Michigan State University Athletics
MSU Women's Basketball Concludes Regular Season at Wisconsin Sunday
3/2/2024 9:43:00 AM | Women's Basketball
This is the only meeting between the two teams during the regular season.
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State women's basketball will conclude the regular season at Wisconsin on Sunday, March 3 at 2 p.m. ET. This is the first meeting of the season between the Spartans and the Badgers. Kylen Mills and Christy Winters Scott will be on the call for the Big Ten Network.
• The Spartans improve to 21-7 overall and 11-6 in Big Ten games, winning four straight. This is the first time since the 2015-16 season that MSU has exceeded the 10-win mark in league play, finishing 13-5 that season. This is the first time that Michigan State has reach 21 wins since the 2018-19 season. That year, the Spartans went 21-12, reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
• Wisconsin stands 13-14 overall and 6-11 in Big Ten games, heading into the final game of the regular season. Last time out, the Badgers fell to Maryland on the road, 79-63.
• During MSU's four-game winning streak, the Spartans are averaging 79.5 ppg, while allowing only 63.0 ppg. During this span, the Spartans are shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from beyond the arc. Graduate guard Moira Joiner leads the team in scoring the last four outings, averaging 14.3 ppg.
• For the 11th time this season, Michigan State had five players in double figures in the win against Illinois. The Spartans improved to 9-2 when five players reach double figures. Sophomore Theyn Hallock and graduate Moira Joiner tied for the team lead in scoring with 16 points.
SCOUTING WISCONSIN
Sunday is not only MSU's regular-season finale, but it's also the lone meeting of the season with the Badgers, who tote a 13-14 overall and 6-11 B1G record into Sunday's showdown with the Spartans. The Badgers have split their last six games, including winning two in row with triumphs over Rutgers (61-43 on Feb. 17) and Minnesota (67-56 on Feb. 20), before losing to Purdue (79-55 on Feb. 25) and at Maryland (79-63 on Feb. 29).
Wisconsin is 14th in the B1G in scoring offense (62.4 ppg), while ranking sixth in scoring defense (67.6 ppg), to rank 12th in scoring margin (-5.2). The Badger defense is second in the conference in opponent field goal percentage, limiting the opposition to just 40.0 percent from the field, boosted by leading the B1G and ranking 41st in the NCAA in blocked shots (4.4 pg.)
Individually, two Badgers are averaging 10+ ppg, lead by sophomore forward Serah Williams, who is third in the B1G in scoring at 18.3 ppg, while averaging a double-double with a league-leading 11.3 rebounds per game, and also topping the conference and ranking sixth in the country in blocks per game (2.9).
Marisa Moseley is in her third year as head coach at Wisconsin, amassing a 33-54 record with the Badgers. Moseley is in her sixth season overall as a collegiate coach, posting a 77-83 overall record.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE BADGERS
Michigan State holds the overall series lead over Wisconsin, 49-27. In Madison, the series is tied 19-19, while the Spartans lead in East Lansing, 27-7. On neutral territory, MSU holds the advantage 3-1. Michigan State has won five of the last six outings with Wisconsin winning in East Lansing last season in overtime, 84-80 on Jan. 1, 2023. MSU earned its revenge in Madison with an 88-63 win on Feb. 8, 2023.
LAST TIME VS WISCONSIN
Behind a pair of 20-point performances from graduate guard Kamaria McDaniel and senior forward Taiyier Parks, the Michigan State women's basketball team got back in the winning column with a dominating 88-63 victory over Wisconsin at the Kohl Center on Feb. 8, 2023
For the first time this season, Michigan State had a pair of players reach the 20-point mark. McDaniel set a new MSU high with 29 points to lead MSU, netting a career-high six 3-pointers, adding five rebounds. Parks had a career-high 20 points, going 9-for-10 from the field, also adding a team-high tying five boards. Sophomore guard DeeDee Hagemann reached double figures for the fourth-straight game with 13 points and dished out six assists.
PACKING THE STAT SHEET
For the 11th time this season, Michigan State had five players in double figures. The Spartans improved to 9-2 when five players reached double figures. Sophomore guard Theyn Hallock and graduate guard Moira Joiner tied for the team lead in scoring with 16 points.
