with more than one attempt.
• Senior forward Taiyier Parks netted double-digits for the second-straight game with 17 points off the bench, after tallying a season-high tying 18 points last time out in MSU's upset of No. 4 Indiana (12/29/22) ... Parks registered her fourth game this season in double figures with 11 points in the first half alone, along with her 27th career game with 10+ points.
• Parks added six rebounds, two steals and one block Monday night, giving her 35 points, 14 rebounds, four steals and one block in the last two games ... after starting the first nine games of the season, Parks has come off the bench in the last five games, and has scored 48 points in those five contests, averaging 9.6 points per game, compared to scoring 60 points in the nine games she scored, an average of 6.7 ppg.
• Graduate guard Kamaria McDaniel tallied double-figures for the third game in a row with 13 points Monday night, posting double-digits for the 11th time in the 15 games this season ... McDaniel drained two 3-pointers, marking her second multi 3-pointer game in the last three outings, as part of the fifth game this season with more than one triple, with all five outings coming in the last eight games.
• Redshirt-junior guard Julia Ayrault pulled down a season-high 10 rebounds, topping her previous top mark of the season of nine boards, done twice, first at Ohio State (12/11/22) and most recently vs. Prairie View A&M (12/20/22) ... Ayrault also netted six points, with all points coming on hitting two 3-pointers, marking her second-most this season and second time with multiple triples, along with a season-high three treys vs. Detroit Mercy (12/18/22).
• Sophomore guard DeeDee Hagemann distributed six assists, recording six or more helpers in the third straight game with six vs. Prairie View A&M (12/20/22) and a season-high eight assists vs. Indiana (12/29/22) ... it was Hagemann's fifth game with five or more assists as part of dishing out three or more helpers in 12 of the 15 games.
The Spartans improved 10-5 overall and improved to 2-2 in Big Ten action. This was MSU's first win at Welsh-Ryan since 2014. The Wildcats fall to 6-7 overall and 0-3 in league action.
Michigan State had three players in double figures led by 21 points by sophomore guard Matilda Ekh, who went 5-for-8 from beyond the arc. Senior forward Taiyier Parks had her second-straight double-digit scoring game with 17 points and six rebounds, while graduate guard Kamaria McDaniel added 13 points. Redshirt-junior guard/forward Julia Ayrault was a beast on the boards with 10 rebounds to lead all players.
Northwestern was led by 12 points from Sydney Wood.
The Spartan offense was slow to get going, starting 1-for-6 from the field. Parks broke a three-minute scoring drought to make it a 6-4 NU lead. The Wildcats continued its sharp shooting in the first quarter as MSU's shooting woes lingered, as NU went up 15-7. Northwestern led by as many as 10 points in the first period.
Michigan State scored the first five points of the second quarter to tie the score at 20-20. Ekh came to life in the second stanza with three treys before the media timeout. The Spartans used a 7-0 run to go up 35-27, leading to a NU timeout at the 2:52 mark of the second period. Ekh ended the quarter, going 5-for-6 from beyond the arc for 17 points, as MSU out-scored NU 28-12 in the period. MSU led at the half, 43-32.
In the third quarter, Northwestern went over three minutes without scoring and MSU went on a 6-0 run to take a 51-36 advantage. An Ayrault triple halted a Spartan nearly three minute scoring drought with under five minutes left in the stanza, as MSU took its biggest lead 62-44. Ayrault helped MSU surge to its biggest lead with six points in the third quarter.
Northwestern scored six of the first eight points of the fourth quarter to trim the MSU lead to 64-55 at the 7:59 mark. Sophomore forward Isaline Alexander halted a 6-0 NU run to re-establish the double-digit lead. The Spartans went over four minutes without a field goal as the Wildcats clawed their way back into the game. Northwestern out-scored Michigan State 15-9 in the period, but MSU was able to hold on for the win.
The Spartans will remain on the road to take on No. 13 Maryland on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 1 p.m.
Michigan State Women's Basketball Post-Game Notes: at Northwestern
• Michigan State won its fourth-straight game, marking the Spartans' second winning streak of four or more games this season, joining a six-game win streak to open the season, as MSU improved to 10-5 overall and leveled its B1G record at 2-2.
• MSU won in Evanston for the first time since Feb. 27, 2014, snapping a streak of five losses at Northwestern ... overall, Michigan State has won the last two games in the series after winning last year's match-up in East Lansing, and MSU now leads the all-time series, 46-29, and trims NU's lead in games played at Evanston to 20-18.
• The Spartans' starting line-up of graduate guard Kamaria McDaniel, sophomore guard/forward Matilda Ekh, sophomore guard DeeDee Hagemann, sophomore forward Isaline Alexander and redshirt-senior guard/forward Tory Ozment was the fourth consecutive game that MSU started with those five ... it is Michigan State's fifth different starting line-up.
• MSU pulled away from a 25-25 tie early in the second stanza with an 18-5 spurt to open a 43-30 lead, its largest of the half on a 3-pointer by Ekh with 30 seconds to go before halftime.
