Sunday, January 18
Iowa City, Iowa
8 PM ET
Michigan State University
17-2,6-2Big Ten
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75
No. 11/13 Iowa
16-2,7-0Big Ten
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F
Michigan St.
16
13
27
12
68
Iowa
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24
10
75
No. 15 Spartan Women Have Winning Streak Snapped at No. 11 Iowa
1/18/2026 11:06:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Michigan State was led by 17 points from Grace VanSlooten.
IOWA CITY, Iowa - No. 15 Spartan women's basketball had its nine-game winning streak snapped after a 75-68 loss at No. 11 Iowa Sunday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Michigan State falls to 17-2 overall and 6-2 in Big Ten action. Iowa improves to 16-2 and remains perfect in Big Ten action, standing 7-0.
The Spartans had three players in double figures led by 17 points and seven rebounds from senior forward Grace VanSlooten. Senior guard Jalyn Brown added 16 points with two steals. Off the bench, sophomore guard Juliann Woodard scored 14 points, going 4-for-6 from beyond the arc.
Iowa was led by 22 points and nine rebounds from Hannah Stuelke.
Both teams were slow getting the offense going, as both defenses started strong. Two-straight baskets by VanSlooten gave MSU a 7-5 lead. The teams traded leads throughout the period, before a pair of Kennedy Blair baskets made it 19-16 with five seconds left in the period. Chit-Chat Wright hit a half court buzzer beater to end the quarter to put Iowa up 22-16.
In the second quarter, the Hawkeyes opened up a 32-22 lead, leading to an early MSU timeout. With VanSlooten and Woodard both on the bench with three fouls, the Spartans were forced to find other sources of offense. MSU was held without a field goal for over three minutes, but forced four Hawkeye turnovers in four minutes. Iowa ended the half with a 7-0 run to lead 41-20 at the break. VanSlooten led the Spartans with eight points in the first half, despite playing only nine minutes.
Iowa used an early third quarter 6-0 run to jump out to a 47-61 lead. The Hawkeyes took as big a lead as 17 points in the third period, but the Spartans were not done fighting. Michigan State recovered with a 7-0 run of its own to make it a 53-43 lead with 4:37 left in the quarter. With 39 seconds left in the period, a Brown layup got the deficit down to single digits, 65-56. Woodard scored nine points in the third period alone to keep MSU in the game.
In the fourth quarter, the Spartans got as close as five points after a Brown basket at the 3:20 mark, but Iowa continued find answers. Jones came to life in the fourth quarter with five of her nine points in the final 10 minutes of action. Despite the fight, Hawkeyes were able to hold on for the win.
The Spartans return home to take on USC on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 8 p.m. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
Michigan State Women's Basketball Post-Game Notes
• No. 15/14 Michigan State is now 17-2 overall on the season, good for MSU's best record in program history since 2010-11, when the Spartans were also 17-2 through 19 games of the season.
• The Spartans' 6-2 B1G record their best conference record since 1996-97 when MSU was 7-1 through eight league games on the way to opening 8-1 in league play.
• Sunday's loss snapped MSU's nine-game winning streak, the Spartans' longest win streak since winning the first 10 contests last season, opening the 2024-25 season with 10-straight wins.
• MSU's match-up against No. 11/13 Iowa on Sunday was the Spartans' second-straight game against a ranked opponent after playing No. 24/RV Nebraska last time out on Jan. 15.
• Sunday was Michigan State's fourth match-up overall against a ranked foe, beating No. 24/RV Nebraska, 73-71 (1/15/26), also beating No. 15/15 Ole Miss, 66-49 (12/22/25 in Cherokee, North Carolina) and at No. 23/23 Washington, 82-67 (1/8/26), and is now 3-1 against ranked opponents with Sunday's loss.
• After scoring 80 or more points in its previous four games of 2026, Michigan State has now been held under 80 in back-to-back games and the sixth total time this season, and the Spartans are now 4-2 when being held under 80 points.
