Michigan State women’s basketball hosted Purdue in East Lansing on Monday night, Dec. 5, for the home Big Ten opener. Despite rallying from an at one time 16-point deficit to force overtime, the Spartans were unable to get the victory, falling 76-71 to the Boilermakers.
The loss moves Michigan State to 6-4 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten play on the 2022-2023 season, while Purdue moves to 8-1 overall and 1-0 in league action. The win moves Purdue to 44-27 all-time against MSU. The Spartans had been riding hot in the series of late, winning three of the last four, four of the last six, and six of the last nine matchups. That included the most recent contest before Monday, a 73-69 win in the first round of the 2022 Big Ten Tournament.
Once again, a standout performance by Kamaria McDaniel was not enough to power Michigan State to victory. McDaniel led all scorers with 22 points, while adding three assists and tying for second in steals with two. Gabby Elliott was second in scoring with 13 points, while Matilda Ekh added 12 points. Accuracy was a big problem on the night as the team shot just 35.2% from the field, with McDaniel going 6-for-17 and Ekh 4-for-13.
DeeDee Hagemann missed all five of her shots from the floor, but tied with Theryn Hallock for most assists with four apiece. Taiyier Parks led the team in steals with four. The team's late rally was in large part due to steals that throughout the game helped in causing Purdue to turn the ball over 30 times, which led to 18 points for the Spartans.
Purdue's Lasha Petree led the Boilermakers with 18 points. Abbey Ellis added 13 points and Cassidy Hardin had 11 points for all Purdue players in double figures.
Michigan State set the tone early when Ekh missed the Spartans' opening jumper. Isaline Alexander got MSU on the board first with a pair of free throws, hitting both just over half a minute into the first quarter. Both teams battled back and forth, trading the lead or tying it up eight times. Michigan State was able to end the opening period with a narrow 19-15 lead.
The second quarter saw both teams combine for 16 turnovers in the period, but Purdue was able to get the edge offensively. The Boilermakers kicked off an 11-2 run sparked by a Petree 3-pointer with 7:01 remaining in the half. Purdue later built its lead up to five on a free throw by Jeanae Terry with 2:10 remaining, up 29-24. Michigan State was able to rally and cut it to 31-30 on a 3-pointer by McDaniel with 1:25 left. Rickie Woltman managed a second-chance put-back with :33 left to send Purdue into the locker room with a 33-30 lead.
The third quarter was all Purdue on offense. Just a few moments past the halfway point, the Boilermakers' lead hit double-digits thanks to a fast break score by Madison Layden with 4:29 remaining in the period, with Purdue up 49-38. By the closing seconds of the third quarter, Purdue was up by 16 before a Moira Joiner jumper cut it to 55-41 with just a second left on the clock.
The fourth quarter was all Michigan State, however. The Spartans finally woke up on offense, outscoring Purdue 20-8 in the final period of regulation. MSU went 8-for-17 from the floor, scoring 12 points off of turnovers. After Ellis hit a jumper with 8:04 remaining, Purdue did not score a field goal for 6:21 of regulation.
It proved a key shot, though, as Petree's jumper with 1:43 remaining ensured Michigan State was unable to get a go-ahead score. Instead, the Spartans had to again play catchup. Alexander managed a spectacularly-played steal on a Boilermaker inbound with just nine seconds remaining, and the Spartans quickly called a timeout. McDaniel hit the tying shot with just two seconds left, and a strong MSU defensive effort sent the game into overtime.
Despite the impressive fourth-quarter rally to force overtime, Michigan State stalled out in the extra period. Four-straight offensive possessions ended in missed shots and Purdue was able to rally as a result. The Boilermakers went on to build its lead to six points thanks to a pair of free throws by Ellis, making it 72-66 with just 33 seconds remaining.
A 3-pointer by Julia Ayrault briefly gave life for the Spartans, making it a one-score game. Purdue was able to hang onto the ball for stretches in the closing seconds, forcing fouls by MSU and extending the visitor's lead to the final 76-71 margin.
Michigan State returns to action next on Sunday, Dec. 11. The Spartans hit the road to take on No. 3 Ohio State in Columbus. Game time is set for 4 p.m. Eastern Time and the game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.
