Spartans battled fierce rivals to overtime, showcasing grit and firepower. Despite a valiant effort, they ultimately fell short in a Big Ten thriller.
The Lady Spartans had a chance to bring a bit of redemption back to East Lansing and Spartan fans’ hearts, but sadly—much like the men’s team—Michigan State fell to Michigan. This time, though, it was as close as it gets.
This was a barn burner. You may have bought the whole seat, but you only needed the edge. In a game that had everything except separation, Michigan State pushed its rival to the brink before falling 94–91 in overtime in a true Big Ten classic. Forty minutes weren’t enough. Neither team ever blinked.
The biggest lead of the day belonged to Michigan at eight points, while the Spartans never led by more than four—numbers that perfectly capture just how evenly matched these two teams were. Michigan State trailed by three after the first quarter, led by one at halftime, and the game was tied after the third. Regulation ended deadlocked, but the Spartans ultimately fell by three in overtime.
Big shots came from both sides, but none bigger for MSU than Kennedy Blair’s contested, game-tying bucket with seconds remaining to force overtime. Blair was outstanding, finishing tied with Jalyn Brown for the team lead in scoring at 21 points. She also recorded a double-double with 10 assists.
One of those assists deserves special mention. As Michigan defenders swarmed and tried to pick her pocket, Blair fired a long pass to Brown, who buried a tough shot as the half wound down to give MSU the lead.
Grace VanSlooten added 12 points and six rebounds, and her passing was on display as well. Battling two defenders near the basket, she rose as if to shoot before slipping a perfect pass underneath to Ines Sotelo, who finished with a reverse layup with five minutes remaining.
Sotelo finished third on the team in scoring with 15 points and added eight rebounds. Rashunda Jones chipped in 13 points and led the team with six assists. Off the bench, Emma Shumate knocked down a dazzling three-pointer and finished with nine points and two rebounds.
At times, it felt like the Spartans were ready to finish this one and pull off a home upset. The Breslin Center didn’t skip a beat between the two Michigan games this weekend, but even that energy wasn’t enough to lift either the men’s or women’s team to victory.
Despite the loss, Michigan State remains in the midst of a strong season, now sitting at 19–3 overall and 8–3 in Big Ten play. Still, dropping two of their last four—both against teams ahead of them in the conference standings—are tough losses to swallow. The Spartans clearly have an identity and a game plan that can be dangerous in March, but closing games against top competition remains the next hurdle.
Michigan State will be back in action twice next week, hosting Maryland (17–6, 5–6 Big Ten) on Wednesday before closing the week against a struggling Penn State team on Saturday. The Nittany Lions sit at 7–15 overall and remain winless in conference play at 0–11.
This season remains special, even with a couple recent setbacks. These losses will turn into learning moments, and head coach Robyn Fralick will undoubtedly use them as motivation down the stretch.
Including next week’s games, the Spartans have just seven remaining in the regular season—one of them a rematch with Michigan in Ann Arbor in two weeks.