LOOKING AT THE LAST FOUR
During MSU's four-game winning streak, the Spartans are averaging 79.5 ppg, while allowing only 63.0 ppg. During this span, the Spartans are shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from beyond the arc. Graduate guard Moira Joiner leads the team in scoring the last four outings, averaging 14.3 ppg. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault is right behind her with 14.0 ppg and 6.8 rpg. During the streak, MSU is beating teams by an average of 16.5 ppg.
BY THE NUMBERS VS. ILLINOIS
• Sophomore guard Theyrn Hallock tied her career high with four steals. She has reached this mark four times in her career with the last time coming against Nebraska on Dec. 9. Hallock also tied for the team lead in scoring with 16 points.
• MSU led from start-to-finish against Illinois on Feb. 29, marking the sixth overall time this season that the Spartans have never trailed in the game, including the fifth 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), Game 17 vs. Northwestern (1/17/24) and Game 19 vs. Purdue (1/19/24), with the neutral-court Coastal Carolina contest the lone game away from home in going tip to final buzzer never trailing.
• On Senior Day, the two Spartans seniors Moira Joiner and Tory Ozment both reached double figures. Joiner tied for the team lead with Theryn Hallock, while Ozment scored 15.
TATE BACK ON TRACK
Junior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate reached double figures for the first time since scoring 14 points against Michigan on Jan. 27. It was the sixth time this season that she has reached double figures. Tate also three assists and two steals in the win. The junior went 5-for-10 from the field, including tying her career high with one 3-pointer.
SETTING NEW STANDARDS
The Spartans improve to 21-7 overall and 11-6 in Big Ten games, winning four straight. This is the first time since the 2015-16 season that MSU has exceeded the 10-win mark in league play, finishing 13-5 that season. This is the first time that Michigan State has reach 21 wins since the 2018-19 season. That year, the Spartans went 21-12, reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
HAGEMANN'S HELPERS
Junior guard DeeDee Hagemann recorded six assists against Illinois on Feb. 29 to reach 140 for the season. She has had at least 140 steals in all three seasons at Michigan State. With four more assists, she will tie herself from the 2021-22 season and Spartan All-American Kristin Haynie (2002-03) with 144 assists. Her career high is 146 assists which she achieved last season, which stands eight in the MSU single-season records.
RE-WRITING HISTORY
The Spartans also broke the single-season school record for 3-pointers in a season against the Scarlet Knights on Feb. 24. MSU came into the game needing 11 to break the record and hit 14 in the game. The Spartans have now recorded 264 3-pointers this season, breaking the record set during the 2016-17 season. Graduate guard Moira Joiner leads the team with 70 3-pointers. The single-season record for individual treys was 122 by All-American Tori Jankoska during the 2016-17 season.
LOOKING TO BEAT THE BEST
Michigan State is still looking for its first win over a ranked team this season. The Spartans are 0-4 this year with losses to then-No. 4/3 Iowa and then-No. 17-16 Ohio State. On Feb. 8, Michigan State lost another close battle to No. 14/14 Indiana, 94-91, before falling to No. 5/5 Ohio State on Feb. 11. Three of the Spartans' four losses to ranked teams have come by five points or less. MSU's last win against a ranked team came against Indiana. On Dec. 29, 2022, the Spartans upset No. 3/3 Indiana, 83-78 in East Lansing.
AMONG THE BEST IN THE LAND
The Spartans are ninth in the nation field goal percentage, shooting 48.5 percent from the field. Michigan State is also seventh in the country in assists per game, averaging 19.4 apg. They are second in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (1.67). The Spartans high-flying offense currently stands sixth in the nation in scoring offense, as well (84.7 ppg). MSU is currently ninth in the nation in 3-pointers made (9.4/game).
Individually, Julia Ayrault is 22nd in the nation in blocks with 60 and 23rd in blocks per game (2.1 bpg). DeeDee Hagemann is fourth in the country assist/turnover ratio (2.98).
