Spartan Women Set to Conquer Nebraska in Midweek Showdown!

EAST LANSING, Mich. – No. 20/21 Michigan State women’s basketball embarks on an away game to face Nebraska on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 8 p.m. ET at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The match will be broadcasted on B1G+ with Larry Punteney and Kara Graham providing commentary.

• Last outing, the Spartans halted a two-game losing streak by achieving a commanding 77-59 victory over Purdue at their home ground on Jan. 1. With this triumph, Michigan State raised their record to 12-2 overall and 2-1 in Big Ten matches. The Spartans rank fourth in the B1G in points scored (83.6) and fifth in points allowed (56.8).

• Nebraska ended a three-game losing streak with a 72-61 victory against Penn State. The Cornhuskers currently hold an overall record of 11-4 and stand at 2-2 in conference play.

• Michigan State’s defense compelled 25 turnovers from Purdue, marking the fourth consecutive game where the Spartan defense has forced 25 or more turnovers from their opponents, following 25 from Maryland previously (12/29/24), 29 against Alabama (12/20/24) and 30 against Montana (12/19/24) in successive days. Overall, this represents MSU’s ninth game in this season forcing over 25 turnovers.

• Six distinct Spartans have led the scoring for the team. Julia Ayrault has topped the scoring charts five times, while Grace VanSlooten follows closely with four. Theryn Hallock has led in scoring on two occasions, while Jocelyn Tate, Jaddan Simmons and Juliann Woodard have taken the lead once each.

 

SCOUTING NEBRASKA

Nebraska ended a three-game skid with a 72-61 victory against Penn State on Sunday. The three teams Nebraska lost to during this span were ranked, including No. 17 Georgia Tech, No. 1 UCLA, and No. 4 USC. Following the win, the Huskers hold a record of 11-4 and 2-2 in Big Ten competition.

 

The Huskers possess the highest 3-point field goal percentage in the Big Ten at (.370). They rank seventh in assists with an average of 17.8 per game. On an individual level, Alexis Markowski leads the team in scoring at 13.6 points per game, and she stands at 13th in rebounds, averaging 7.9 per game. Nebraska lost its leading scorer Natalie Potts to an ACL injury earlier in the season; she played five games, averaging 14.4 points per game.

 

Nebraska head coach Amy Williams enters her ninth year at the helm of the program with a record of 148-151. Overall, she is in her 18th season as a head coach, having previously served at Rogers State and South Dakota. Her career record stands at 341-224.

 

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE CORNHUSKERS

Nebraska leads the all-time series against Michigan State, 12-6. The Spartans are aiming to break a two-game losing streak against the Huskers. Last season, Nebraska triumphed in East Lansing on Dec. 9, 80-74. The teams met again during the Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis on March 2, and Nebraska secured a 73-61 victory. The Spartans are in search of their first victory in Lincoln against the Huskers, who hold a 6-0 record at home. In East Lansing, MSU has a slight edge, 5-4, while Nebraska has the upper hand on neutral ground, 2-1.

 

LAST TIME VS. NEBRASKA

Despite a determined fourth-quarter effort, the No. 4-seeded Michigan State women’s basketball team succumbed to No. 5-seeded Nebraska, 73-61, during the TIAA Big Ten Tournament at the Target Center on March 8, 2024.

 

For only the second instance this season, Michigan State featured just one player scoring in double figures. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault led all scorers with 25 points, contributing five rebounds and three blocks. Junior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate, senior guard Moira Joiner, and sophomore guard Theryn Hallock each added eight points.

 

Ayrault’s 25 points ties for the 11th-highest scoring tally by a Spartan in the Big Ten Tournament, previously matched by Maxann Reese who also scored 25 against Penn State on Feb. 27, 1999.

BALANCED ATTACK

Six distinctive Spartans have led the scoring efforts for the team. Julia Ayrault has topped the charts five times, while Grace VanSlooten follows with four. Theryn Hallock has led twice, while Jocelyn Tate, Jaddan Simmons, and Juliann Woodard each have led once.

 

RANKED BIG TEN TEAMS

Seven different teams from the Big Ten are either ranked or receiving votes in the AP top 25 poll. UCLA leads the list at No. 1, followed by No. 4 USC, No. 8 Maryland, No. 10 Ohio State, No. 21 Michigan State, No. 23 Iowa, and No. 25 Michigan. Minnesota and Washington are also receiving votes in this week’s rankings.

 

JOINING THE 1K CLUB

Michigan State currently has four players who have reached the milestone of at least 1,000 career points. Most recently, junior forward Grace VanSlooten joined the ranks during a game against Vanderbilt on Nov. 27. She currently boasts a total of 1,062 career points accumulated between Oregon and MSU. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault achieved the 1,000-point milestone against Cal on Nov. 26, amassing 1,122 points during her five years at MSU. Graduate guard Nyla Hampton has scored 1,227 points during her tenure at Bowling Green, Ball State, and Michigan State. Similarly, graduate guard Jaddan Simmons has also gained 1,237 points across four seasons at Arizona State and her time at MSU. Senior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate is poised to join the club with 918 points accumulated during her two seasons at Bowling Green and two at MSU.

