Michigan State University
12-1,1-1Big Ten
Rutgers
8-5,0-2Big Ten
No. 24/21 Spartans End 2025 with 70-64 win over Rutgers
12/28/2025 6:33:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Michigan State played its first home game in 35 days.
EAST LANSING, Mich. - No. 24/21 Michigan State women's basketball ended the 2025 portion of the schedule with a thrilling, 70-64, win over Rutgers in the Spartans' Big Ten home opener on Sunday at a rowdy Breslin Center.
Michigan State has now won four-straight games to improve to 12-1 overall and 1-1 in Big Ten contests. Rutgers falls to 8-5 overall and 0-2 in league play. Sunday was the first game at the Breslin Center in 35 days, last playing at home on Nov. 23 against Oakland.
MSU welcomed back senior guard Theryn Hallock, who missed five game due to injury. Hallock returned in limited minutes, scoring nine points in 17 minutes of action.
The Spartans had three players in double figures led by junior guard Rashunda Jones who scored 14 points, going 6-for-6 from the charity stripe. After fighting off first-half foul trouble, she scored all 14 of her points in the second half, also adding a season-high five boards. Redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair earned her fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds to go along with a team-leading six assists. Sophomore center Inés Sotelo had her first double-digit scoring game of the season with 12 points and a career-high four assists.
While the Spartans shot a season low 35.3 percent (24-for-68) from the field, they did have season-best day at the free throw line, shooting 79.2 percent (19-for-24).
Rutgers was led by a game-high 16 points from Nené Ndiaye.
Both teams started slow from the field with MSU starting 1-for-7 and Rutgers going 1-for-5. In her return to the lineup Hallock led the way in the first period for the Spartans with four points, but Michigan State was hampered by four turnovers in two minutes. After 10 minutes, the game was tied at 15-15.
In the second quarter, the Spartans scored the first 11 points of the period to jump out to a 26-15 advantage, which would be their biggest of the game. After MSU took its only double-digit lead, Rutgers continued to fight. Faith Blackstone led all scorers in the second quarter with seven points, while Grace VanSlooten and Sotelo both scored four for MSU. Michigan State lead at the break 32-27.
Rutgers scored six of the first eight points of the third period leading to an early Spartan timeout, as the Scarlet Knights cut it to a 34-33 game at the 7:57 mark. Rutgers re-took the lead 38-37 after a jumper by Kaylah Ivey with under six minutes left in the period. Michigan State went over three minutes without a basket, but rebounded with a 6-0 run in 40 seconds to take a 46-42 lead. Despite being out-scored 22-20 in the period, MSU led after the third period 52-49.
Both teams hit over two minute scoring droughts in the fourth quarter to keep the game tight. In the final three minutes, Blair was a menace on the defensive end of the floor. She blocked a Blackstone 3-pointer to keep the Scarlet Knights off the scoreboard. After RU made it a 65-64 game with 57 seconds remaining, Jones hit a clutch jumper to make it a three-point game. With 13 seconds left, Blair's steal led to a two more MSU points to give MSU the five-point lead.
The Spartans will open the 2026 portion of the schedule, taking on Indiana on Thursday, Jan. 1 at 12 p.m. on BTN.
Michigan State Women's Basketball Post-Game Notes
• No. 24/21 Michigan State improved to 12-1 overall and 1-1 in B1G action with the win . . . the 12-1 mark matches MSU's best record through 13 games since 2012-13 when the Spartans were also 12-1.
• MSU used the same starting five for the second game in a row, with the starting five of junior guard Rashunda Jones, sophomore center Ines Sotelo, redshirt-senior forward Isaline Alexander, senior forward Grace VanSlooten and redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair.
• It is the Spartans' fourth different starting line-up overall this season, and MSU is now 2-0 with that quartet on the court for the tip-off.
• Senior forward Grace VanSlooten, junior guard Rashunda Jones and redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair all started for the 13th time in as many games this season, remaining the only three Spartans to start all 13 games.
• Sunday's Victory for MSU was the Spartans' fifth win in a row in the series with Rutgers, and Michigan State now leads the all-time series, 12-6, including 7-3 in East Lansing, winning the last two . . . for the second season in a row, this is the only meeting of the regular-season between the Spartans and the Scarlet Knights.
• Sunday was Michigan State's first home game since Nov. 23 as the Spartans have played their previous six games away from home . . . MSU is now 7-0 at home, 4-0 in neutral games and 1-1 in road games.
• With the win, the Spartans are now 6-1 on Sunday, their most-played day of the week . . . MSU is also 4-1 in day games.
