Joiner Joins 1,000 Point Club as Spartans Down Boilermakers

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Graduate guard Moira Joiner became the 30th member of the Michigan State women's basketball 1,000-point club early in the first quarter, as the Spartans rolled past Purdue, 97-70 Wednesday at the Breslin Center.

MSU rebounded after a tough loss at Minnesota and improve to 14-5 overall and 4-4 in Big Ten play. Purdue falls to 9-10 overall and 2-6 in league contests. The win was MSU's second-straight wire-to-wire at home and fifth of the season.

Overall, five Spartans reached double figures in the win. Sophomore guard Theryn Hallock set a new career high with 24 points off the bench, going 10-for-12 from the field. Graduate guard/forward Tory Ozment also set a new career high with 23 points off the bench, also adding eight rebounds. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault was just shy of a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds, while sophomore guard Abbey Kimball scored 10 points in the victory.

Purdue was led by 14 points from both Jeanae Terry and Abbey Ellis.

The Spartans hit five of six from the field to open up a 13-5 lead with under six left in the period. At the 6:39 mark of the first quarter, Joiner reached the 1,000 point mark with left-side three pointer for her fifth point of the game. At the end of the period, Ayrault led all scorers with nine points.

In the second quarter, the Spartans defense remained pesky forcing 12 turnovers in the first half. Michigan State took its first double-digit lead 32-22 after a 3-pointer by Kimball. The Boilermakers called a timeout after a 6-0 run make it a 34-22 game at the 6:18 mark. At the end of the quarter, the Spartan offense cooled, but were still able to maintain a double-digit lead heading into the locker room, 43-31.

Michigan State scored the first eight points of the third quarter to open up 51-31 advantage. The Boilermakers responded with a 6-0 run to trim the deficit to 51-37 with under five left in the period. Back-to-back treys by Ozment and Kimball re-established the Spartan lead, as the MSU offense caught fire. Ozment dominated the third quarter, scoring 15 of her 24 points during that time frame. She scored half of MSU's points, as Michigan State out-scored Purdue 30-18.

Hallock took over for the Spartans in the fourth period, scoring 16 of their 24 four-quarter points. Overall, MSU forced 20 Boilermaker turnovers, while turning it over only 10 times themselves. Despite having their best offensive period, Purdue couldn't break into the Spartan lead.

The Spartans will conclude their two-game homestand against in-state rival Michigan on Saturday, Jan. 27 at 12 p.m. for Alumni Day. MSU will also celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 2014 Big Ten Championship team.

Michigan State Women's Basketball Post-Game Notes

• Graduate guard Moira Joiner topped the 1,000 career point mark Wednesday night with a 3-pointer at the 6:39 mark for her fifth point of the game ... Joiner becomes the 30th Spartan women's basketball player to join the MSU 1,000-Point Club and the first since All-American Nia Clouden hit her 1,000th point on Jan. 7, 2021 vs. Maryland ... Clouden finished her career in 2022 with 1,882 points ... Joiner finished with 14 points Wednesday, giving her 1,009 career points, needing just three more for the No. 29 mark on MSU's scoring list, held by Jill Prudden (1974-78) with 1,012 career points.

• MSU improved to 9-1 at home this season, having won the last four home games.

• The Spartan 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 game was the ninth-consecutive game with that starting line-up ... overall, it's the 16th game this season that the Spartans have had that starting five on the court for tipoff ... MSU improves to 11-5 when those five start together.

• MSU moves to 13-3 when leading at halftime, as the Spartans had a 43-31 advantage at intermission.

• A game after scoring a season-low 50 points, the Spartans rebounded in a big way with 97 points Wednesday, as Michigan State has scored at least 80 points in 13 of the 14 Victories for MSU so far this season as part of netting 90+ points for the 11th game this season ... MSU has lit up the score board in the 90s for the second-straight home game after posting 91 points in the 91-72 win over Northwestern (1/17/24) ... the Spartans have topped the 90-point plateau in four of the last eight games and five of the last 10 contests.

• Michigan State netted nine 3-pointers Wednesday, as the Spartans improved to 13-0 when making at least eight triples.

• The Spartans distributed 24 assists, logging the eighth time this season they've registered 20+ helpers ... MSU had just 10 turnovers for a 2.4 assist/turnover ratio, as the Spartans came into Wednesday leading both the B1G and NCAA in assist/turnover ratio (1.76).

• MSU swiped 12 steals, matching the most in a B1G game this season, also with 12 vs. Nebraska (12/9/23) ... the 12 steals was the Spartans' ninth game with double-digit steals and just the third B1G contest ... MSU is now 8-1 overall and 2-1 in B1G action with 10+ steals in a game.

• Michigan State also tied a B1G-high with six blocks, matching six rejections vs. Penn State (12/30/23) ... it was MSU's seventh game with five or more blocks, improving to 6-1 when doing so.

• MSU led from start-to-finish Wednesday night, marking the second-straight home game and the fifth overall time this season that the Spartans have never trailed in the game, including the fourth time at home, joining Game 4 vs. Evansville (11/19/23), Game 10 vs. Central Michigan (12/17/23), Game 12 vs. Coastal Carolina (12/21/23) and Game 17 vs. Northwestern (1/17/24), with the neutral-court Coastal Carolina contest the lone game away from home in going tip to final buzzer never trailing.