NET RANKING
Through Feb. 25, Michigan State holds a NET ranking of No. 22, which is fourth-best in the Big Ten. Iowa is first at No. 6, followed by Ohio State at No. 8 and Indiana at No. 13.
OH WHAT A NIGHT
Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault had the hot hand against No. 14/13 Indiana on Feb. 8. Ayrault netted a B1G season-high 25 points topping her previous B1G season-high of 20 points vs. Maryland (1/9/24). She netted a career-high five 3-pointers, bettering her previous top mark of four triples vs. Coastal Carolina (12/21/23). The five triples was her third game in the last four with multiple triples as part of the eighth game this season with more than one 3-pointer. Ayrault ended the game 9-for-11 from the field.
DID YOU KNOW?
Against Illinois on Feb. 29, graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault had her fourth double-double of the season and sixth of her career with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
HISTORY HAS ITS EYE ON YOU
First-year Michigan State head coach Robyn Fralick is the first Spartan head coach to post a Victory for MSU over Michigan in their first meeting since Karen Langeland's first season of 1976-77 in a 63-62 triumph on Jan. 24, 1977. Overall, Fralick is the third MSU head coach to do so, joining inaugural head coach Mikki Baile in the first-ever meeting between the Spartans and Wolverines on Feb. 3, 1973. With MSU's win in Ann Arbor on Feb. 18, Fralick joined Baile and Langeland as the only two coaches to sweep the Wolverines in their first attempt.
GETTING IN THE LINEUP
Michigan State's starting five for Thursday's game made up of junior guard DeeDee Hagemann, sophomore guard Abbey Kimball junior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate, graduate guard Moira Joiner and graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault was MSU's 19th-consecutive game with those five Spartans on the court for tip-off. Michigan State has started a total of 25 games this season with that starting five, improving to 18-7 on the season. The only other two Spartans to start this season are sophomore guard Theryn Hallock and junior forward Isaline Alexander.
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK... RECORD BOOK
Julia Ayrault's one block against Illinois on Feb. 29 gives her 60 rejections this season, which are the most by a Spartan in a single-season since 2009-10 when Allyssa DeHaan had 101 rejections. With the 60 blocks, Ayrault remains in the No. 5 spot on MSU's single-season blocks list, passing No. 6 with Kristen Rasmussen (1999-2000), who was at the No. 5 spot with 57 in the 1998-98 season.
Blocked Shots
1. Allyssa DeHaan 150 2007-08
2. Allyssa DeHaan 145 2006-07
3. Allyssa DeHaan 107 2008-09
4. Allyssa DeHaan 101 2009-10
5. Julia Ayrault 60 2023-24
6. Kristen Rasmussen 57 1998-99
7. Kristen Rasmussen 53 1999-00
8. Kelli Roehrig 50 2004-05
9. Kristen Rasmussen 45 1997-98
10. Lykendra Johnson 44 2010-11
BRING ON THE BENCH
All season, the Michigan State bench has been a key part of the Spartans' success all season. MSU is 16th in the nation and first in the Big Ten in bench points, averaging 26.6 per game. Against Illinois on Feb. 29, Michigan State's bench out-scored UI's 31-11. Against the Illini, Theryn Hallock tied for the team lead in scoring with 16 points . The Spartans improved to 18-5 when out-scoring its opponents bench. This season, the MSU bench has scored 740 points through 28 games. Hallock is fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 11.2 ppg.
MOVIN' ON UP
Several Spartans are moving up the MSU record books. Graduate guard Moira Joiner now has 197 made 3-pointers. Joiner made six 3-pointers against Rutgers to separate from a tie with Kalisha Keane (2007-11) for the No. 5 spot on MSU's career 3-pointers list. Even though she is just a junior, guard DeeDee Hagemann already has 430 career assists. Hagemann dished out a team-high six assists against Illinois on Feb. 29. She is just the ninth player in MSU program history to reach the 400-career assists plateau, standing alone for No. 7 in the MSU career record books. Deb Traxinger is No. 6 with 443 (1978-82) career assists.
