MSU Women Close Out Homestand Against Central Michigan Sunday

MSU Women Close Out Homestand Against Central Michigan Sunday

12/15/2023 3:22:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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Sunday is the Spartans' Holiday Hoops game.

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State women's basketball concludes a three-homestand against in-state foe Central Michigan on Sunday, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m. The Spartans are currently 7-2 this season, looking to rebound from a loss to Nebraska on Dec. 9. The Chippewas are 1-6 this season under first-year head coach Kristin Haynie. Jack Stager and Lexi Alston will be on the call for the Big Ten Plus.

• Former Spartan All-American and assistant coach Kristin Haynie is in her first season at the helm of the Chips, as well as being an assistant for CMU from 2014-17.

• This week, MSU is now sixth in the NCAA in 3-point field goal percentage, shooting 40.1 percent from beyond the arc. MSU is also sixth in the nation in field goal percentage, shooting 50.9 percent from the field.

• Michigan State head coach Robyn Fralick is nearing another career milestone. After a win against Miami (Ohio) on Dec. 3, she now holds a 199-78 career record in eight seasons as a head coach at Ashland, Bowling Green and Michigan State.

• The 24 turnovers forced by MSU against Nebraska the Spartans' seventh game this season creating 18 or more turnovers by the opposition as part of the fifth game with 20+ miscues, including the second-straight game after a season-high 29 last time out vs. Miami (Ohio) (12/3/23), and joining 25 each in back-to-back games vs. Detroit Mercy (11/16/23) and Evansville (11/19/23.

SCOUTING CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Central Michigan comes to the Breslin Center with a 1-6 record. The Chippewas earned their first win of the season on Nov. 14 at home against Concordia-Ann Arbor. Since then, CMU has lost four-straight games, including a tight 79-76 loss to Oakland on the road on Dec. 9. The Chips are 0-5 in games away from Mt. Pleasant.

Madisen Wardell leads the team in scoring, averaging 11.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Tamara Ortiz is second with 10.8 ppg. Rochelle Norris is third in the MAC in rebounding, bringing down 8.3 rpg. As a team, Central Michigan is first in the MAC in team offensive rebounds (14.2 rpg). The Chippewas are also fourth in rebound margin (-0.2).

Former Spartan All-American and assistant coach Kristin Haynie is in her first season at the helm of the Chips, as well as being an assistant for CMU from 2014-17. Haynie was an assistant at Michigan State for four seasons. Haynie earned her first career win as a head coach on Nov. 14 with a 80-57 win over Concordia-Ann Arbor.

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE CHIPPEWAS
Michigan State leads the overall series with Central Michigan 30-8 since 1973. MSU holds a 15-2 record in East Lansing with the last loss coming on Dec. 7, 1985, 86-76. On the road, the Spartans are ahead in the series 12-4. Michigan State holds a slight advantage 3-2 on neutral ground. The last neutral site game was in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in South Bend Indiana on March 23, 2019 with MSU pulling out an 88-87 nail-biter.

The last time the two teams met in East Lansing was on Dec. 18, 2020 when MSU came out on top 79-70. Michigan State used a 10-0 fourth-quarter run to pull away from a tenacious Central Michigan. The win helped former MSU head coach Suzy Merchant defeat her alma mater for the second time during her Spartan career. For the third-straight game, junior guard Nia Clouden reached the 20-point mark, scoring 21 points to go along with six assists and three steals.

LAST TIME VS CENTRAL MICHIGAN
A trio of Spartans scored 17 points, as Michigan State topped Central Michigan, 84-54, on Nov. 19, 2022 in Mount Pleasant. The Spartans had four players in double figures led by senior guard Moira Joiner, sophomore forward Isaline Alexander and junior guard Gabby Elliott, who all dropped 17 points. Joiner tied her career high with five treys, while Alexander set a new career mark with her 17 points. Graduate guard Kamaria McDaniel added 10 points. McDaniel and sophomore guard DeeDee Hagemann both led the way with four helpers each.

COMING HOME
Another familiar face on the Central Michigan bench will be assistant coach Jenna Allen, who played at MSU from 2016-19. She played in 123 games as a Spartan, starting 59 games. She averaged 8.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for MSU. Other familiar faces are Director of Scouting and Video Operation Jared Roane and Director of Basketball Operations Jackson Marlan, who were both on the MSU staff last season.

FRALICK NEARING MILESTONE
Michigan State head coach Robyn Fralick is nearing another career milestone. After a win against Miami on Dec. 3, she now holds a 199-78 career record in eight seasons as a head coach at Ashland, Bowling Green and Michigan State.

