Wednesday, January 24
East Lansing, Mich.
6:30 PM
Michigan State University
vs
Purdue
MSU Opens Homestand Against Purdue Wednesday
1/23/2024 6:08:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Spartans and the Boilermakers play twice during the regular season.
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State women's basketball returns home for its longest homestand since early December. The Spartans will host Purdue on Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 6:30 p.m., before taking on Michigan on Saturday, Jan. 27 at Noon. Jack Stager and Derrick Mitchell will be on the call for Big Ten Plus.
• The Spartans stand 13-5 overall and 3-4 in Big Ten action. MSU is looking to get back on track after a 69-50 loss at Minnesota on Jan. 20. Purdue comes to the Breslin Center looking to snap a four game losing streak. The Boilermakers are 9-9 overall and 2-5 in league contests. Last time out, Purdue lost a hard-fought battle to Indiana, 74-68.
• Graduate guard Moira Joiner is inching near the 1,000 point mark. With seven points against Minnesota, she now has scored 995 points in her Spartan career. With one 3-pointer against the Gophers, she also stands sixth all-time in the MSU record books with 175 treys.
• Michigan State has had a history of bouncing back after losses this season. After the Spartans previous four losses, MSU has rebounded with a vengeance. Three of the four wins after losses have been by 18 points or more.
• MSU was limited to a season-low 50 points against Minnesota, after the previous season-low of 65 points in the 70-65 loss at No. 17/16 Ohio State (1/14/24).The Spartans were held under 80 points for just the sixth time this season.
SCOUTING PURDUE
Purdue comes to the Breslin Center with a 9-9 overall record and stand 2-5 in Big Ten contests. The Boilermakers are looking to snap a four-game losing streak. Purdue has league win against Rutgers and Wisconsin.
Last time out, the Boilermakers fell to No. 16 Indiana, 74-68. For the second time this season, the Boilermakers had five players in double figures. Caitlyn Harper led the way with 18 points and six rebounds. The sixth-year senior connected on her 100th career triples in the first quarter.
The Boilermakers are shooting 77.5 percent from the free throw to rank 25th in the country and third in the Big Ten. Abbey Ellis is fifth in the league, shooting 85 percent from the charity stripe. Overall Ellis is 18th in scoring, averaging 13.7 ppg.
Rashunda Jones has scored 19.5 points per game over her last two outings with a career-best 23 points against Penn State. She is third among Big Ten freshmen at 10 points per game. Jones is the first Purdue freshman
Head coach Katie Gearlds is in her third season at Purdue, leading the Boilermakers to back-to-back postseason bids, including the first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017. She holds and overall record of 273-85. During her three seasons at Purdue she has a record of 45-35.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE BOILERMAKERS
Purdue leads the overall series with Michigan State 44-37. The Spartans are on top of the series in the Breslin Center 24-16, while the Boilermakers are on top 23-11 in West Lafayette. On neutral ground, Purdue leads 5-2. The Boilermakers have won the last two meetings in East Lansing, including last season's overtime thriller, 76-71 on Dec. 22. MSU's last win came on March 3, 2022 in the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis, 73-69.
LAST TIME VS PURDUE
Despite fighting back from a 16-point second-half deficit, the Michigan State women's basketball team dropped a 76-71 overtime thriller against Purdue in its Big Ten opener at the Breslin Center on Dec. 20, 2022.
Graduate guard Kamaria McDaniel's layup after a steal with two second left in the second half sent the game into the Spartans' first overtime game of the season. The Boilermakers took care of business in overtime to hold on for the win.
The two teams were set to play on Feb. 15, 2013 was postponed after the shooting on MSU's campus on Feb. 13.
CRASHING THE BOARDS
The Spartans ability to crash the boards has played a key role in their success this season. Michigan State is 9-1 when out-rebounding its opponents. They are also 4-0 when a player has reached double-digits in rebounding.
MORE ON REBOUNDING
MSU was limited to a season-low 50 points, after the previous season-low of 65 points in the 70-65 loss at No. 17/16 Ohio State (1/14/24).The Spartans were held under 80 points for just the sixth time this season.
WELCOME HOME
On Jan. 27 against Michigan, the Spartans will also celebrate Alumni Day. Among the events scheduled is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the 2013-14 Big Ten Championship team. That team went 23-10, reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Spartans were led by Annalise Pickrel, Aerial Powers and Tori Jankoska that season.
