MSU Opens Cherokee Invitational with Win over Richmond, 83-76

CHEROKEE, N.C. - Graduate guard Moira Joiner earned her first double-double of the season, leading the Michigan State women's basketball team to a hard-fought win over Richmond, 83-76 at the Cherokee Invitational on Wednesday night.

MSU will now take on Coastal Carolina in the championship game tomorrow at 9:30 p.m. The Chanticleers defeated Chattanooga earlier in the evening, 53-49. The Spartans improved to 9-2 this season, while the Spiders fell to 9-3 with the loss.

Joiner continued her streak of reaching double digits in every game this season with 18 points also adding a season-high 10 rebounds. Junior guard DeeDee Hagemann led the Spartans with 21 points with a team-high four assists. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault was near a double-double with 13 points and eight rebounds, while junior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate reached double figures with 11 points and three steals.

The Spiders were led by 17 points from Addie Budnik.

Michigan State started strong, scoring the first nine points of the game, leading to an early Spider timeout. The advantage grew to 18-3 after a trey by Hagemann. Maggie Doogan kept Richmond within reach in the first period with six points in the first 10 minutes. Behind seven from Hagemann and six from Joiner, MSU led at the end of the quarter 24-14. MSU was solid on the boards in the first quarter out-rebounding Richmond 13-3.

In the second quarter, the Spartans did not relinquish the lead, but the game tightened up. Michigan State was called for a technical foul and in the four ensuing free throws, Richmond made it a 41-34 game with 1:17 remaining in the half. Tate split a pair of free throws before the half ended and MSU entered the locker room with a 42-34 advantage.

Michigan State had a slow start to the second half, as Richmond used a 7-0 run to make it a 46-43 game at the 6:33 mark of the third period. Richmond took its first leads 52-51 after another Budnik trey. Before the period ended, Ayrault put Michigan State back on top with a buzzer-beater shot 58-56.

Ayrault scored eight-straight to put MSU back up 64-58. Michigan State went on a crucial 9-0 run to make it a 67-58 game with 6:55 left. A 3-pointer from Hagemann put MSU back up by double-digits 72-60. The Spiders didn't go away quietly, chiseling the lead down to six after a 3-pointer by Budnik. Graduate guard/forward Tory Ozment made two key rebounds and the Spartans made free throws down the stretch to preserve the victory.

Michigan State Women's Basketball Post-Game Notes
• Michigan State scored 83 points Wednesday night, as the Spartans have scored 80+ points in all nine victories so far in the 11-game season thus far, scoring 69 in the 83-69 loss to Creighton (11/24) and 74 in the 80-74 loss to Nebraska (12/6) ... MSU's 83 points were its fewest points in a win.

• In making 10 3-pointers Wednesday night, the Spartans drained double-digit 3-pointers for the second-straight outing and the sixth overall time this season ... MSU is now 9-0 when making eight or more triples, netting at least eight triples in all nine victories, while making seven and four in the aforementioned losses to Creighton and Nebraska, respectively.

• The Spartans had a +15 rebounding margin (43-28), marking MSU's second-largest rebounding margin behind the season-high +23 (48-25) vs. Wright State (11/12) ... the +15 rebounding margin was Michigan State's fourth game with a double-digit rebounding margin, joining +23 vs. Wright State (11/12), +14 vs. Detroit Mercy (11/16), +12 vs. James Madison (11/23).

• Junior guard DeeDee Hagemann netted 21 points to log her third 20+ point outing of the season and fourth of her career, as MSU improves to 3-0 this season and 4-0 in her career when Hagemann tallied 20 or more points ... Hagemann led MSU in scoring for the fifth time this season and seventh in her career, as the Spartans moved to 5-0 on the season and 6-1 in her career when topping the Spartans in scoring ... the 21 points was also Hagemann's seventh double-figure scoring outing of the season and 29th of her career.

• Graduate guard Moira Joiner registered her first double-double of the season with 18 points and a game-high 10 rebounds ... it was Joiner's second double-double of her career, joining an 11-point and 10-rebound outing last season vs. Iowa (1/18/23).

• The Spartans have three double-doubles in the last two games, after last game when sophomore guard Theryn Hallock tallied 17 points and a game-high and career-best 12 assists, while graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault had 13 points and a game-high tying 10 rebounds.

• Joiner's 18 points continued her streak of double-figures in every game this season, now at 11 in row this season, as part of 13-consecutive games back to the 2022-23 season, and in 14 of her last 15 games ... overall, Joiner has now posted double-figures in 40 career games.

• Joiner led MSU in rebounding with the game-high 10 boards, which was a new season-high and one shy of her career-high for Joiner ... it was her third double-digit rebounding game.

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Team Stats

DeeDee Hagemann

Moira Joiner

Julia Ayrault

Jocelyn Tate

Players Mentioned

Julia Ayrault

DeeDee Hagemann

Theryn Hallock

Moira Joiner

Tory Ozment

Jocelyn Tate