JULIA AYRAULT... SCORING MACHINE
Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault has now scored in double figures for 10-straight games, including scoring 14 against Illinois on Jan. 29. She is second on the team in double-figure games with 23 just behind Moira Joiner's 25. The Spartans are 19-4 when she scores in double figures this season. For her career, she has 37 double-digit scoring games with MSU standing 29-9 in those games. She leads the team in scoring, averaging 15.0 ppg after only averaging 3.6 ppg last season.
With the 419 points, graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault needs just 15 more points to equal the combined sum of her previous three seasons in a Spartan uniform, as she had a combined 434 points in the 2019-23 seasons.
IF YOU CAN'T BEAT HER...JOINER
Graduate guard Moira Joiner topped the 1,000 career point mark with a 3-pointer at the 6:39 mark for her fifth point of the game against Purdue on Jan. 24. She 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 now has scored 1,132 career points which puts her 26th all-time in the MSU record books. She is 12 points away from passing Julie Polakowski (1982-86), who stands 23rd with 1,143 points.
AROUND THE BIG TEN
This season, Michigan State is third in the Big Ten in scoring margin (+17.1) and second in assists (18.9 apg). The Spartans are also second in the league in 3-point field goals made, averaging 9.27 per game. MSU is second in turnover margin (+6.62) and first in assist/turnover ratio (1.66).
Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault leads the Spartans in scoring, averaging 15.0 points per game, which is 11th in the conference, while graduate guard Moira Joiner is 12th with 14.8 ppg. Ayrault is also eighth in rebounding with 7.4 rpg and fourth in field goal percentage (.519). Junior guard DeeDee Hagemann is sixth in the league in assists, averaging 5.2 apg and first in assist/turnover ratio (2.98). Ayrault is also second in the conference in blocks, averaging 2.1 bpg, behind Wisconsin's Serah Williams. Joiner stands second in the league in 3-points field goal percentage (.422).
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.
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
With five players in double figures, Michigan State women's basketball sent seniors Moira Joiner and Tory Ozment out in style with a wire-to-wire win against Illinois, 87-70, Thursday night at the Breslin Center.
Joiner and sophomore guard Theryn Hallock led the Spartans with 16 points each, part of five players in double figures. Ozment also had a strong Senior Day with 15 points, while junior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate added 11 points and two steals. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault had her fourth double-double of the season and sixth of her career with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
• The Spartans improve to 21-7 overall and 11-6 in Big Ten games, winning four straight. This is the first time since the 2015-16 season that MSU has exceeded the 10-win mark in league play, finishing 13-5 that season. This is the first time that Michigan State has reach 21 wins since the 2018-19 season. That year, the Spartans went 21-12, reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
• Wisconsin stands 13-14 overall and 6-11 in Big Ten games, heading into the final game of the regular season. Last time out, the Badgers fell to Maryland on the road, 79-63.
• During MSU's four-game winning streak, the Spartans are averaging 79.5 ppg, while allowing only 63.0 ppg. During this span, the Spartans are shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from beyond the arc. Graduate guard Moira Joiner leads the team in scoring the last four outings, averaging 14.3 ppg.
• For the 11th time this season, Michigan State had five players in double figures in the win against Illinois. The Spartans improved to 9-2 when five players reach double figures. Sophomore Theyn Hallock and graduate Moira Joiner tied for the team lead in scoring with 16 points.
SCOUTING WISCONSIN
Sunday is not only MSU's regular-season finale, but it's also the lone meeting of the season with the Badgers, who tote a 13-14 overall and 6-11 B1G record into Sunday's showdown with the Spartans. The Badgers have split their last six games, including winning two in row with triumphs over Rutgers (61-43 on Feb. 17) and Minnesota (67-56 on Feb. 20), before losing to Purdue (79-55 on Feb. 25) and at Maryland (79-63 on Feb. 29).
Wisconsin is 14th in the B1G in scoring offense (62.4 ppg), while ranking sixth in scoring defense (67.6 ppg), to rank 12th in scoring margin (-5.2). The Badger defense is second in the conference in opponent field goal percentage, limiting the opposition to just 40.0 percent from the field, boosted by leading the B1G and ranking 41st in the NCAA in blocked shots (4.4 pg.)