MAKING THE "MO"ST OF IT
Graduate guard Moira Joiner had a solid senior season, averaging 10.1 points per game during the 2022-23 season. She scored a career-high 302 points with 46 3-pointers. For her encore performance as a Spartan, she is improving on last season. This season, she is averaging 15.9 ppg. She already has scored 277 points just 25 points away from tying last season's point total. With 48 3-pointers, she has already passed last year's total of 46.
BY THE NUMBERS VS. MINNESOTA
• MSU's starting five of junior guard DeeDee Hagemann, sophomore guard Abbey Kimball junior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate, graduate guard Moira Joiner and graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault for Wednesday's contest marked the eighth game in a row with that starting line-up and the 15th overall game this season that those five Spartans opened the game on the court. Michigan State is now 10-5 with that starting line-up.
• MSU was limited to a season-low 50 points, after the previous season-low of 65 points in the 70-65 loss at No. 17/16 Ohio State (1/14/24). The Spartans were held under 80 points for just the sixth time this season.
• Redshirt-junior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate pulled down a season-high tying eight rebounds, matching her output at Iowa (1/2/24), as part of the 10th game with five or more boards, including the last two contests.
GETTING IN THE LINEUP
MSU's starting five of junior guard DeeDee Hagemann, sophomore guard Abbey Kimball junior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate, graduate guard Moira Joiner and graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault for Saturday's contest marked the eighth game in a row with that starting line-up and the 15th overall game this season that those five Spartans opened the game on the court. Michigan State is now 10-5 with that starting line-up. The only other two Spartans to start this season are sophomore guard Theryn Hallock and junior forward Isaline Alexander.
PUTTING IN THE MINUTES
Due to significant injuries this season, the Spartans have been forced to play with nine players for much of the season. Many MSU players have been logging in a lot of minutes so far this year. Moira Joiner is 13th in the Big Ten in minutes played, averaging 31.2 mpg. DeeDee Hagemann is second with 30.1 mpg, while Theryn Hallock is third with 25.0 mpg off the bench. Overall, MSU has seven players who are averaging over 20 minutes per game.
CLOSING IN ON 1,000
Graduate guard Moira Joiner is inching near the 1,000 point mark. With seven points against Minnesota on Jan. 20, she now has scored 955 points in her Spartan career. With one 3-pointer against Ohio State, she also stands sixth all-time in the MSU record books with 175 treys. The last Spartan to reach 1,000 points was All-American Nia Clouden, who ended her career in 2022 with 1,882 points. She is looking to become the 30th member of the 1,000 point club.
MOVIN' ON UP
Several Spartans are moving up the MSU record books. With three blocks against Northwestern on Jan. 17, graduate guard Julia Ayrault now has 112 blocks and stands tied for fifth all-time at MSU, passing Spartan Hall of Famer Liz Shimek (2002-06), who had 108. Graduate guard Moira Joiner now has 174 made 3-pointers and still stands sixth all-time. Even though she is just a junior, guard DeeDee Hagemann already has 367 career assists. Hagemann's two assists against Minnesota give her 367 for her career, where she is just four away from tying Spartan great Linday Bowen (2002-06), who had 371 during her All-American career.
FRALICK HITS MILESTONE
Michigan State head coach Robyn Fralick reached a career milestone with a win against CMU on Dec. 17. She captured her 200th career win, now holding a 205-81 career record in eight seasons as a head coach at Ashland, Bowling Green and Michigan State.
AYRAULT BREAKING NEW GROUND
Against Northwestern on Jan. 17, graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault logged double-figures for the seventh time in the last eight outings as part of the 13th total game this season and the 26th of her career. Against Minnesota on Jan. 20, Ayrault made one 3-pointer, marking the eighth-straight game that she's made at least one from behind the arc and in 12 games this season.. She now has 41 blocks this season through 17 games, which is the most in a single-season since 2011-12 when Lykendra Johnson had 42 rejections. Ayrault is now two shy of breaking the MSU single-season top 10. All-American Liz Shimek is 10th with 43 during the 2004-05 season.
IF YOU CAN'T BEAT HER...JOINER
Graduate guard Moira Joiner was held under 10 points for the first time this season, halting her streak of double-figures at 17 in a row as part of 19-straight dating back to the 2022-23 season. She has now scored in double-digits in 20 of her last 22 career games played and in 46 career contests total, leading all active Spartans. She leads the team in scoring, averaging 15.9 ppg, which is 10th in the Big Ten.