BIG TEN OPENERS
Michigan State is 20-22 in Big Ten openers, having won seven of their 13. This season, despite a hard-fought comeback, MSU fell to Nebraska at home 80-74. Last season, the Spartans fell to Purdue at home 76-71 in overtime. MSU fell to Iowa, 88-61, in the 2021-22 opener. During the 2020-21 season, the Spartans won their opener in Minneapolis, 81-68 over the Gophers.

BY THE NUMBERS VS. NEBRASKA
• Michigan State forced 24 Nebraska turnovers, which is a season-high for the Cornhuskers, topping their previous high of 17 miscues, and Nebraska entered Saturday's game third in the Big Ten in fewest turnovers with 94 turnovers in their previous eight games, averaging 11.75 turnovers per game, and the Spartan defense forced 10 Husker turnovers in the first half alone.

• Both of the Spartans' losses this season have come against teams from the state of Nebraska, after an 83-69 loss to Creighton (11/24/23) in Cancun, and Saturday's loss to the Huskers.

• Sophomore guard Theryn Hallock has set or tied a career-high scoring outing in the last three games, matching her career-best of 17 points on Saturday, tying last outing vs. Miami (Ohio) (12/3/23), which topped her earlier career-best of 14 points vs. DePaul (11/30/23).

AMONG THE BEST IN THE LAND
The Spartans are sixth in the nation field goal percentage, shooting 50.9 percent from the field. Michigan State is also fourth in the country in assists per game, averaging 22.1 apg. The Spartans high-flying offense currently stands eighth in the nation in scoring margin, as well (+30.6). MSU is currently sixth in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (40.1 percent).

Individually, Julia Ayrault is 12th in the nation in blocks with 26 and 11th in blocks per game (2.9 bpg). DeeDee Hagemann is 33rd in the country assist/turnover ratio (2.60).

LIVE BY THE THREE
The only two games this season that Michigan State has made less than eight 3-pointers are the only games that the Spartans have lost this season. Against Creighton on Nov. 24, MSU went 7-for-18 from long range. In the loss to Nebraska on Dec. 9, Michigan State had its worst shooting night of the season, going 4-for-27 from beyond the arc. The Spartans have reached double figures in treys made in a game four times this season.

AROUND THE BIG TEN
Early on this season, Michigan State is first in the Big Ten in scoring margin (+30.6) and first in assists (22.1 apg). The Spartans are also first in the league in 3-point field goals made, averaging 10.1 per game. MSU is first in the conference in steals, averaging 11.1 spg after 12 against Nebraska on Dec. 9.

Graduate guard Moira Joiner leads the Spartans in scoring, averaging 15.2 points per game, which is 12th in the Big Ten. Junior guard DeeDee Hagemann is ninth in the league in assists, averaging 4.3 apg. Sophomore guard Abbey Kimball is sixth in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (.391), while Joiner stands eighth (.388). Guard/forward Julia Ayrault is tied for first in the conference in blocks, averaging 2.9 bpg, tied Wisconsin's Serah Williams.

FINDING HER RHYTHM
Sophomore guard Theryn Hallock has found her groove in the last three games. She netted a career-high 17 points against Miami on Dec. 3, just to match it against Nebraska on Dec. 9. She has scored in double figures for the third-straight game after 14 points last time out vs. DePaul (11/30). It was Hallock's fourth double-digit outing of her career, as her previous career-high of 13 points vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (11/10/22).

Hallock was also a menace on the defensive end of the court. She also tied a career-high with four steals in back-to-back, after just two steals in the previous seven games, with one each vs. Wright State (11/12) and Evansville (11/19).

AWESOME AYRAULT
Graduate guard Julia Ayrault earned a spot on the Cancun Challenge All-Tournament team after a solid two games. In the two games, she averaged 18.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game to go along with 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steals per game. She started with a breakout performance against James Madison with a career-high 25 points and a career-best 15 rebounds. She had the Spartans' first double-double of the season.

Overall this season, Ayrault is having her best season as a Spartan, averaging 12.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. She is also tied for first in the Big Ten in blocks, averaging 2.6 bpg. She has 26 blocks this season and 97 for her career which stands seventh in the MSU record books.

TRIPLE-DIGIT THREATS
With a 102-64 win over DePaul on Nov. 30, MSU has now broken the triple-digit mark three times in the seven games this season, the most since the 2017-18 season.

LIGHTS OUT SHOOTING
Shooting 70.9 percent from the field (39-for-55) against Detroit Mercy on Nov. 16, the Spartans had another stellar performance from the field against Evansville on Nov. 19. MSU shot 63.6 percent from the field for the game, going 42-for-66 from the field. After starting the game 0-for-6 from long range, the Spartans ended the game shooting 47.1 percent (8-for-17).