• The Spartans scored 28 points in the second quarter, turning a 20-15 score at the end of the first frame, into a 43-32 halftime lead.
• MSU's 28 points in the second quarter tied the Spartans' second-most points in the second quarter, matching a 28-point second quarter in Game 5 vs. Florida A&M (11/17/22), and trailing only a 31-point second quarter vs. Detroit Mercy (12/18/22) in Game 12.
• Michigan State's 71 points Monday was the 12th game this season that MSU has reached the 70-point plateau, improving to 10-2 when doing so ... under head coach Suzy Merchant, the Spartans have won 180 of their last 212 games (.849) when scoring at least 70 points and Monday was the 200th win under Coach Merchant in netting 70+ points, now 200-43 (.823) when hanging at least 70 points on the scoreboard.
• Three players posted double-figures, marking the fifth game this season that three Spartans were in double-digits in the scoring column, going 2-3 when doing so.
• Michigan State drained 10 3-pointers as a team Monday night, marking the Spartans' third time in the last four game hitting double-digit triples, as part of the seventh overall game this season hitting 10+ 3-pointers.
• The Spartans had just 13 turnovers, marking their fewest in a Big Ten game this season, bettering the previous low mark of 15 miscues last time out vs. Indiana (12/29/22).
• Boosted by senior forward Taiyier Parks with 17 points, along with senior guard Moira Joiner's seven points and redshirt-junior guard Julia Ayrault with six points, MSU had a 30-19 bench scoring advantage ... the Spartans are now 10-2 when the MSU bench outscores the opposition's bench ... the Michigan State reserves' 30 points Monday marked the ninth game this season with 30+ points bench scoring.
• Sophomore guard/forward Matilda Ekh netted 17 of her season-high 21 points in the second quarter alone, after going scoreless in the first quarter ... Ekh's 17 second-quarter points was 5.0 points more than her 12.0 points per game average entering Monday night ... with the 21 points, Ekh posted double-figures for the fourth-straight game and 10th time this season in her 14 games played this season, as part of her 29th career game in double-digit scoring ... Ekh's 21 points was her second 20-point outing of the season, joining 20 vs. Western Michigan (11/13/22) and sixth of her career, as MSU improves to 2-0 this season and 5-1 in her career when Ekh nets 20+ points.
• Ekh was 5-for-6 from 3-point range in the second quarter, finishing the game 5-for-8 behind the arc ... the five triples was one shy of her season and career-best, with six 3-pointers vs. Western Michigan (11/13/22), her third career game with six treys ... Ekh's fifth game with four or more triples, as part of her 11th game with multiple 3-pointers this season in her 14 games played.
• Ekh was 4-for-4 from the free throw line, her third game this season going perfect at the charity stripe with more than one attempt.
• Senior forward Taiyier Parks netted double-digits for the second-straight game with 17 points off the bench, after tallying a season-high tying 18 points last time out in MSU's upset of No. 4 Indiana (12/29/22) ... Parks registered her fourth game this season in double figures with 11 points in the first half alone, along with her 27th career game with 10+ points.
• Parks added six rebounds, two steals and one block Monday night, giving her 35 points, 14 rebounds, four steals and one block in the last two games ... after starting the first nine games of the season, Parks has come off the bench in the last five games, and has scored 48 points in those five contests, averaging 9.6 points per game, compared to scoring 60 points in the nine games she scored, an average of 6.7 ppg.
• Graduate guard Kamaria McDaniel tallied double-figures for the third game in a row with 13 points Monday night, posting double-digits for the 11th time in the 15 games this season ... McDaniel drained two 3-pointers, marking her second multi 3-pointer game in the last three outings, as part of the fifth game this season with more than one triple, with all five outings coming in the last eight games.
• Redshirt-junior guard Julia Ayrault pulled down a season-high 10 rebounds, topping her previous top mark of the season of nine boards, done twice, first at Ohio State (12/11/22) and most recently vs. Prairie View A&M (12/20/22) ... Ayrault also netted six points, with all points coming on hitting two 3-pointers, marking her second-most this season and second time with multiple triples, along with a season-high three treys vs. Detroit Mercy (12/18/22).
• Sophomore guard DeeDee Hagemann distributed six assists, recording six or more helpers in the third straight game with six vs. Prairie View A&M (12/20/22) and a season-high eight assists vs. Indiana (12/29/22) ... it was Hagemann's fifth game with five or more assists as part of dishing out three or more helpers in 12 of the 15 games.
Robyn Fralick | Women's Basketball Selection Show Press Conference | March 16, 2025
Sunday, March 16
Robyn Fralick | Women's Basketball Press Conference | Mar. 04 2025
Tuesday, March 04
Michigan State Women's Basketball vs Minnosta | Cinematic Highlight
Sunday, March 02
Coach Fralick Post Game Comments | MINN | Mar. 1 2025
Saturday, March 01