AMONG THE BEST IN THE LAND
The Spartans are 16th in the nation field goal percentage, shooting 47.6 percent from the field. Michigan State is also 12th in the country in assists per game, averaging 19.5 apg. They are also first in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (1.76). The Spartans high-flying offense currently stands 14th in the nation in scoring margin, as well (+19.6). MSU is currently sixth in the nation in 3-pointers made (9.7/game).
Individually, Julia Ayrault is 19th in the nation in blocks with 41 and 21st in blocks per game (2.3 bpg). DeeDee Hagemann is 18th in the country assist/turnover ratio (2.75).
LIVE BY THE THREE
The Spartans were also limited to only five 3-pointers Sunday against OSU on Jan. 14. It was only the fifth time this season being held under eight triples, including in the last three games, and MSU is now 1-4 when doing so. The Spartans' lone win with under eight triples was last time out vs. Maryland (1/9) with seven treys, while the Spartans were held to seven 3-pointers in their first loss of the season vs. Creighton (11/24), four in the only home loss of the season, vs. Nebraska (12/9), and seven at Iowa (1/2).
Against Northwestern on Jan. 17, Michigan State hit 13 3-pointers, reaching its magic number of eight triples in the first half alone, as MSU is now 12-0 when draining eight or more treys. The 13 triples was the Spartans' ninth game hitting double-digit 3-pointers, and the third-most, behind a season-high 15 triples vs. James Madison (11/23/23) and 14 treys done three previous times, most recently vs. Coastal Carolina (12/21/23).
AROUND THE BIG TEN
This season, Michigan State is second in the Big Ten in scoring margin (+19.6) and second in assists (19.5 apg). The Spartans are also second in the league in 3-point field goals made, averaging 9.67 per game. MSU is first in turnover margin (+7.33) and first in assist/turnover ratio (1.76).
Graduate guard Moira Joiner leads the Spartans in scoring, averaging 15.9 points per game, which is tied for ninth in the Big Ten with Indiana's Sara Scalia. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault is sixth in rebounding with 7.4 rpg. Junior guard DeeDee Hagemann is eighth in the league in assists, averaging 4.5 apg and second in assist/turnover ratio (2.8). Joiner is tied for third in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (.400) with Iowa's Caitlin Clark. Ayrault is also second in the conference in blocks, averaging 2.3 bpg, behind Wisconsin's Serah Williams.
DID YOU KNOW?
In league games, it is Julia Ayrault who leads the Spartans in scoring, averaging 13.7 points per game, which is 16th in the league. Moira Joiner is second with 13.4 ppg. Julia Ayrault leads the team in rebounding in conference games with 7.4 rpg, while Jocelyn Tate is second with 6.1 rpg.
NICELY MAKING IT THROUGH DECEMBER
So far has been so very good for the Spartans, as they have made Merle Haggard proud by more than making it through December, as MSU enters Tuesday's tangle with the Hawkeyes with an 11-2 overall record, marking the Spartans' second-straight season with double-digit wins through the end of December. Overall, it marks Michigan State's 11th overall season in the 2000s with 10+ Victories for MSU rolling into the new year portion of the schedule. A win Tuesday would match the 2010-11 and 2012-13 seasons for most wins through December during the 2000s.
ALCOHOL SALES COME TO BRESLIN
Alcohol sales have been 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.
TRIPLE-DIGIT THREATS
With a 105-66 win over Coastal Carolina on Dec. 21, MSU has now broken the triple-digit mark four times in the 10 games this season. This is the first-time ever that Michigan State has had four 100-point games in a season.
COMING NEXT YEAR
MSU head coach Robyn Fralick announced the signing of four National Letters of Intent, including Sinai Douglas, Helen Holley, Juliann Woodard (North Vernon, Indiana/Jennings County High School) and Inés Sotelo.
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.
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.
LAST TIME OUT
Michigan State women's basketball fell to Minnesota on the road, 69-50, Saturday afternoon at Williams Arena.
The Spartans slid to 13-5 overall and 3-4 in Big Ten action, while Minnesota improved to 14-4 overall and 4-3 in league play.