Individually, two Badgers are averaging 10+ ppg, lead by sophomore forward Serah Williams, who is third in the B1G in scoring at 18.3 ppg, while averaging a double-double with a league-leading 11.3 rebounds per game, and also topping the conference and ranking sixth in the country in blocks per game (2.9).
Marisa Moseley is in her third year as head coach at Wisconsin, amassing a 33-54 record with the Badgers. Moseley is in her sixth season overall as a collegiate coach, posting a 77-83 overall record.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE BADGERS
Michigan State holds the overall series lead over Wisconsin, 49-27. In Madison, the series is tied 19-19, while the Spartans lead in East Lansing, 27-7. On neutral territory, MSU holds the advantage 3-1. Michigan State has won five of the last six outings with Wisconsin winning in East Lansing last season in overtime, 84-80 on Jan. 1, 2023. MSU earned its revenge in Madison with an 88-63 win on Feb. 8, 2023.
LAST TIME VS WISCONSIN
Behind a pair of 20-point performances from graduate guard Kamaria McDaniel and senior forward Taiyier Parks, the Michigan State women's basketball team got back in the winning column with a dominating 88-63 victory over Wisconsin at the Kohl Center on Feb. 8, 2023
For the first time this season, Michigan State had a pair of players reach the 20-point mark. McDaniel set a new MSU high with 29 points to lead MSU, netting a career-high six 3-pointers, adding five rebounds. Parks had a career-high 20 points, going 9-for-10 from the field, also adding a team-high tying five boards. Sophomore guard DeeDee Hagemann reached double figures for the fourth-straight game with 13 points and dished out six assists.
PACKING THE STAT SHEET
For the 11th time this season, Michigan State had five players in double figures. The Spartans improved to 9-2 when five players reached double figures. Sophomore guard Theyn Hallock and graduate guard Moira Joiner tied for the team lead in scoring with 16 points.
LOOKING AT THE LAST FOUR
During MSU's four-game winning streak, the Spartans are averaging 79.5 ppg, while allowing only 63.0 ppg. During this span, the Spartans are shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from beyond the arc. Graduate guard Moira Joiner leads the team in scoring the last four outings, averaging 14.3 ppg. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault is right behind her with 14.0 ppg and 6.8 rpg. During the streak, MSU is beating teams by an average of 16.5 ppg.
BY THE NUMBERS VS. ILLINOIS
• Sophomore guard Theyrn Hallock tied her career high with four steals. She has reached this mark four times in her career with the last time coming against Nebraska on Dec. 9. Hallock also tied for the team lead in scoring with 16 points.
• MSU led from start-to-finish against Illinois on Feb. 29, marking the sixth overall time this season that the Spartans have never trailed in the game, including the fifth 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), Game 17 vs. Northwestern (1/17/24) and Game 19 vs. Purdue (1/19/24), with the neutral-court Coastal Carolina contest the lone game away from home in going tip to final buzzer never trailing.
• On Senior Day, the two Spartans seniors Moira Joiner and Tory Ozment both reached double figures. Joiner tied for the team lead with Theryn Hallock, while Ozment scored 15.
TATE BACK ON TRACK
Junior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate reached double figures for the first time since scoring 14 points against Michigan on Jan. 27. It was the sixth time this season that she has reached double figures. Tate also three assists and two steals in the win. The junior went 5-for-10 from the field, including tying her career high with one 3-pointer.
SETTING NEW STANDARDS
The Spartans improve to 21-7 overall and 11-6 in Big Ten games, winning four straight. This is the first time since the 2015-16 season that MSU has exceeded the 10-win mark in league play, finishing 13-5 that season. This is the first time that Michigan State has reach 21 wins since the 2018-19 season. That year, the Spartans went 21-12, reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
HAGEMANN'S HELPERS
Junior guard DeeDee Hagemann recorded six assists against Illinois on Feb. 29 to reach 140 for the season. She has had at least 140 steals in all three seasons at Michigan State. With four more assists, she will tie herself from the 2021-22 season and Spartan All-American Kristin Haynie (2002-03) with 144 assists. Her career high is 146 assists which she achieved last season, which stands eight in the MSU single-season records.
