Alyza Winston may be the key to a run for the Spartans

Winston came off a good 14-point performance in the regular season finale. She followed it up with a great game against Penn State, scoring 23 points. Last game it took coach Suzy Merchant’s speech at halftime to get her going, but today she came out hot right from the start. She controlled the pace of the game, grabbing seven rebounds, and immediately pushing the ball on the fast break as she got them.

Winston was excited to see her rebound and assist numbers, knowing that they were among the highest she has had this season and that she was involved in more than just scoring for her team.

Her aggressiveness takes the MSU offense from good to elite in the open and halfcourt. She showed she is a sniper from three, hitting five today. She finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, showing that she and Nia Clouden are one of the best backcourt duos in the Big Ten.

“When we are playing our best basketball Nia Clouden and Alyza are on their game offensively, sharing the ball with each other and attacking in different ways,” Merchant said. “... She got those defensive rebounds that help start our break with her speed."

Taiyier Parks’ presence inside 

Parks had one of her best games against Wisconsin, posting a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Her play often is under the radar because of the great guard play from MSU, but she is their anchor on defense and is a reliable post option on offense. Despite going down with an apparent knee or leg injury in the fourth quarter, she seemed to make an immediate impact whenever she was subbed in. She not only got Penn State’s leading scorer and rebounder for the season, Johnasia Cash, in foul trouble, but Parks finished with 10 points, five rebounds, and three blocks.

"Her power and her pinning and sealing right now has been as good as anybody we've had here in a while," Merchant said.

When Parks can provide that inside balance to MSU's potent outside offense, there is close to nothing teams can do to stop the many weapons the Spartans have.

The Spartans play off the emotions of Clouden

As MSU and Clouden struggled early in the game, you could tell that Clouden’s emotions reflected the play of the team. After missing her second free throw of the game you could see the frustration on her face, but as the game went on her emotions picked up, and so did the play of MSU. She knew after she saw her first shot go in that she would be back to her old self. After getting a crucial steal and fastbreak layup to put the Spartans up 66-58 in the fourth quarter, Clouden once again showed she is the on-court scoring and emotional leader for the Spartans. 

"Even with the slow start, I knew eventually things would turn around," Clouden said. Even if her play is down, she knows her teammates will always be in her ear to cheer her up and keep her motivated.

MSU has a quick turn-around as they take on Indiana tomorrow at 6:30 p.m.