Michigan State had its worst shooting performance of the season going 20-for-61 from the field for 32.8 percent in scoring a season-low points. Junior guard DeeDee Hagemann led the Spartans with 18 points and seven rebounds, as the only Spartan to reach double figures. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault added nine points and eight rebounds for MSU.
• The Spartans stand 13-5 overall and 3-4 in Big Ten action. MSU is looking to get back on track after a 69-50 loss at Minnesota on Jan. 20. Purdue comes to the Breslin Center looking to snap a four game losing streak. The Boilermakers are 9-9 overall and 2-5 in league contests. Last time out, Purdue lost a hard-fought battle to Indiana, 74-68.
• Graduate guard Moira Joiner is inching near the 1,000 point mark. With seven points against Minnesota, she now has scored 995 points in her Spartan career. With one 3-pointer against the Gophers, she also stands sixth all-time in the MSU record books with 175 treys.
• Michigan State has had a history of bouncing back after losses this season. After the Spartans previous four losses, MSU has rebounded with a vengeance. Three of the four wins after losses have been by 18 points or more.
• MSU was limited to a season-low 50 points against Minnesota, after the previous season-low of 65 points in the 70-65 loss at No. 17/16 Ohio State (1/14/24).The Spartans were held under 80 points for just the sixth time this season.
SCOUTING PURDUE
Purdue comes to the Breslin Center with a 9-9 overall record and stand 2-5 in Big Ten contests. The Boilermakers are looking to snap a four-game losing streak. Purdue has league win against Rutgers and Wisconsin.
Last time out, the Boilermakers fell to No. 16 Indiana, 74-68. For the second time this season, the Boilermakers had five players in double figures. Caitlyn Harper led the way with 18 points and six rebounds. The sixth-year senior connected on her 100th career triples in the first quarter.
The Boilermakers are shooting 77.5 percent from the free throw to rank 25th in the country and third in the Big Ten. Abbey Ellis is fifth in the league, shooting 85 percent from the charity stripe. Overall Ellis is 18th in scoring, averaging 13.7 ppg.
Rashunda Jones has scored 19.5 points per game over her last two outings with a career-best 23 points against Penn State. She is third among Big Ten freshmen at 10 points per game. Jones is the first Purdue freshman
Head coach Katie Gearlds is in her third season at Purdue, leading the Boilermakers to back-to-back postseason bids, including the first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017. She holds and overall record of 273-85. During her three seasons at Purdue she has a record of 45-35.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE BOILERMAKERS
Purdue leads the overall series with Michigan State 44-37. The Spartans are on top of the series in the Breslin Center 24-16, while the Boilermakers are on top 23-11 in West Lafayette. On neutral ground, Purdue leads 5-2. The Boilermakers have won the last two meetings in East Lansing, including last season's overtime thriller, 76-71 on Dec. 22. MSU's last win came on March 3, 2022 in the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis, 73-69.
LAST TIME VS PURDUE
Despite fighting back from a 16-point second-half deficit, the Michigan State women's basketball team dropped a 76-71 overtime thriller against Purdue in its Big Ten opener at the Breslin Center on Dec. 20, 2022.
Graduate guard Kamaria McDaniel's layup after a steal with two second left in the second half sent the game into the Spartans' first overtime game of the season. The Boilermakers took care of business in overtime to hold on for the win.
The two teams were set to play on Feb. 15, 2013 was postponed after the shooting on MSU's campus on Feb. 13.
CRASHING THE BOARDS
The Spartans ability to crash the boards has played a key role in their success this season. Michigan State is 9-1 when out-rebounding its opponents. They are also 4-0 when a player has reached double-digits in rebounding.
MORE ON REBOUNDING
MSU was limited to a season-low 50 points, after the previous season-low of 65 points in the 70-65 loss at No. 17/16 Ohio State (1/14/24).The Spartans were held under 80 points for just the sixth time this season.
WELCOME HOME
On Jan. 27 against Michigan, the Spartans will also celebrate Alumni Day. Among the events scheduled is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the 2013-14 Big Ten Championship team. That team went 23-10, reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Spartans were led by Annalise Pickrel, Aerial Powers and Tori Jankoska that season.
MAKING THE "MO"ST OF IT
Graduate guard Moira Joiner had a solid senior season, averaging 10.1 points per game during the 2022-23 season. She scored a career-high 302 points with 46 3-pointers. For her encore performance as a Spartan, she is improving on last season. This season, she is averaging 15.9 ppg. She already has scored 277 points just 25 points away from tying last season's point total. With 48 3-pointers, she has already passed last year's total of 46.