ALCOHOL SALES COME TO BRESLIN
Alcohol sales will be implemented at Breslin Center for men's and women's basketball and at Munn Ice Arena for hockey in 2024. At Breslin Center, alcohol sales begin on Jan 4 for men's basketball (vs. Penn State) and Jan. 9 for women's basketball (vs. Maryland). January 5 (vs. US National Team Development Program) will mark the first game of alcohol sales at Munn Ice Arena.

Sales will start one hour prior to announced start time at each location. At Breslin Center, sales will close at the beginning of the second half of the basketball game. At Munn Ice Arena, sales will close at the end of the second intermission.
Both beer and seltzer options will be available. All beer sold will be in 16 oz cans, while seltzer will be 12 oz cans. Cost will be $10 or $12 depending on selection. Exact locations for points of sale will be announced at a later date. Food will not be able to be purchased at the same location as alcohol.

THE DEFENSE AIN'T BAD EITHER
Michigan State has made a name for itself with its offense so far this season. But the Spartan defense hasn't been too shabby this season. MSU is first in the Big Ten in steals, averaging 11.1 spg. The Spartans are also third in the league in blocks with 4.8 per game. While scoring 93.9 ppg, Michigan State is allowing only 63.3 ppg.

LENDING A HELPING HAND
In tying the school record for assists with 34 against Detroit Mercy on Nov. 16, 11 of the 12 Spartans that played had at least one helper. Hagemann led the way with seven, which was just shy of her season high of eight. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault tied her career high with five assists.

COMING NEXT YEAR
MSU head coach Robyn Fralick announced the signing of four National Letters of Intent, including Sinai Douglas (Toledo, Ohio/Toledo Start High School), Helen Holley (Cleveland, Ohio/Gilmour Academy), Juliann Woodard (North Vernon, Indiana/Jennings County High School) and Inés Sotelo Miguez (Ourense, Spain).

Douglas is a 5-4 guard, who is a native of Toledo, Ohio. She attends Toledo Start High School and is coached by Dane Franklin. Douglas is currently ranked No. 87 in the ESPNW HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings.

Holley is a 6-1 forward, who is a native of Cleveland Ohio, plays for head coach Kevin Byrne at the Gilmour Academy. As a junior, she averaged 14.7 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. She captured second-team All-Ohio honors last season.

Woodard is a 6-0 forward, who is a native of North Vernon, Indiana, plays for head coach Kristi Sigler at Jennings County High School. Woodard is currently ranked No. 58 in the ESPNW HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings.

Sotelo Miguez is a 6-3 forward, who is a native of Ourense, Spain. She has extensive international experience, including playing with the U18 Spanish National Team last summer in Konya, Turkey at the Eurobasket Tournament.

HALL OF FAMER
Spartan All-American Tori Jankoska was inducted into the Saginaw County Sports Hall of Fame on Nov. 5. Jankoska was a four-time all-state player for Freeland High School from 2010-13 where she scored a Saginaw County record 2,333 career points, also good for No. 9 all-time in the state of Michigan. During her four years at MSU, Jankoska (2013-17) became the program record holder in career points (2,212), field goals made (707), 3-pointers made (320), and finished second in assists (489). She is currently an assistant coach at Virginia.

O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!
Michigan State head coach Robyn Fralick has announced guard/forward Julia Ayrault and guard Moira Joiner as team captains, as voted on by the players on the 2023-24 women's basketball team. The duo are the first captains that Michigan State has had since the 2019-20 season, when Victoria Gaines and Taryn McCutcheon were tabbed team leaders.

Ayrault is a guard/forward graduate student from Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan. She is in her fifth season with the Spartans after red-shirting the 2021-22 season with a foot injury. Ayrault has played in 77 games at Michigan State, starting 15.

Joiner is a guard, who is a graduate student from Saginaw, Michigan. She is also in her fifth season with MSU after missing much of the 2021-22 season with concussion symptoms. She has played in 95 games at Michigan State, starting 54.

LAST TIME OUT
Trailing by 17 with under three minutes to go, the Michigan State women's basketball teams' frantic comeback fell just short, falling in their Big Ten opener to Nebraska 80-74 at the Breslin Center on Saturday afternoon.

The comeback was fueled in part by the fourth-quarter performance of sophomore guard Theryn Hallock who scored nine points with two assists, two steals and a block in the final 10 minutes. For the game, Hallock matched her career with 17 points, which was set last week against Miami (Ohio). Graduate guard Moira Joiner was the only other Spartan in double figures, scoring a team-leading 18 points with four rebounds and three steals.