• MSU played on the road for the third time out of the last four games, as part of the fourth road game out of the last six contests . . . the Spartans have played away from home in 10 of their last 13 games . . . MSU is now 4-2 in road games, while posting 9-0 record at home and 4-0 in neutral games.
• Both of MSU's two losses have come on Sundays, as the Spartans are now 8-2 on Sunday, compared to 9-0 in the other six days of the week . . . Michigan State is now 10-1 in night games.
• Sunday night's game was nationally televised on Big Ten Network, and the Spartans are now 3-2 in games played on BTN . . . Sunday was the second of MSU's four-straight games played on BTN, including next Thursday's home game vs. USC and the game at Purdue (1/29/26).
• MSU rolled out the same starting five for the fifth-straight game, with the feature five of junior guard Rashunda Jones, sophomore center Ines Sotelo, senior forward Grace VanSlooten, redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair and senior guard Jalyn Brown . . . it marks the Spartans' fifth different starting line-up of the season . . . MSU is now 5-1 with that starting five.
• Senior forward Grace VanSlooten, junior guard Rashunda Jones and redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair all made their 19th-consecutive starts, remaining the only three Spartans to start all 18 contests.
• Three Spartans scored in double-figures for the second game in a row and the third time in the last four games, with senior forward Grace VanSlooten leading the way with 17 points, while senior guard Jalyn Brown notched 16 points and sophomore guard Julian Woodard netted 14 points . . . Sunday marked the ninth total time this season that three Spartans registered double-digits, moving to 8-1 with three players score 10+ points.
• Senior forward Grace VanSlooten netted 17 points and seven rebounds on Sunday night, and she has now registered 105 points and 50 rebounds in the last six games, since being held to eight points and four rebounds vs. Rutgers (12/28/25) . . . VanSlooten is averaging 17.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game over the last five outings.
• VanSlooten's 17 points on Sunday was her 17th game this season with double-digits out of the 19 games this season . . . she now has posted 10+ points in 36 of the last 39 games . . . she now has logged double-digits in 46 of 50 total games played as a Spartans, being held to single digits twice this season and twice last season, and also missing one game last season due to illness.
• Sunday's 17 points was VanSlooten's 101st game of her collegiate career netting double-digits, and she's now posted double-figures in 101 out of the 113 career games, logging 10+ points in 55 games during her time at Oregon.
• Senior guard Jalyn Brown notched 16 points for her second double-digit outing in the last three games as part of the ninth time this season.
• Sophomore forward Juliann Woodard netted 14 points for her top scoring output in a Big Ten game of her career, posting double-figures for the first time in a B1G contest . . . the 14 points is her second double-figure scoring outing of the season, joining her season-best and career-high tying 17 points vs. Eastern Illinois (11/20/25).
• Woodard netted four 3-pointers, also the most in a B1G game and one shy of her career-high five triples vs. Eastern Illinois (11/20/25) . . . it was her third outing this season with three or more treys, adding four 3-pointers vs. Oregon (1/12/26).
• Junior guard Rashunda Jones was held to nine points to halt her streak of double-digit scoring, which matched MSU's win streak, at nine-straight games, last being held under 10 points with eight points in the loss at Wisconsin (12/7/25) . . . Sunday was only the fifth time out of the 19 games this season that Jones was held to single-digits.
• Senior guard Emma Shumate netted one 3-pointer on Sunday, as she has made at least one triple in each of the last seven games and in 17 of the 19 games this season.
• Shumate has made 14 3-pointers in the last seven games after being held without a 3-pointer vs. Ole Miss, averaging 2.0 triples per game over the last seven contests . . . Shumate has 21 3-pointers in the last nine games, boosted by her career-best seven 3-pointers vs. Indiana State in the opening game of the Cherokee Invitational in Cherokee, North Carolina, and is averaging 2.3 treys per game over the last nine contests.
• On the season, Shumate now has a team-leading 41 3-pointers on the season out of 44 total field goals . . . Shumate is averaging 2.2 3-pointers per game for the season.