 

NET RANKINGS

In the latest NET rankings for women’s basketball, the Spartans are positioned at No. 19. They rank fourth among Big Ten schools, trailing No. 4 UCLA, No. 6 USC, and No. 12 Ohio State. South Carolina is at No. 1. The Big Ten features five institutions within the top 25 in NET rankings.

 

COMING INTO HER OWN

Freshman forward Inés Sotelo recorded a season-high 16 points in her first career start against Purdue on Jan. 1. She surpassed her previous highest scoring performance of 13 points, achieved on two earlier occasions, most recently against Montana (12/19/24). The 16 points marked Sotelo’s third game of the season scoring in double digits, with earlier outings including 13 points against Montana and Eastern Michigan (11/11/24). Sotelo also matched a season-high with six rebounds, equaling her top performance of six boards against DePaul (12/8/24). This season, Sotelo has participated in all 14 games, averaging 5.8 points per game.

 

BY THE NUMBERS VS. PURDUE

• No. 21/21 Michigan State has recorded 10 consecutive victories at home, a streak that commenced by winning the last two home contests of the previous season and the initial eight home games this season. Over the past season and a half, MSU has claimed 21 of the last 23 games at the Breslin Center, after starting off the current season with an 8-0 record at home and finishing last season with a 13-2 record at home. Cumulatively, MSU has won 32 of its last 40 home matches dating back to the 2022-23 season.


• The Spartans advanced to a 12-2 overall record with the victory, marking their strongest beginning to 14 games in the past two seasons under head coach Robyn Fralick, following an 11-3 record through 14 matches last year. The 12-2 record represents MSU’s finest start through 14 contests since the 2012-13 team recorded a 13-1 mark.

 

YOUR STARTING FIVE

Michigan State commenced the New Year with a revamped line-up, featuring graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault, graduate guard Jaddan Simmons, senior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate, and junior guard Theryn Hallock in their regular positions, while freshman center Inés Sotelo made her inaugural career start. This marks the Spartans’ sixth distinct starting lineup. Tate remains the sole MSU player to have commenced every match this season.

 

NO CHARITY

Michigan State’s defense made a remarkable achievement, as MSU prohibited Montana from attempting a free throw, with the Lady Griz finishing 0-for-0 at the charity stripe on Dec. 19, while Michigan State only committed 11 fouls, its second-lowest total of the season after just 10 fouls against Western Michigan (11/17/24).

 

TATE JOINS THE DOUBLE-DOUBLE CLUB

Senior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate accomplished a collegiate career-high tying 19 points, the highest of her MSU career and matching her personal best of 19 points vs. Kent State (3/2/22) against Purdue on Jan. 1. Tate also secured her first double-double of her Spartan tenure, contributing a game-high and matching her jersey number with 11 rebounds. This was Tate’s fourth double-double in her college career, having registered three while at Bowling Green. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault achieved her second consecutive double-double for the season and the fifth overall with 11 points and 10 rebounds. All five double-doubles this season have occurred within the last nine games played, marking her 11th career double-double. Ayrault leads the team with five double-doubles this year.

STINGY SPARTANS

By limiting Purdue to only three points in the second quarter on Jan. 1, Michigan State’s defense has recorded at least one single-digit scoring quarter in 10 of their 14 contests this season. The Spartans have restricted opponents to single-digit scoring in 15 quarters out of the total 56 quarters played in 14 games.

 

AROUND THE BIG TEN

Michigan State ranks fourth in the Big Ten for scoring offense, averaging 83.6 points per game, slightly ahead of Ohio State’s 85.9 ppg, Maryland’s 84.5 ppg, and USC’s 83.9 ppg. MSU is also second in the conference for blocks (5.7). The Spartans hold the second position for steals with 14.3 and assists with 18.8 apg. Additionally, MSU stands second in turnover margin (+10.0).

 

Individually, graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault sits 11th in the conference for scoring (16.2 ppg). Graduate guard Nyla Hampton ranks fourth in steals in the league (2.3 spg).

 

AROUND THE NATION

Following 14 contests, the Spartans are 16th in the nation for scoring margin, winning games by an average of 26.8 points. Michigan State ranks seventh nationally and second in the Big Ten for steals per game with an average of 14.3 spg. MSU is third in free throws made nationwide with 18.1 and ranks eighth in turnover margin (+10.0).

 

BIG TEN OPENERS

MSU emerged victorious in its Big Ten Conference opening match against Iowa, improving to 21-22 all-time in B1G openers, having secured victories in eight of their last 14. The triumph over Iowa marked the first occasion the Spartans initiated conference play against the Hawkeyes since the 2021-22 season, avenging the previous 88-61 loss. Last season, the Spartans were defeated by Nebraska at home with a score of 80-74 on Dec. 9. In the 2022-23 season, MSU lost to Purdue at home 76-71 in overtime. During the 2020-21 season, they triumphed in their opener in Minneapolis, defeating the Gophers 81-68.

