Spartan Women’s Journey Wraps Up Against Illinois: A Sunday Showdown

EAST LANSING, Mich. – No. 22/22 Michigan State women’s basketball wraps up its two-game away series at Illinois on Sunday, Jan. 19 at 3 p.m. ET. The Spartans have triumphed in 11 of the past 12 encounters against the Illini. The match will be broadcast on B1G+ featuring Drew Burkey and Mazie Gierat.
 
• Following a 70-60 victory over Rutgers on Jan. 15, the Spartans have now achieved two consecutive wins. Michigan State’s record stands at 14-3 this season with a 4-2 mark in Big Ten play.
 
• Likewise, Illinois has secured two straight victories, having defeated Indiana 68-54 in Bloomington on Jan. 16. The Illini now possess a record of 13-4 this season, leveling their B1G record to 3-3.
 
• With 12 points against Rutgers, Julia Ayrault has reached double-digits in scoring for all 16 games this season, after missing the Detroit Mercy game (12/20/24) due to injury. Ayrault has achieved double-figures in scoring for the last 29 games consecutively and has done so in 40 of her last 45 games since the commencement of the 2023-24 season. Altogether, the Spartan has double-digits in her 56th career appearance. MSU has a record of 42-14 when Ayrault scores 10+ points.
 
• The Spartans feature three players averaging in double digits, spearheaded by Julia Ayrault at 16.4 ppg. Eight MSU players have an average of at least 5.0 ppg.
 
SCOUTING ILLINOIS
Illinois has claimed two successive victories, with a home triumph against Illinois and a win over Indiana on the road on Jan. 16. Overall, Illinois’s record stands at 13-4 this season and 3-3 in Big Ten matchups. The Illini achieved another Big Ten victory against Oregon. Illinois has suffered losses to Ohio State, Washington, and Minnesota.
 
Kendall Bostic ranks 12th in the Big Ten and leads her team in scoring with an average of 16.0 ppg. She is also second in the conference regarding rebounding, averaging 11.1 rpg. Illinois leads the league in free throw accuracy, shooting 79.3 percent from the line. The Illini are positioned 12th in B1G in scoring, averaging 71.9 ppg.
 
The head coach of Illinois, Shauna Green, is in her third year directing the fighting Illini, holding a record of 54-29. Overall, she has spent 11 seasons as a head coach with programs at Dayton and Loras, accumulating a total record of 210-104.
 
SERIES HISTORY VS. ILLINOIS
In the overall series, the Spartans maintain a 46-30 advantage over the Fighting Illini. Michigan State has claimed victory in 11 of the last 12 contests against Illinois. In Champaign, MSU holds a slight lead of 18-17. In East Lansing, Michigan State commands the series with a record of 25-10. When playing on neutral ground, the series is tied 3-3. Last season, both teams faced off only once on Senior Day, where the Spartans managed five players in double figures, resulting in a victory over Illinois with a score of 87-70 on Feb. 29.
 
FAMILIAR FACE
Fans of the Spartans will recognize a well-known figure on the Illini bench. Senior forward Kendall Bostic spent her freshman year at Michigan State during the 2020-21 season. She has received All-Big Ten accolades every season at Illinois.
 
LAST TIME VS. ILLINOIS
In a match featuring five players scoring in double figures, Michigan State women’s basketball honored seniors Moira Joiner and Tory Ozment with a dominant wire-to-wire victory against Illinois, ending 87-70, on Feb. 29, 2024, at the Breslin Center.
 
Joiner and sophomore guard Theryn Hallock each contributed 16 points, part of a five-player display in double figures. Ozment also had a noteworthy Senior Day scoring 15 points, while junior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate added 11 points along with two steals. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault registered her fourth double-double of the season and sixth of her career, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Illinois was led by 21 points and 10 rebounds from former Spartan Kendall Bostic.
 
COMPARE AND CONTRAST
Reflecting on 17 games from last season, Michigan State concluded with a record of 13-4 overall and 3-3 in Big Ten competition, while this season they stand at 14-3 overall and 4-2 in conference play. The Spartans have significantly increased their steals this season, totaling 225 compared to 162 last year through the same number of games. Last year, MSU made 169 three-pointers versus only 119 this season. The 2023-24 squad averaged 88.5 points, allowing 66.6 ppg. Currently, the Spartans are scoring 82.4 ppg while conceding just 59.3 ppg. In the last season, Moira Joiner topped MSU in scoring with 270 points, while Julia Ayrault leads this season with a total of 263 points.
 
BALANCED ATTACK
Seven different Spartans have taken the lead in scoring this season. Julia Ayrault has topped the team’s scoring charts eight times, followed closely by Grace VanSlooten, who has done so five times. Theryn Hallock has been the leading scorer on two occasions, while Jocelyn Tate, Jaddan Simmons, Emma Shumate, and Juliann Woodard have each led once.
 
