Spartans’ Season Comes to an End Against Oklahoma in Second Round of the NCAA Tournament

Sunday, March 22

Norman, Okla.

8 PM ET

Michigan State University

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(4) Oklahoma

26-7,11-5SEC

Michigan St.

Oklahoma

Spartans’ Season Comes to an End Against Oklahoma in Second Round of the NCAA Tournament

3/23/2026 12:02:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Box Score OU 77, MSU 71 25 26 MSU WBB Combined

NORMAN, Okla. – Michigan State women's basketball's NCAA Tournament run came to a halt after the No. 5-seeded Spartans lost at No 4-seeded Oklahoma, 77-71, Sunday night in Norman, Oklahoma at OU's Lloyd Noble Center

Michigan State ends its historic season with a 23-9 record. Oklahoma improves to 26-7 and moves on to the Sweet Sixteen in Sacramento.

Junior guard Rashunda Jones led all scorers with 20 points off the bench. The 20 points tied for the 10th-most in an NCAA Tournament game in MSU history. Redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair added 14 points with six steals, which ties the MSU record in an NCAA Tournament. In her last game in a Spartan uniform, senior forward Grace VanSlooten scored 13 points with seven rebounds.

The Sooners were led by 18 points from both Raegan Beers and Aaliyah Chavez.

The Spartans jumped out to an early 9-4 lead with a combination on offense and defense. MSU forced five early Oklahoma turnovers. After a tough game against Colorado State on Friday in the first round, Jones had a solid first quarter against the Sooners, scoring nine points. The Spartans held OU to no field goals the final 4:06 of the period, as Michigan State led after 10 minutes 21-16.

In the second quarter, the Spartans hit a cold spell, as Oklahoma took a 27-25 lead midway through the period. After a layup by Brown and a free throw by Jones, Michigan State took a five-point advantage at 42-37 with1:07 left in the first half. At the break, Jones would lead all scorers with 16 points. The first half had nine lead changes and was tied seven times. The nine lead changes in the first half was the most of any game of this season's women's basketball NCAA Tournament.

The Sooners scored the eight six points of the third period to re-take the lead 45-42. Michigan State forced three turnovers in 1:38 and fought back to re-take the lead 52-51 with under three minutes left in the quarter. Oklahoma used a 6-0 run to go back on top 57-52. A Jones driving layup cut it to a three-point deficit, 57-54, heading into the fourth quarter.

In the fourth quarter, a Payton Verhulst trey at the 6:26 mark gave the Sooners their largest lead of the night, 66-58, leading to a Spartan timeout. The teams went back-and-forth for much of the period, but Oklahoma was able to get some big shots from Chavez, who scored five points in the final 10 minutes and the Sooners held off the Spartan comeback.

The Spartans will say goodbye to six seniors in Jalyn Brown, Marah Dykstra, Abbey Kimball, Emma Shumate, Theryn Hallock and Grace VanSlooten.