BY THE NUMBERS VS. MINNESOTA
• MSU's starting five of junior guard DeeDee Hagemann, sophomore guard Abbey Kimball junior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate, graduate guard Moira Joiner and graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault for Wednesday's contest marked the eighth game in a row with that starting line-up and the 15th overall game this season that those five Spartans opened the game on the court. Michigan State is now 10-5 with that starting line-up.
• MSU was limited to a season-low 50 points, after the previous season-low of 65 points in the 70-65 loss at No. 17/16 Ohio State (1/14/24). The Spartans were held under 80 points for just the sixth time this season.
• Redshirt-junior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate pulled down a season-high tying eight rebounds, matching her output at Iowa (1/2/24), as part of the 10th game with five or more boards, including the last two contests.
GETTING IN THE LINEUP
MSU's starting five of junior guard DeeDee Hagemann, sophomore guard Abbey Kimball junior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate, graduate guard Moira Joiner and graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault for Saturday's contest marked the eighth game in a row with that starting line-up and the 15th overall game this season that those five Spartans opened the game on the court. Michigan State is now 10-5 with that starting line-up. The only other two Spartans to start this season are sophomore guard Theryn Hallock and junior forward Isaline Alexander.
PUTTING IN THE MINUTES
Due to significant injuries this season, the Spartans have been forced to play with nine players for much of the season. Many MSU players have been logging in a lot of minutes so far this year. Moira Joiner is 13th in the Big Ten in minutes played, averaging 31.2 mpg. DeeDee Hagemann is second with 30.1 mpg, while Theryn Hallock is third with 25.0 mpg off the bench. Overall, MSU has seven players who are averaging over 20 minutes per game.
CLOSING IN ON 1,000
Graduate guard Moira Joiner is inching near the 1,000 point mark. With seven points against Minnesota on Jan. 20, she now has scored 955 points in her Spartan career. With one 3-pointer against Ohio State, she also stands sixth all-time in the MSU record books with 175 treys. The last Spartan to reach 1,000 points was All-American Nia Clouden, who ended her career in 2022 with 1,882 points. She is looking to become the 30th member of the 1,000 point club.
MOVIN' ON UP
Several Spartans are moving up the MSU record books. With three blocks against Northwestern on Jan. 17, graduate guard Julia Ayrault now has 112 blocks and stands tied for fifth all-time at MSU, passing Spartan Hall of Famer Liz Shimek (2002-06), who had 108. Graduate guard Moira Joiner now has 174 made 3-pointers and still stands sixth all-time. Even though she is just a junior, guard DeeDee Hagemann already has 367 career assists. Hagemann's two assists against Minnesota give her 367 for her career, where she is just four away from tying Spartan great Linday Bowen (2002-06), who had 371 during her All-American career.
FRALICK HITS MILESTONE
Michigan State head coach Robyn Fralick reached a career milestone with a win against CMU on Dec. 17. She captured her 200th career win, now holding a 205-81 career record in eight seasons as a head coach at Ashland, Bowling Green and Michigan State.
AYRAULT BREAKING NEW GROUND
Against Northwestern on Jan. 17, graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault logged double-figures for the seventh time in the last eight outings as part of the 13th total game this season and the 26th of her career. Against Minnesota on Jan. 20, Ayrault made one 3-pointer, marking the eighth-straight game that she's made at least one from behind the arc and in 12 games this season.. She now has 41 blocks this season through 17 games, which is the most in a single-season since 2011-12 when Lykendra Johnson had 42 rejections. Ayrault is now two shy of breaking the MSU single-season top 10. All-American Liz Shimek is 10th with 43 during the 2004-05 season.
IF YOU CAN'T BEAT HER...JOINER
Graduate guard Moira Joiner was held under 10 points for the first time this season, halting her streak of double-figures at 17 in a row as part of 19-straight dating back to the 2022-23 season. She has now scored in double-digits in 20 of her last 22 career games played and in 46 career contests total, leading all active Spartans. She leads the team in scoring, averaging 15.9 ppg, which is 10th in the Big Ten.