RANKED BIG TEN TEAMS
Six different Big Ten teams are either ranked or receiving votes in the AP top 25 poll. UCLA is in the lead at No. 1, followed by No. 4 USC, No. 8 Maryland, No. 9 Ohio State, No. 22 Michigan State, and No. 24 Minnesota. Michigan, Indiana, and Iowa are also receiving votes in this week’s tabulation.
 
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault’s 12 points against Rutgers last Wednesday brought her career total to 1,174 points, positioning her at No. 22 on MSU’s all-time scoring list. She needs just seven more points to tie Rene Haynes (2003-07) at No. 21 with 1,181 points and needs eight more points to enter the Top 20, as Victoria Lucas Perry (2003-07) holds the No. 20 position with 1,182 points.
 
With nine rebounds, Ayrault has now accumulated 656 career rebounds, moving up to No. 17 on MSU’s career rebounding list, surpassing Nanette Gibson (1978-81) with 648 boards and Aisha Jefferson (2005-2010) with 652 rebounds. Ayrault is just 13 rebounds shy of the No. 16 position, occupied by Kelli Roehrig with 669 boards.
 
NET RANKINGS
Currently, in the women’s basketball NET rankings, the Spartans are positioned at No. 20. They rank fifth among Big Ten institutions, following No. 4 UCLA, No. 6 USC, No. 11 Ohio State, and No. 18 Maryland. South Carolina holds the top spot at No. 1. The Big Ten has five schools within the top 25 of the NET rankings.
 
BY THE NUMBERS VS. RUTGERS
• The Spartan bench outperformed their Scarlet Knight counterparts by a staggering 34-8 (+26) margin, improving to 13-1 when scoring more than the opponent’s bench. This 26-point lead marks the largest in a B1G game this season and ties for the third-largest overall this year, standing behind +38 (42-4) against Eastern Michigan (11/11/24) and +31 (48-17) against Oakland (11/5/24), while tying with +26 (37-11) against Eastern Kentucky (11/14/24). Wednesday’s +26 advantage marks the sixth instance this season where the bench point difference exceeded +20.
 
• Junior forward Grace VanSlooten scored 11 points off the bench, marking her 14th game with double-digit points out of 16 appearances this season,missing the Eastern Michigan match (11/11/24) due to sickness. The junior forward has recorded double-figure points 66 times in 79 career contests, achieving double-digits in 52 games during her time at Oregon.
 
LENDING A HELPING HAND

After never leading MSU in assists throughout her Spartan tenure for her first 42 games while wearing the Green & White, senior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate has directed the Spartans in assists in three of the last six games played, and Wednesday’s assist-leading performance marked the first time Michigan State achieved victory in such a game. Her previous two instances occurred during MSU’s two defeats in consecutive matches, against Alabama (12/20/24) and at Maryland (12/29/24).
 
YOUR STARTING FIVE
Michigan State commenced the match with the identical starting line-up for the fourth consecutive game, featuring graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault, graduate guard Jaddan Simmons, senior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate, junior guard Theryn Hallock, and freshman center Inés Sotelo for the opening tip-off. This was Sotelo’s fourth start in a row following her previous 13 games coming off the bench. The starting line-up MSU employed is one of six different starting fives the Spartans have deployed this season. Tate is the sole MSU player to have initiated every game this season.
 
AROUND THE BIG TEN
Michigan State ranks fifth in the Big Ten for scoring offense, averaging 82.4 points per game. The Spartans are also fifth in scoring differential (+23.1). MSU is positioned second in the league for blocks (5.3). MSU is second in steals with 13.2 and stands second for assists with 18.7 apg. The Spartans are second in turnover margin (+8.8).
 
Individually, graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault stands ninth in the league in scoring (16.4 ppg). Junior forward Grace VanSlooten ranks 10th in field goal percentage (.485). Graduate guard Jaddan Simmons and senior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate are tied for sixth in the league in steals (2.06 spg).
 
WELCOME HOME
Against Washington, MSU observed Alumni Day, honoring their women’s basketball alumni, including the 2005 Final Four team. The 2005 Spartans present were acknowledged at the conclusion of the first quarter, while all alumni were celebrated during halftime, with nearly 50 former players in attendance, ranging from the class of 2022 to as long ago as the class of 1965. All-Americans Kristin Haynie, Liz Shimek, and Lindsay Bowen were among the alums present to commemorate the 2005 squad.
 
NO CHARITY
Michigan State’s defense made school history, as MSU did not allow Montana to attempt a free throw, with the Lady Griz finishing 0-for-0 at the free throw line on Dec. 19 as Michigan State only committed 11 fouls, its second-fewest of the season, behind just 10 fouls at Western Michigan (11/17/24).
 
