Jones Leads No. 20/21 Spartans Past Temple to Open Baha Mar Nassau Championship

NASSAU, Bahamas - Three Spartans reached double figures, as the No. 20/21 Michigan State women's basketball team defeated Temple, 85-50, on the first day of the Baha Mar Nassau Championship on Friday night.

With the victory, the Michigan State improves to 7-0 this season. MSU is 7-0 for the third time in the last four years and fourth in the last six seasons, joining the 2020-21, 2022-23 and 2024-25 Spartan squads. The Owls fall to 3-4 this season.

Three Spartans reached double figures led by a season-high 18 points from junior guard Rashunda Jones. She also added four assists and three rebounds. Senior forward Grace VanSlooten earned her first double-double of the season and seventh of her MSU career with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Senior forward Marah Dykstra also reached double figures with 11 points. Kennedy Blair had team-high six assists, as MSU recorded 20 assists on the day.

Temple was led by 11 points from Saniyah Craig.

The Spartans led much of the first quarter, but it was a tight battle. Dykstra's quick five points help the Spartans take a 12-8 lead. The Owls went nearly three minutes without a field goal as MSU took a 16-10 lead. VanSlooten led all scorers with nine points in the first period.

In the second quarter, Michigan State opened the quarter with back-to-back treys to open up a 24-12 lead. The Spartans scored the first 12 points of the period to take a 30-12 advantage. After building up the lead, the Spartans went nearly three minutes without a field goal. Despite going cold, MSU was 5-for-6 from the free throw line at the break 37-21. The Spartans held the Owls to only nine points in the second quarter.

The Spartans earned their first 20-point lead of the game after a Theryn Hallock trey at the 7:30 mark of the third period, 43-23. Both Hallock and Jones scored six points in the third quarter. After three periods, Michigan State was in control 60-35.

In the fourth period, senior forward Isaline Alexander led the Spartans in scoring with seven points, adding three points. Michigan State got 17 bench points in the fourth period to close out the game. MSU was strong on the boards in the final 10 minutes, out-rebounding Temple, 12-3.

Michigan State will now face Clemson in the Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship. Clemson defeated Western Carolina, 77-44, to advance to the Championship game. The Spartans and the Tigers will meet on Sunday, Nov. 30 at 6:30 p.m.

Michigan State Women's Basketball Post-Game Notes:

• Michigan State moved to 7-0 with Friday's win, improving to 7-0 for the third time in as many seasons under head coach Robyn Fralick . . . MSU is 7-0 for the third time in the last four years and fourth in the last six seasons, joining the 2020-21, 2022-23 and 2024-25 Spartan squads . . . MSU opened 8-0 in 2020-21, 7-0 in 2022-23 and 11-0 last season.

• MSU was held under 90 points for the first time this season, as Temple did something Friday night that no other Spartan foe had done this season . . . the Spartans' 85 points was not only seven points less than their previous season low of 92 points vs. Eastern Michigan (11/9/25), but was 17.3 points less than their season average of 102.3 ppg, which led the Big Ten and was third in the NCAA entering Saturday.

• The Spartans were meeting the Owls for the fifth total time in the series history and the first time since 2013, as well as the first-ever meeting on a neutral court . . . MSU is now 5-0 against Temple, while Friday's 85 points is the Spartans' most points scored in the series, topping the last meeting in 2013, which was an74-70 Victory for MSU over Temple on Nov. 23, 2013 in Philadelphia.

• With Friday's win, MSU improved to 5-2 in the Spartans' seventh game played in the Bahamas, winning their last two in a row . . . Michigan State went 1-1 in 2019-20, 1-1 in 2015-16 and 2-0 in 2009-10.

• Michigan State netted 13 3-pointers Friday night, which tied the Spartans' season-high for the third time this season, also making a baker's dozen behind the arc in the season-opener vs. Mercyhurst (11/4/25) and vs. Eastern Illinois (11/20/25) . . . Friday was MSU's fifth game this season with double digit triples and the third-straight game with 11 or more treys, after 13 in the aforementioned match-up with Eastern Illinois to go with 11 last time out vs. Oakland (11/23/25).

• MSU's 46.4 percent (13-of-28) shooting from 3-point range ties the Spartans' second-best shooting percentage outing of the season, matching game one vs. Mercyhurst, and behind the season-high of .480 (12-of-25) vs. Youngstown State (11/12/25).

