Spartans Fall Short in Round of 32 Loss to NC State

The Michigan State Spartans ran into a buzzsaw on Monday afternoon, ending their season with a crushing loss to the No. 2 seed NC State Wolfpack. Scoring struggles paired with an elite Wolfpack offensive led to a 34-point defeat.

Mar 24, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Julia Ayrault (40) shoots underneath NC State Wolfpack forward Tilda Trygger (18) during the second half at James T. Valvano Arena at William Neal Reynolds. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

The No. 7 Michigan State Spartans (22-10) came out on the wrong side of a blowout defeat in Monday afternoon's Round of 32 matchup with the No. 2 NC State Wolfpack (28-6). One of the top scoring teams in the country ended the Spartans' season with an 83-49 final score.

This was essentially a home game for the Wolfpack as the game was played in Raleigh, NC. inside the Reynolds Coliseum, NC State's home court. They felt right at home, earning a 34-point win over the Spartans and putting together an offensive show while limiting the Spartans to less than 50 points.

The Spartans were led by junior forward Grace VanSlooten, who posted 15 points and 11 rebounds for her second-straight double-double in the tournament. She was the only Spartan to score in double figures as they were just 19-58 (32.8%) from the field and 4-15 (26.7%) from downtown.

Senior guard Julia Ayrault netted just 8 points on 3-9 shooting, while junior guard Emma Shumate gave eight points of her off the bench. It simply was not a successful offensive day for Michigan State, directly leading to their second-round exit.

NC State's top scorer, senior guard Azaiha James, was unstoppable, scoring 26 points on 10-17 shooting with six 3-pointers. She was accompanied by a pair of fellow senior guards, Madison Hayes and Saniya Rivers, both netting 17 points each. Their starting five combined for 65 points.

The Wolfpack were seemingly much more physical than the Spartans and played much better defense than what Harvard did against them in the first round. Michigan State was -15 in the rebound margin while having just six assists on 19 made shots, being somewhat stagnant on offense.

Not to mention, NC State generated 18 points off of 16 Spartan turnovers, a pivotal piece to this game. The Wolfpack were undeniable offensively, shooting 50% (31-62) from the field and knocking down an incredible 15 three-point shots.

The Spartans conclude their season with a 22-10 record, finishing fifth in the Big Ten standings while holding a national rank for a majority of the year. They made the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in six years and Round of 32 for the first time since 2019.

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