RE-WRITING HISTORY
The Spartans also broke the single-season school record for 3-pointers in a season against the Scarlet Knights on Feb. 24. MSU came into the game needing 11 to break the record and hit 14 in the game. The Spartans have now recorded 264 3-pointers this season, breaking the record set during the 2016-17 season. Graduate guard Moira Joiner leads the team with 70 3-pointers. The single-season record for individual treys was 122 by All-American Tori Jankoska during the 2016-17 season.
LOOKING TO BEAT THE BEST
Michigan State is still looking for its first win over a ranked team this season. The Spartans are 0-4 this year with losses to then-No. 4/3 Iowa and then-No. 17-16 Ohio State. On Feb. 8, Michigan State lost another close battle to No. 14/14 Indiana, 94-91, before falling to No. 5/5 Ohio State on Feb. 11. Three of the Spartans' four losses to ranked teams have come by five points or less. MSU's last win against a ranked team came against Indiana. On Dec. 29, 2022, the Spartans upset No. 3/3 Indiana, 83-78 in East Lansing.
AMONG THE BEST IN THE LAND
The Spartans are ninth in the nation field goal percentage, shooting 48.5 percent from the field. Michigan State is also seventh in the country in assists per game, averaging 19.4 apg. They are second in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (1.67). The Spartans high-flying offense currently stands sixth in the nation in scoring offense, as well (84.7 ppg). MSU is currently ninth in the nation in 3-pointers made (9.4/game).
Individually, Julia Ayrault is 22nd in the nation in blocks with 60 and 23rd in blocks per game (2.1 bpg). DeeDee Hagemann is fourth in the country assist/turnover ratio (2.98).
NET RANKING
Through Feb. 25, Michigan State holds a NET ranking of No. 22, which is fourth-best in the Big Ten. Iowa is first at No. 6, followed by Ohio State at No. 8 and Indiana at No. 13.
OH WHAT A NIGHT
Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault had the hot hand against No. 14/13 Indiana on Feb. 8. Ayrault netted a B1G season-high 25 points topping her previous B1G season-high of 20 points vs. Maryland (1/9/24). She netted a career-high five 3-pointers, bettering her previous top mark of four triples vs. Coastal Carolina (12/21/23). The five triples was her third game in the last four with multiple triples as part of the eighth game this season with more than one 3-pointer. Ayrault ended the game 9-for-11 from the field.
DID YOU KNOW?
Against Illinois on Feb. 29, graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault had her fourth double-double of the season and sixth of her career with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
HISTORY HAS ITS EYE ON YOU
First-year Michigan State head coach Robyn Fralick is the first Spartan head coach to post a Victory for MSU over Michigan in their first meeting since Karen Langeland's first season of 1976-77 in a 63-62 triumph on Jan. 24, 1977. Overall, Fralick is the third MSU head coach to do so, joining inaugural head coach Mikki Baile in the first-ever meeting between the Spartans and Wolverines on Feb. 3, 1973. With MSU's win in Ann Arbor on Feb. 18, Fralick joined Baile and Langeland as the only two coaches to sweep the Wolverines in their first attempt.
GETTING IN THE LINEUP
Michigan State's starting five for Thursday's game made up of junior guard DeeDee Hagemann, sophomore guard Abbey Kimball junior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate, graduate guard Moira Joiner and graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault was MSU's 19th-consecutive game with those five Spartans on the court for tip-off. Michigan State has started a total of 25 games this season with that starting five, improving to 18-7 on the season. The only other two Spartans to start this season are sophomore guard Theryn Hallock and junior forward Isaline Alexander.
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK... RECORD BOOK
Julia Ayrault's one block against Illinois on Feb. 29 gives her 60 rejections this season, which are the most by a Spartan in a single-season since 2009-10 when Allyssa DeHaan had 101 rejections. With the 60 blocks, Ayrault remains in the No. 5 spot on MSU's single-season blocks list, passing No. 6 with Kristen Rasmussen (1999-2000), who was at the No. 5 spot with 57 in the 1998-98 season.