 

BRINGING THE BOOM

For the 2024-25 season, the Michigan State women’s team launched its new student section – the Breslin Boom. Originally introduced by Coach Fralick during Michigan State Madness, Spartan students are encouraged to shout “BOOM” during significant MSU plays.

 

COMEBACK KIDS

MSU’s 16-point deficit and comeback win on Nov. 26 against Cal was the Spartans’ most significant comeback since trailing by 19 points against Penn State on Feb. 22, 2017, recovering from a 46-27 disadvantage with 7:55 remaining in the third quarter to secure a 73-64 victory. In that contest, All-American Tori Jankoska was scoreless in the first half but rallied to score 21 points in the second half, achieving a palindromic double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds.

 

UPDATE THE RECORD BOOKS

With a couple of free throws with 8.4 seconds remaining against Cal on Nov. 26, graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault scored her 21st and 22nd points of the game, reaching the milestone of 1,000 career points with the first free throw. Ayrault’s 11 points against Purdue on Jan. 1 brought her career total to 1,122 points, placing her at No. 25 on MSU’s all-time scoring list, needing just 11 points to surpass Julie Polakowski (1982-86) at No. 24 with 1,143 points.

Ayrault is also third in all-time blocks with 153. After pulling down 10 rebounds against Purdue on Jan. 1, Ayrault now has 629 career rebounds, just 10 short of entering MSU’s Top 20 rebounding list, as Lil Preston (1980-83) holds the No. 20 spot with 639 rebounds.

 

LOCKED IN DEFENSE

Graduate guard Nyla Hampton ranks fourth in the Big Ten for steals, averaging 2.29 spg. Graduate guard Jaddan Simmons shares the seventh position in the Big Ten in steals with 2.14 spg. Senior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate takes eighth place in the B1G with 2.07 spg. The MSU defense has been formidable throughout the season. On two occasions this year, the Spartans have amassed 22 steals in a match: once against Detroit Mercy on Nov. 20 and another against Oakland on Nov. 5. The only team in the Big Ten with more steals in a game is USC with 28 against CSUN on Nov. 12. The Spartans are second in the B1G for steals, averaging 14.3 spg.

 

BRINGING HOME THE HARDWARE

Michigan State secured its second consecutive tournament title after claiming victory at the Cherokee Invitational in North Carolina last season with wins over Richmond and Coastal Carolina. Prior to that, MSU’s last tournament championship occurred at the New Orleans Shootout in 2017.

 

LAST TIME OUT

No. 21/21 Michigan State women’s basketball commenced the 2025 segment of the season with a wire-to-wire victory over Purdue, 77-59, on Jan. 1 at the Breslin Center.

 

Freshman forward Inés Sotelo made her initial collegiate start, capitalizing on the opportunity with a career-high 16 points. She also equaled her career-best with six rebounds. Senior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate matched her career high with 19 points and added 11 rebounds for her first double-double as a Spartan. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault contributed a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. In her first outing off the bench this season, junior forward Grace VanSlooten scored 13 points.

 

MSU maintained solid defensive performance once again, forcing 25 turnovers and achieving 18 steals.

 

O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!

Michigan State head coach Robyn Fralick has declared guard/forward Julia Ayrault and guard Nyla Hampton as team captains, as determined by the players on the 2024-25 women’s basketball team.

 

This marks Ayrault’s second year serving as a captain for the Spartans. She is the first Spartan to hold the captaincy in consecutive seasons since Jenna Allen did so during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons. Hampton is in her

first term with the Spartans, yet is acquainted with head coach Robyn Fralick. She competed for three seasons at Bowling Green prior to relocating to Ball State last season.

 

VANSLOOTEN SELECTED FOR WATCH LIST

Michigan State Women’s Basketball junior forward Grace VanSlooten has been included in the Cheryl Miller Award preseason watch list, as reported by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).

 

She stands among five Big Ten athletes featured on the list alongside Indiana’s Yarden Garzon, Maryland’s Saylor Poffenbarger, Ohio State’s Cotie McMahon, and UCLA’s Angela Dugalić. The accolade recognizes the country’s premier small forwards.

 

GREETING TO SPARTAN NATION

Michigan State women’s basketball head coach Robyn Fralick declared the addition of three recruits on Wednesday, including Jordan Ode (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove High School), Anna Terrian (Pewaukee, Wis./Pewaukee High School), and Amy Terrian (Pewaukee, Wis./Pewaukee High School).

 

Ode is a 6-0 guard originally from Maple Grove, Minn. She is a student at Maple Grove High School under coach Mark Cook. Ode is currently positioned at No. 33 in the ESPNW HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings.

 

Anna Terrian, a 5-8 guard from Pewaukee, Wis., plays for head coach Jim Reuter at Pewaukee High School. During her junior year, she averaged 9.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per match.

 

Amy Terrian is a 5-8 guard also from Pewaukee, Wis., and plays under head coach Jim Reuter at Pewaukee High School. Terrian is currently ranked No. 89 in the ESPNW HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings. As a junior, she posted averages of 18.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game.