AMONG THE BEST IN THE LAND
The Spartans are 16th in the nation field goal percentage, shooting 47.6 percent from the field. Michigan State is also 12th in the country in assists per game, averaging 19.5 apg. They are also first in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (1.76). The Spartans high-flying offense currently stands 14th in the nation in scoring margin, as well (+19.6). MSU is currently sixth in the nation in 3-pointers made (9.7/game).
Individually, Julia Ayrault is 19th in the nation in blocks with 41 and 21st in blocks per game (2.3 bpg). DeeDee Hagemann is 18th in the country assist/turnover ratio (2.75).
LIVE BY THE THREE
The Spartans were also limited to only five 3-pointers Sunday against OSU on Jan. 14. It was only the fifth time this season being held under eight triples, including in the last three games, and MSU is now 1-4 when doing so. The Spartans' lone win with under eight triples was last time out vs. Maryland (1/9) with seven treys, while the Spartans were held to seven 3-pointers in their first loss of the season vs. Creighton (11/24), four in the only home loss of the season, vs. Nebraska (12/9), and seven at Iowa (1/2).
Against Northwestern on Jan. 17, Michigan State hit 13 3-pointers, reaching its magic number of eight triples in the first half alone, as MSU is now 12-0 when draining eight or more treys. The 13 triples was the Spartans' ninth game hitting double-digit 3-pointers, and the third-most, behind a season-high 15 triples vs. James Madison (11/23/23) and 14 treys done three previous times, most recently vs. Coastal Carolina (12/21/23).
AROUND THE BIG TEN
This season, Michigan State is second in the Big Ten in scoring margin (+19.6) and second in assists (19.5 apg). The Spartans are also second in the league in 3-point field goals made, averaging 9.67 per game. MSU is first in turnover margin (+7.33) and first in assist/turnover ratio (1.76).
Graduate guard Moira Joiner leads the Spartans in scoring, averaging 15.9 points per game, which is tied for ninth in the Big Ten with Indiana's Sara Scalia. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault is sixth in rebounding with 7.4 rpg. Junior guard DeeDee Hagemann is eighth in the league in assists, averaging 4.5 apg and second in assist/turnover ratio (2.8). Joiner is tied for third in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (.400) with Iowa's Caitlin Clark. Ayrault is also second in the conference in blocks, averaging 2.3 bpg, behind Wisconsin's Serah Williams.
DID YOU KNOW?
In league games, it is Julia Ayrault who leads the Spartans in scoring, averaging 13.7 points per game, which is 16th in the league. Moira Joiner is second with 13.4 ppg. Julia Ayrault leads the team in rebounding in conference games with 7.4 rpg, while Jocelyn Tate is second with 6.1 rpg.
NICELY MAKING IT THROUGH DECEMBER
So far has been so very good for the Spartans, as they have made Merle Haggard proud by more than making it through December, as MSU enters Tuesday's tangle with the Hawkeyes with an 11-2 overall record, marking the Spartans' second-straight season with double-digit wins through the end of December. Overall, it marks Michigan State's 11th overall season in the 2000s with 10+ Victories for MSU rolling into the new year portion of the schedule. A win Tuesday would match the 2010-11 and 2012-13 seasons for most wins through December during the 2000s.
ALCOHOL SALES COME TO BRESLIN
Alcohol sales have been 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.
TRIPLE-DIGIT THREATS
With a 105-66 win over Coastal Carolina on Dec. 21, MSU has now broken the triple-digit mark four times in the 10 games this season. This is the first-time ever that Michigan State has had four 100-point games in a season.
COMING NEXT YEAR
MSU head coach Robyn Fralick announced the signing of four National Letters of Intent, including Sinai Douglas, Helen Holley, Juliann Woodard (North Vernon, Indiana/Jennings County High School) and Inés Sotelo.
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.
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.
LAST TIME OUT
Michigan State women's basketball fell to Minnesota on the road, 69-50, Saturday afternoon at Williams Arena.
The Spartans slid to 13-5 overall and 3-4 in Big Ten action, while Minnesota improved to 14-4 overall and 4-3 in league play.
Michigan State had its worst shooting performance of the season going 20-for-61 from the field for 32.8 percent in scoring a season-low points. Junior guard DeeDee Hagemann led the Spartans with 18 points and seven rebounds, as the only Spartan to reach double figures. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault added nine points and eight rebounds for MSU.
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/ Women's BasketballRobyn 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