Blocked Shots
1. Allyssa DeHaan 150 2007-08
2. Allyssa DeHaan 145 2006-07
3. Allyssa DeHaan 107 2008-09
4. Allyssa DeHaan 101 2009-10
5. Julia Ayrault 60 2023-24
6. Kristen Rasmussen 57 1998-99
7. Kristen Rasmussen 53 1999-00
8. Kelli Roehrig 50 2004-05
9. Kristen Rasmussen 45 1997-98
10. Lykendra Johnson 44 2010-11
BRING ON THE BENCH
All season, the Michigan State bench has been a key part of the Spartans' success all season. MSU is 16th in the nation and first in the Big Ten in bench points, averaging 26.6 per game. Against Illinois on Feb. 29, Michigan State's bench out-scored UI's 31-11. Against the Illini, Theryn Hallock tied for the team lead in scoring with 16 points . The Spartans improved to 18-5 when out-scoring its opponents bench. This season, the MSU bench has scored 740 points through 28 games. Hallock is fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 11.2 ppg.
MOVIN' ON UP
Several Spartans are moving up the MSU record books. Graduate guard Moira Joiner now has 197 made 3-pointers. Joiner made six 3-pointers against Rutgers to separate from a tie with Kalisha Keane (2007-11) for the No. 5 spot on MSU's career 3-pointers list. Even though she is just a junior, guard DeeDee Hagemann already has 430 career assists. Hagemann dished out a team-high six assists against Illinois on Feb. 29. She is just the ninth player in MSU program history to reach the 400-career assists plateau, standing alone for No. 7 in the MSU career record books. Deb Traxinger is No. 6 with 443 (1978-82) career assists.
JULIA AYRAULT... SCORING MACHINE
Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault has now scored in double figures for 10-straight games, including scoring 14 against Illinois on Jan. 29. She is second on the team in double-figure games with 23 just behind Moira Joiner's 25. The Spartans are 19-4 when she scores in double figures this season. For her career, she has 37 double-digit scoring games with MSU standing 29-9 in those games. She leads the team in scoring, averaging 15.0 ppg after only averaging 3.6 ppg last season.
With the 419 points, graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault needs just 15 more points to equal the combined sum of her previous three seasons in a Spartan uniform, as she had a combined 434 points in the 2019-23 seasons.
IF YOU CAN'T BEAT HER...JOINER
Graduate guard Moira Joiner topped the 1,000 career point mark with a 3-pointer at the 6:39 mark for her fifth point of the game against Purdue on Jan. 24. She 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 now has scored 1,132 career points which puts her 26th all-time in the MSU record books. She is 12 points away from passing Julie Polakowski (1982-86), who stands 23rd with 1,143 points.
AROUND THE BIG TEN
This season, Michigan State is third in the Big Ten in scoring margin (+17.1) and second in assists (18.9 apg). The Spartans are also second in the league in 3-point field goals made, averaging 9.27 per game. MSU is second in turnover margin (+6.62) and first in assist/turnover ratio (1.66).
Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault leads the Spartans in scoring, averaging 15.0 points per game, which is 11th in the conference, while graduate guard Moira Joiner is 12th with 14.8 ppg. Ayrault is also eighth in rebounding with 7.4 rpg and fourth in field goal percentage (.519). Junior guard DeeDee Hagemann is sixth in the league in assists, averaging 5.2 apg and first in assist/turnover ratio (2.98). Ayrault is also second in the conference in blocks, averaging 2.1 bpg, behind Wisconsin's Serah Williams. Joiner stands second in the league in 3-points field goal percentage (.422).
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.
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
With five players in double figures, Michigan State women's basketball sent seniors Moira Joiner and Tory Ozment out in style with a wire-to-wire win against Illinois, 87-70, Thursday night at the Breslin Center.
Joiner and sophomore guard Theryn Hallock led the Spartans with 16 points each, part of five players in double figures. Ozment also had a strong Senior Day with 15 points, while junior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate added 11 points and two steals. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault had her fourth double-double of the season and sixth of her career with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
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/ Women's BasketballTuesday, September 22
Sunday, March 15
Sunday, March 01
Wednesday, February 18