• Shumate also added a block on Sunday, as she now has at least one block in six-straight games as part of a total of eight blocks over the last six games with a career-high tying three rejections vs. Illinois (1/4/26) . . . she also has at least one block in 10 games this season, with 12 overall blocks on the season.
Michigan State falls to 17-2 overall and 6-2 in Big Ten action. Iowa improves to 16-2 and remains perfect in Big Ten action, standing 7-0.
The Spartans had three players in double figures led by 17 points and seven rebounds from senior forward Grace VanSlooten. Senior guard Jalyn Brown added 16 points with two steals. Off the bench, sophomore guard Juliann Woodard scored 14 points, going 4-for-6 from beyond the arc.
Iowa was led by 22 points and nine rebounds from Hannah Stuelke.
Both teams were slow getting the offense going, as both defenses started strong. Two-straight baskets by VanSlooten gave MSU a 7-5 lead. The teams traded leads throughout the period, before a pair of Kennedy Blair baskets made it 19-16 with five seconds left in the period. Chit-Chat Wright hit a half court buzzer beater to end the quarter to put Iowa up 22-16.
In the second quarter, the Hawkeyes opened up a 32-22 lead, leading to an early MSU timeout. With VanSlooten and Woodard both on the bench with three fouls, the Spartans were forced to find other sources of offense. MSU was held without a field goal for over three minutes, but forced four Hawkeye turnovers in four minutes. Iowa ended the half with a 7-0 run to lead 41-20 at the break. VanSlooten led the Spartans with eight points in the first half, despite playing only nine minutes.
Iowa used an early third quarter 6-0 run to jump out to a 47-61 lead. The Hawkeyes took as big a lead as 17 points in the third period, but the Spartans were not done fighting. Michigan State recovered with a 7-0 run of its own to make it a 53-43 lead with 4:37 left in the quarter. With 39 seconds left in the period, a Brown layup got the deficit down to single digits, 65-56. Woodard scored nine points in the third period alone to keep MSU in the game.
In the fourth quarter, the Spartans got as close as five points after a Brown basket at the 3:20 mark, but Iowa continued find answers. Jones came to life in the fourth quarter with five of her nine points in the final 10 minutes of action. Despite the fight, Hawkeyes were able to hold on for the win.
The Spartans return home to take on USC on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 8 p.m. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
Michigan State Women's Basketball Post-Game Notes
• No. 15/14 Michigan State is now 17-2 overall on the season, good for MSU's best record in program history since 2010-11, when the Spartans were also 17-2 through 19 games of the season.
• The Spartans' 6-2 B1G record their best conference record since 1996-97 when MSU was 7-1 through eight league games on the way to opening 8-1 in league play.
• Sunday's loss snapped MSU's nine-game winning streak, the Spartans' longest win streak since winning the first 10 contests last season, opening the 2024-25 season with 10-straight wins.
• MSU's match-up against No. 11/13 Iowa on Sunday was the Spartans' second-straight game against a ranked opponent after playing No. 24/RV Nebraska last time out on Jan. 15.
• Sunday was Michigan State's fourth match-up overall against a ranked foe, beating No. 24/RV Nebraska, 73-71 (1/15/26), also beating No. 15/15 Ole Miss, 66-49 (12/22/25 in Cherokee, North Carolina) and at No. 23/23 Washington, 82-67 (1/8/26), and is now 3-1 against ranked opponents with Sunday's loss.
• After scoring 80 or more points in its previous four games of 2026, Michigan State has now been held under 80 in back-to-back games and the sixth total time this season, and the Spartans are now 4-2 when being held under 80 points.
• MSU played on the road for the third time out of the last four games, as part of the fourth road game out of the last six contests . . . the Spartans have played away from home in 10 of their last 13 games . . . MSU is now 4-2 in road games, while posting 9-0 record at home and 4-0 in neutral games.
• Both of MSU's two losses have come on Sundays, as the Spartans are now 8-2 on Sunday, compared to 9-0 in the other six days of the week . . . Michigan State is now 10-1 in night games.
