Hoosiers Defeat Lady Spartans, 70-56

 

Lauren Aitch and Allyssa DeHaan each score 15 points for MSU.

 

 

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State women’s basketball team fell to Indiana, 70-56, before a crowd of 10,024 Sunday afternoon at the Breslin Center. Allyssa DeHaan collected her fifth double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Lauren Aitch also scored 15 points for the Spartans (11-9, 3-5 Big Ten).

 

Amber Jackson led Indiana (12-7, 5-2) with 21 points, while Jamie Braun added 18. The Hoosiers shot 21 more free throws than the Spartans, going 20-for-31 from the charity stripe. MSU struggled shooting, going 4-for-21 from 3-point range and 4-for-10 from the foul line.

 

"I thought their guard play was aggressive in attacking," said MSU head coach Suzy Merchant. "I thought the first half we did a nice job, giving up only 26 points. That’s decent, that’s pretty good defense. We just couldn’t put the ball in the basket tonight. You’re not going to win many games when you go 4-for-21 from the arc, and you have wide open looks at it."

 

With the score 26-23 in favor of IU at halftime, the Hoosiers came out of the break on a 12-0 run during the first four minutes of the second half to take a 38-23 advantage. The Spartans bounced back with a 7-0 run on a 3-pointer from Mandy Piechowski and two baskets by Kalisha Keane, trimming the lead to 38-30 with 12:47 remaining.

 

Indiana went back up by 12 points, but MSU cut the margin to seven on an Aitch layup that made it 48-41 with eight minutes left. The Spartans would not get any closer, however, as Indiana went on an 11-5 run over the next three minutes to go up, 59-46.

 

Aitch scored on another layup and Mia Johnson hit a 3-pointer at the 4:05 mark to cut the Indiana lead to 59-51 with four minutes left. The Hoosiers responded with another 11-5 run to close the game and seal the 70-56 victory.

 

Michigan State returns to action Thursday, Jan. 24 to face Illinois in Champaign, Ill., at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be not be televised.

 NOTES:• The crowd of 10,024 was the second largest of the season and the seventh biggest in MSU history. On Jan. 5 vs. Penn State, 11,245 fans watched the Spartans take on the Nittany Lions.

The crowd of 10,024 was the second largest of the season and the seventh biggest in MSU history. On Jan. 5 vs. Penn State, 11,245 fans watched the Spartans take on the Nittany Lions.

 • Allyssa DeHaan recorded four blocks, giving her 233 for her career and 88 for the season. The 88 blocks are tied for 10th most in a single-season in Big Ten history.

Allyssa DeHaan recorded four blocks, giving her 233 for her career and 88 for the season. The 88 blocks are tied for 10th most in a single-season in Big Ten history.

 • Michigan State, a 73 percent free-throw shooting team, shot a season-low 40 percent (4-for-10) from the foul line.

Michigan State, a 73 percent free-throw shooting team, shot a season-low 40 percent (4-for-10) from the foul line.

 

• After swiping a season-high 15 steals at Northwestern on Thursday, MSU was held to a season-low two steals against Indiana.

 • MSU’s bench outscored Indiana’s, 26-0.

MSU’s bench outscored Indiana’s, 26-0.