Thursday, March 28, 2024

PREVIEW: Spartans prepare for Big Ten Tournament matchup

March 5, 2019
<p>Freshman guard Nia Clouden (24) drives to the basket on Ohio State's Carly Santoro. The Spartans lost to the Buckeyes, 70-77, on Feb. 21, 2019 at the Breslin Center.</p>

Freshman guard Nia Clouden (24) drives to the basket on Ohio State's Carly Santoro. The Spartans lost to the Buckeyes, 70-77, on Feb. 21, 2019 at the Breslin Center.

Photo by Matt Zubik | The State News

The Spartans will travel to Indianapolis to compete in the Big Ten Tournament, which is March 6-10. The team is currently unranked in the AP Poll, but they hold potential that will help them in the tournament games. 

The Spartans hold a 19-10 record – eighth in the Big Ten. The team prepared in different ways this past season for the tournament, including in their wins over Michigan both at home and on the road

The team tied a school record with a 15-1 home record, matching the 2010-11 team, as they have won 18 of the last 19 home games a streak that dates back to last season. The Spartans held their perfect home record until Feb. 21 after falling to Ohio State. They then went on to defend their home turf in their next two games against the Wolverines and the Nittany Lions.  

Against the Wolverines Feb. 24 — for the eighth time in the season — four Spartans scored double digits in points: redshirt junior Shay Colley, junior guard Taryn McCutcheon, redshirt junior forward Victoria Gaines and senior forward Jenna Allen. 

This will be Allen’s last Big Ten tournament with Michigan State. She became the 27th player in Spartan history to reach 1,000 career points during their game on the road against Nebraska Feb. 17. 

Colley, Allen and McCutcheon are the only three Spartans to have started all 28 games this season. Allen started her 55th game of her career in their game against Penn State, ending her last home game season with success. Colley’s 10 points against Penn State Feb. 27 was her sixth-straight double-figure game and 18th of the season. She has now scored in double digits in 32 career games as a Spartan. McCutcheon passed Christine Powers (1991-95), who had 460 assists and is one of just five Spartans to reach the 400-assist mark.

MSU is seeded No. 9, meaning they will play Thursday at noon EST against No. 8 seed Northwestern. 

Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com or at the school ticket office. BTN will televise the first 12 games of the tournament along with ESPN2 broadcasting the championship game. 

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