AROUND THE NATION
After 17 games, the Spartans are 20th in the nation for scoring margin, winning matches by 23.1 points. Michigan State ranks seventh in the NCAA and second in the Big Ten for steals per game at 13.2 apg. MSU is fourth nationally in free throws made with 17.6 and 10th for turnover margin (+8.8).
 
JOINING THE 1K CLUB
Michigan State currently has four players who have achieved at least 1,000 points in their collegiate careers. Most recently, junior forward Grace VanSlooten entered the club against Vanderbilt on Nov. 27. She presently has 1,104 career points combined from her time at Oregon and MSU. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault reached the 1,000-point milestone against Cal on Nov. 26. Throughout her five years at MSU, she has accumulated 1,174 points. Graduate guard Nyla Hampton has totaled 1,251 points during her tenure at Bowling Green, Ball State, and Michigan State. Fellow graduate guard Jaddan Simmons has also scored 1,242 points over four seasons at Arizona State and during her time at MSU. Senior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate aims to be the next member, currently standing with 937 points from her two seasons at Bowling Green and two at MSU.
 
BRINGING THE BOOM
For the 2024-25 season, Michigan State women’s basketball unveiled its new student section – the Breslin Boom. First introduced by Coach Fralick at Michigan State Madness, Spartan students will be encouraged to shout “BOOM” on any significant MSU plays.
 
COMEBACK KIDS
MSU’s 16-point deficit and comeback for a victory against Cal on Nov. 26 marked the Spartans’ largest comeback since trailing by 19 points to Penn State on Feb. 22, 2017, recovering from a 46-27 deficit with 7:55 remaining in the third quarter, securing a 73-64 win for MSU. In that game, All-American Tori Jankoska was scoreless in the first half but rallied with 21 points in the second half, achieving a palindromic double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds.
LOCKED IN DEFENSE
Graduate guard Jaddan Simmons and senior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate are tied for sixth in the Big Ten for steals with 2.06 spg. Graduate guard Nyla Hampton is tied for ninth in the Big Ten in steals, averaging 1.88 spg. The MSU defense has been formidable throughout the season. Twice this year, Spartans have recorded 22 steals in a single game: against Detroit Mercy on Nov. 20 and 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 in steals, averaging 13.6 spg.
 
BRINGING HOME THE HARDWARE
Michigan State secured its second consecutive tournament title after winning the Cherokee Invitational in North Carolina last season, with triumphs over Richmond and Coastal Carolina. Before that, MSU’s last tournament championship came at the New Orleans Shootout in 2017.
 
LAST TIME OUT
No. 22/22 Michigan State women’s basketball secured its first Big Ten road victory of the season with a hard-fought, 70-60 win against Rutgers Wednesday evening at Jersey Mike’s Arena.
 
Michigan State had three players scoring in double digits, led by 12 points each from junior guard Emma Shumate and graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault. Shumate connected on a season-high matching four 3-pointers, equaling her MSU career mark, which she also achieved against DePaul on Dec. 8.
 
Shumate and Ayrault not only shared scoring honors but did so on the eve of their birthdays, as Ayrault and Shumate both celebrate their birthdays on January 16, which falls on Thursday.
 
Junior forward Grace VanSlooten contributed an additional 11 points for the Spartans. MSU’s bench made a significant impact, outscoring the Rutgers bench, 34-8. Ayrault also topped the team in rebounds with nine.
 
O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!
Michigan State head coach Robyn Fralick has declared guard/forward Julia Ayrault and guard Nyla Hampton as team captains, as voted by their fellow players on the 2024-25 women’s basketball squad.
 
This marks Ayrault’s second season as a captain for the Spartans. She is the first Spartan captain to hold this role in consecutive seasons since Jenna Allen during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons. Hampton is in her inaugural season with the Spartans but is well-acquainted with head coach Robyn Fralick, having played three seasons at Bowling Green before transferring to Ball State last season.
 
VANSLOOTEN NAMED TO WATCH LIST
Michigan State Women’s Basketball junior forward Grace VanSlooten has been named to the Cheryl Miller Award preseason watch list, as announced by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
 
She is among five Big Ten players featured on the list, including Indiana’s Yarden Garzon, Maryland’s Saylor Poffenbarger, Ohio State’s Cotie McMahon, and UCLA’s Angela Dugalić. The award honors the nation’s premier small forwards.
 
WELCOME TO SPARTAN NATION
Michigan State women’s basketball head coach Robyn Fralick announced the commitment of three signees on Wednesday, namely 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 hailing from Maple Grove, Minn. She attends Maple Grove High School and is coached by Mark Cook. Ode is currently rated No. 33 in the ESPNW HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings.
 
Anna Terrian is a 5-8 guard from Pewaukee, Wis., playing for head coach Jim Reuter at Pewaukee High School. As a junior, she averaged 9.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.
 
Amy Terrian is a 5-8 guard also from Pewaukee, Wis., competing 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 averaged 18.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game.