• Five Spartans posted double-figures, including two with 20+ points, and both netting career-highs in coming off the bench, led by sophomore guard Tharyn Hallock's 24 points, while graduate guard/forward Tory Ozment netted 23 points ... it was the third time this season that MSU had two players with 20+ points, and first since vs. Maryland (1/9/24), when graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault and graduate guard Moira Joiner both tallied 20 points ... the Spartans also had a pair of 20-point scorers vs. James Madison (11/23/23), when Ayrault (25) and sophomore guard Abbey Kimball (21) both topped 20 points.

• Hallock and Ozment's 20-point outings give the Spartans a total of 12 20-point performances this season ... Hallock's 24 points is No. 5 on MSU's single-game scoring list, behind Ayrault's 32 points vs. Coastal Carolina (12/21/23), Joiner's 27 points vs. Central Michigan (12/17/23), Joiner's 26 points at DePaul (11/30/23) and Ayrault's 25 points vs. James Madison (11/23/23).

• Wednesday night's other double-digit scorers included Ayrault with 18 points, Joiner with 14 points and Kimball added 10 points ... MSU is now 6-1 on the season when five or more Spartans net double-digits.

• Hallock logged a career-high for the second time in the last seven games, but her first at home after 21 points at Penn State (12/30/23), for her only two 20+ outings of her career ... the 24 points was her second double-digit scoring outing in the last three games as part of the fourth in the last seven contests ... overall, Hallack has tallied 10+ points seven times this season and eight times in her two-year Spartan career.

• Hallock dished out five assists, for her 11th outing with three or more helpers this season.

• Ozment's 23 points was her first 20-point outing of her career, topping her previous career-high of 19 points vs. Virginia (11/28/18) ... she bettered her previous season-high of 18 points at Ohio State (1/14/24) ... Ozment logged double-digits for the third time in the last four outings as part of the fifth time in the last seven games, now with nine double-figure scoring outings this season and 23 in her career.

• Ozment also pulled down eight rebounds, one shy of her career-high of nine boards at Ohio State (1/14/24), and the 12th game this season with five or more rebounds.

• Ayrault's 18 points is her second double-digit scoring output in the last three games, part of her 14th overall this season and 27th of her career, ranking second among active Spartans behind Joiner's 47 games.

• Ayrault also snared a game-high nine rebounds, one shy of posting her fourth double-double of the season ... the eight boards is Ayrault's second game in a row with eight rebounds as part of the 16th time this season she's registered five or more rebounds in a game, including in 11 of the last 12 contests.

• Additionally, Ayrault swatted five blocks Wednesday for her 14th game this season with multiple blocks, including three or more for the seventh time ... the five blocks is tied for her second-most in a game, matching the season-opener vs. Oakland (11/8/23) and behind her career-high seven vs. Evansville (11/19/23).

• With the five blocks, Ayrault now has 46 blocks on the season through 18 games, the most in a single-season since 2009-10 when Allyssa DeHaan had 101 rejections ... the five blocks Wednesday night helped Ayrault crack into MSU's single-season top 10 list, leap-frogging up to the No. 8 spot, passing Liz Shimek (2004-05) with 43 blocks, Lykendra Johnson (2010-11) with 44 rejections, and Kristen Rasmussen (1997-98) with 45 swats ... Ayrault needs just four more for the No. 7 spot of 50 blocks by Kelli Roehrig (2004-05).

• The five blocks Wednesday gives Ayrault 117 for her career, becoming the fifth Spartan women's basketball player with 110 blocks ... Ayrault has sole possession of the No. 5 spot on MSU's career blocks list, needing 17 more for the No. 4 spot held by Kelli Roehrig (2001-05) with 134 blocks.

• Ayrault also swiped a season-high and career-best tying five steals Wednesday, bettering her previous season-high of three from the game at DePaul (11/30/23) and matching her career-best of five at Minnesota (12/9/20) ... the five swipes was her fifth game this season with multiple steals.

• Joiner's 14 points puts her back on track in double-figures after her streak of double-digit scoring was halted at 19-straight games dating back to last season by scoring single digits for the first time this season with seven points last time out at Minnesota ... Joiner has posted 10+ points in 18 of the 19 games this season and in 21 of her last 23 career games ... overall, Joiner has posted double-figures in 47 career contests, leading all active Spartans.

• Joiner netted two 3-pointers for her 11th-straight game making at least one from behind the arc ... with the two 3-pointers Wednesday night, Joiner now has 50 on the season, not only the most in a season of her career, but needing just 18 more to reach MSU's single-season top 10 list, as Tori Jankoska (2014-15) and Lindsay Bowen (2005-06) are tied for the No. 9 spot with 68 3-pointers.

• The two triples Wednesday night gives Joiner 177 career 3-pointers, holding solid at the No. 6 spot on MSU's career 3-pointers list, Joiner needs just six more for the No. 5 spot held by Kalisha Keane (2007-11) with 183 treys.

• Junior guard DeeDee Hagemann distributed a team-high and game-best tying eight assists, dishing out eight helpers for the second time in last three games ... the eight assists ties Hagemann's season-high for the third time this season, matching eight helpers from last home game, vs. Northwestern (1/17/24) and vs. Wright State (11/12/23) ... it was her 14th game with three or more helpers, as part of the 10th game with five or more assists.

• With eight assists Wednesday, Hagemann now has 375 for her career, moving up to No. 11 on the Spartans' career assists list, passing Lindsay Bowen (2002-06) for the No. 11 spot with 371 assists ... Hagemann needs just six more to crack the top 10 as Kim Archer (1983-88) holds the No. 10 spot with 381 helpers.

Players Mentioned

Julia Ayrault

DeeDee Hagemann

Theryn Hallock

Moira Joiner

Abbey Kimball

Tory Ozment

Jocelyn Tate