• Sunday night's game was nationally televised on Big Ten Network, and the Spartans are now 3-2 in games played on BTN . . . Sunday was the second of MSU's four-straight games played on BTN, including next Thursday's home game vs. USC and the game at Purdue (1/29/26).
• MSU rolled out the same starting five for the fifth-straight game, with the feature five of junior guard Rashunda Jones, sophomore center Ines Sotelo, senior forward Grace VanSlooten, redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair and senior guard Jalyn Brown . . . it marks the Spartans' fifth different starting line-up of the season . . . MSU is now 5-1 with that starting five.
• Senior forward Grace VanSlooten, junior guard Rashunda Jones and redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair all made their 19th-consecutive starts, remaining the only three Spartans to start all 18 contests.
• Three Spartans scored in double-figures for the second game in a row and the third time in the last four games, with senior forward Grace VanSlooten leading the way with 17 points, while senior guard Jalyn Brown notched 16 points and sophomore guard Julian Woodard netted 14 points . . . Sunday marked the ninth total time this season that three Spartans registered double-digits, moving to 8-1 with three players score 10+ points.
• Senior forward Grace VanSlooten netted 17 points and seven rebounds on Sunday night, and she has now registered 105 points and 50 rebounds in the last six games, since being held to eight points and four rebounds vs. Rutgers (12/28/25) . . . VanSlooten is averaging 17.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game over the last five outings.
• VanSlooten's 17 points on Sunday was her 17th game this season with double-digits out of the 19 games this season . . . she now has posted 10+ points in 36 of the last 39 games . . . she now has logged double-digits in 46 of 50 total games played as a Spartans, being held to single digits twice this season and twice last season, and also missing one game last season due to illness.
• Sunday's 17 points was VanSlooten's 101st game of her collegiate career netting double-digits, and she's now posted double-figures in 101 out of the 113 career games, logging 10+ points in 55 games during her time at Oregon.
• Senior guard Jalyn Brown notched 16 points for her second double-digit outing in the last three games as part of the ninth time this season.
• Sophomore forward Juliann Woodard netted 14 points for her top scoring output in a Big Ten game of her career, posting double-figures for the first time in a B1G contest . . . the 14 points is her second double-figure scoring outing of the season, joining her season-best and career-high tying 17 points vs. Eastern Illinois (11/20/25).
• Woodard netted four 3-pointers, also the most in a B1G game and one shy of her career-high five triples vs. Eastern Illinois (11/20/25) . . . it was her third outing this season with three or more treys, adding four 3-pointers vs. Oregon (1/12/26).
• Junior guard Rashunda Jones was held to nine points to halt her streak of double-digit scoring, which matched MSU's win streak, at nine-straight games, last being held under 10 points with eight points in the loss at Wisconsin (12/7/25) . . . Sunday was only the fifth time out of the 19 games this season that Jones was held to single-digits.
• Senior guard Emma Shumate netted one 3-pointer on Sunday, as she has made at least one triple in each of the last seven games and in 17 of the 19 games this season.
• Shumate has made 14 3-pointers in the last seven games after being held without a 3-pointer vs. Ole Miss, averaging 2.0 triples per game over the last seven contests . . . Shumate has 21 3-pointers in the last nine games, boosted by her career-best seven 3-pointers vs. Indiana State in the opening game of the Cherokee Invitational in Cherokee, North Carolina, and is averaging 2.3 treys per game over the last nine contests.
• On the season, Shumate now has a team-leading 41 3-pointers on the season out of 44 total field goals . . . Shumate is averaging 2.2 3-pointers per game for the season.
• Shumate also added a block on Sunday, as she now has at least one block in six-straight games as part of a total of eight blocks over the last six games with a career-high tying three rejections vs. Illinois (1/4/26) . . . she also has at least one block in 10 games this season, with 12 overall blocks on the season.
Team Stats
MSU
Iowa
FG%
.446
.536
3FG%
.375
.348
FT%
.750
.700
RB
29
31
TO
15
16
STL
14
12
Game Leaders
Pts
17
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
16
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
14
FGM
4
3FGM
4
FTM
2
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballF
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