• Michigan State finishes the month of December with a 4-1 in the month
• Meanwhile, the Spartans' 70 points was their fewest points scored at home this season and the third-lowest scoring output of the season, behind a season-low 64 points in the loss at Wisconsin (12/7/25) and the 66 points last time out vs. No. 15 Ole Miss (12/22/25).
• With the return of senior guard Theryn Hallock from injury, Sunday was the first game out of the 13 contests this season that the Spartans had all 15 players on the roster in uniform.
• The Spartans made a season-low three 3-pointers on Sunday, marking their second-straight game in either matching or setting a new season-low behind the arc, after last game's five 3-pointers vs. Ole Miss (12/22/25) had tied the previous season-low of five at Wisconsin (12/7/25) . . . Sunday's three triples was the Spartans' seventh game with single-digit 3-pointers this season, including the second in a row and fifth time in the last six games, with only the season-high 15 3-pointers in the game vs. Indiana State (12/21/25) as the only game with double-digit 3-pointers in the stretch.
• Michigan State was 19-of-24 from the free throw line for a season-high 79.2 percent, bettering the previous season-high of 78.3 percent that game in game two of the season, vs. Eastern Michigan (11/9/25), going 18-of-23 . . . Sunday's 19 free throws made was the second-most this season, both coming in the last three outings, as the Spartans had a season-high 22 free throws made vs. Indiana State (12/21/25) . . . Sunday's 24 free throw attempts were also the second-most behind the 29 free throw attempts in the same game vs. Indiana State.
• MSU's 79.2 percent was its sixth game this season in shooting 70.0 percent or better at the charity stripe.
• Three Spartans scored in double-figures for the second game in a row . . . it was the sixth game this season in which three Spartans were in double-figures, the most of any group scoring this season . . . MSU is now 6-0 when three players score 10+ points.
• Junior guard Rashunda Jones led the way with 14 points, followed by redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair and sophomore center Ines Sotelo had 12 points apiece.
• Redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, and was just four assists shy of a triple-double with four helpers . . . it was Blair's second double-double in the last three games as she had 11 points and 10 rebounds vs. Indiana State (12/21/25) in the opening game of the Cherokee Invitational.
• Overall, it was Blair's fourth double-double of the season and third with points and rebounds . . . Blair had 22 points and 12 rebounds vs. Clemson (11/30/25) along with 14 points and 12 assists vs. Mercyhurst (11/4/25).
• The 12 points was Blair's fifth double-digit scoring outing in the last six games, with just seven points last time out vs. Ole Miss (12/22/25) . . . Blair now has eight games this season with 10+ points and 11 for her career.
• Blair's 11 rebounds was her fourth double-figure rebounding game and third with double-double, as her career-high 15 points came with only eight points vs. Eastern Illinois.
• With the six assists, Blair has dished out five or more helpers in seven of the last eight games as part of 10 of the 13 games overall this season.
• Blair also added one block, tying her season-high for the fifth time this season and her career-high for the sixth overall time, last with a block in the game at Wisconsin (12/7/25).
• Junior guard Rashunda Jones netted 14 points to register double-figures for the fourth-straight game as part of the sixth time in the last seven outings and the ninth overall time this season . . . all 14 of her points came in the second half.
• Jones also pulled down a season-high five rebounds.
• Sophomore center Inés Sotelo netted double-figures for the first time this season, as Sunday was just her fourth game back from injury . . . the 12 points on Sunday was Sotelo's eighth career game in double-digit scoring.
• Sotelo also dished out a career-high four assists, bettering her previous career-best of three helpers, done three times previously, most recently last year vs. Iowa (3/6/25). Additionally, Sotelo pulled down a season-high five rebounds and snared a season-high three steals.
• Senior guard Theryn Hallock returned to action for the first time since Nov. 28, missing the last five games due to injury . . . Hallock tallied nine points, two rebounds and one steal in playing 16:30 in her return.
• Senior forward Grace VanSlooten was held to just eight points, marking just the second time this season in the 13 games that she was limited to single-figure scoring . . . VanSlooten has reached double-figures in 11 of the 13 games this season and in 30 of her last 32 games . . . she has posted 10+ points in 40 of her 44 games played as a Spartan, being held to single digits twice last season and missing one game due to illness.
• Additionally, VanSlooten has now tallied double-figures scoring 95 times out of 107 career games, registering 10+ points in 55 games during her time at Oregon.
• Senior guard Emma Shumate netted a pair of 3-pointers on Sunday, as she now has nine made 3-pointers in her last three games after her career-high seven treys vs. Indiana State (12/21/25) . . . Sunday's pair of triples marked Shumate's ninth game out of the 13 games played in which she's made multiple treys.