• That marked the third-straight game and fifth time out of the seven games this season that the Spartans netted 40.0 percent or better behind the 3-point arc, and is the same four games in which the Spartans have hit double-digit triples . . . the Spartans were a season-high 48.0 percent vs. Youngstown State (11/12/25), 46.4 percent vs. Mercyhurst (11/4/25) and 41.9 percent last time out vs. Eastern Illinois (11/20/25).

• For the second-straight game, a season-high seven different Spartans made at least one 3-pointer on Friday, also doing so last time out vs. Oakland (11/23/25), which topped the previous top mark of six different players, done three previous times, against Eastern Michigan (11/9/25), Youngstown State (11/12/25) and Eastern Illinois (11/20/25).

• Meanwhile, the Spartan defense limited the Owls to just two 3-pointers, marking a new season-low for the MSU defense, as well as matching or setting a new season-low for 3-pointers allowed in the third-straight game . . . it is also the fourth time in the last five game in holding the opposition to five treys or fewer after five 3-pointers vs. Youngstown State (11/12/25) and vs. Eastern Illinois (11/20/25), which sandwiched around six allowed against Western Michigan (11/16/25) . . . the Spartan held Oakland (11/23/25) to four 3-pointers last time out.

• Michigan State had a narrow, 38-36 rebounding advantage, marking the fifth game out of the seven this season that the Spartans have out-rebounded their opposition.

• Michigan State also came into Friday's contest leading both the B1G and the NCAA in assists per game at 27.0 apg, and the Spartans dished out 20 assists Friday . . . while it was a season-low for helpers, taking over for 23 assists vs. Eastern Michigan (11/9/25), the 20 assists marked the seventh time in as many games this season with 20 or more helpers this season

• After MSU had at least four players score in double-figures for the first four games of the season, the Spartans only had three players in double-figures for the third game in a row . . . junior guard Rashunda Jones led the way with an MSU-best 18 points, followed by senior forward Grace VanSlootens double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and senior forward Marah Dykstra's 11 points, also an MSU-best.

• The 18 points by junior guard Rashunda Jones topped her previous season-high of 15 points, netted twice and most recently vs. Eastern Michigan (11/9/25) . . . it was Jones' fourth double-figure outing this season, her first as a Spartan after transferring from Purdue, and her 27th double-digit outing of her collegiate career after netting 10+ points in 23 games during her two-year career at Purdue (2023-25).

• Senior forward Grace VanSlooten's 11 points and 10 rebounds was MSU's second double-double this season, joining redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair's 14 point-12 assist outing in the season-opener vs. Mercyhurst (11/4/25).

• While VanSlooten logged her first double-double of the season it was the eighth of her career.

• The 11 points Friday was VanSlooten's seventh double-figure scoring outing in as many games this season . . . VanSlooten has now scored 10+ points in the last 26 contests, including netting double-digits in 26 of her last 38 games played as a Spartan, being held to single digits twice last season, and she also missed one game due to illness.

• Additionally, VanSlooten has now tallied double-figures scoring 87 times out of 101 career games, registering 10+ points in 55 games during her time at Oregon.

• VanSlooten's 11 rebounds was a season-high and her ninth double-figure rebounding outing as a Spartan.

• Senior forward Marah Dykstra also logged an MSU-high scoring outing with 11 points for her double-figure scoring game in her first season as a Spartan after transferring from Montana State . . . overall, Friday was Dykstra's 43rd double-digit game in her collegiate career after netting 10+ points in 42 games as a Bobcat as the blue MSU.

• Dykstra's 11 points came on 4-of-4 field goal shooting, including a season-high 3-of-3 shooting behind the arc

• Redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair dished out a game-high six assists . . . Blair has distributed four or more assists in each of the seven contests, including five games with or more helpers.

Jones Leads No. 20/21 Spartans Past Temple to Open Baha Mar Nassau Championship

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Team Stats

Rashunda Jones

Grace VanSlooten

Marah Dykstra

Theryn Hallock

Players Mentioned

Isaline Alexander

Kennedy Blair

Marah Dykstra

Theryn Hallock

Rashunda Jones

Grace VanSlooten