Resilience on the Road: No. 12 MSU rallies past Penn State, 81–70

The No. 12 Michigan State women’s basketball team showed resilience and composure in an 81–70 comeback win over Penn State at Rec Hall in State College. The Spartans improved to 20–4 overall and 9–4 in Big Ten play, while Penn State fell to 8–16 and 1–12 in conference action.

Grace VanSlooten led Michigan State with a dominant all-around performance, finishing with 20 points and 14 rebounds while logging 36 minutes. Jalyn Brown added 16 points in 23 minutes, while Rashunda Jones chipped in 14 points, five assists, and four rebounds.

Kennedy Blair also reached double figures with 12 points and seven rebounds. Penn State was paced by Kiyomi McMiller, who poured in 37 points.

First Half

Michigan State opened the game sluggishly, falling behind 26–13 by the end of the first quarter as Penn State ripped off a decisive 20–4 run. The Nittany Lions controlled tempo and pushed the ball in transition, while the Spartans struggled to find rhythm offensively.

The second quarter brought increased urgency from MSU, which trimmed the deficit to seven at one point. Turnovers continued to stall momentum, however, as the Spartans committed eight in the first half and shot just 34 percent from the field. Penn State maintained control by applying steady pressure.

Michigan State closed the half with a needed boost when Rashunda Jones converted a buzzer-beating layup to cut the deficit to 45–33. VanSlooten led MSU at the break with 11 points, and the Spartans’ shooting struggles from deep were glaring – just 2-for-16 from three in the opening half.

Second Half

The Spartans continued to search for consistency early in the third quarter, opening the half 3-for-10 from the field. With three minutes left in the period, Jalyn Brown went down awkwardly on a drive and exited to the locker room after appearing to injure her right ankle.

Michigan State finally found its footing late in the third, closing the quarter on a 16–0 run.

Amy Terrian sparked the surge, scoring nine points on 3-for-3 shooting from beyond the arc in just 11 minutes of action. MSU entered the fourth quarter with a 54–52 lead – its first since leading 9–8 early in the opening frame.

The fourth quarter marked a complete shift in control. Michigan State dictated pace for the first time all night as Penn State began to wear down. Ball security improved dramatically, with the Spartans committing just two turnovers in the final quarter.

Brown returned from the ankle injury and knocked down a three with four minutes remaining to push MSU’s lead to eight, its largest of the game at that point. From there, the Spartans closed the door.

Up Next

Michigan State returns home Wednesday to face No. 2 UCLA. Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m. Eastern, with the game streaming on Peacock.