The Spartans' dominant defensive effort defined the game, with 16 steals and 26 forced turnovers, including 18 in the first half. The showing on the other end of the floor is nothing new for head coach Robyn Fralick’s players, who have cemented themselves as one of the top teams on defense.

It was a team-wide effort, led by graduate forward Julia Ayrault and graduate guard Nyla Hampton, who each recorded three or more steals. Ranked eighth nationally in Division I with 13.3 steals per game, the Spartans stayed true to their defensive identity.

MSU’s trap defense, a key factor all season, fueled the strong defensive performance, forcing numerous turnovers, including two 10-second violations by the Lady Lions.

“Honestly we know who we have to go up to that can’t dribble as much as their starting point guard,” Junior guard Theryn Hallock said postgame. “We try to target people and try to get our traps early, because once we trap early, we have a really good rotation.”

Penn State entered the game with redshirt sophomore Gracie Merkle, one of the Big Ten’s top centers, averaging 15.7 points per game on 65% shooting, second in the conference. However, Merkle was a non-factor, as the Spartans held her to four points on four attempts and forced four turnovers.

“(Merkle) is such a unique matchup. That’s not a matchup you see a lot, with her size, her hands, you know, she’s tough to guard at the rim,” Fralick said postgame. “She was a matchup that we were very mindful of, because we know that she can get some really easy baskets for them, and we wanted to try to find ways to minimize that.”

On the offensive end, Hallock led the way with 17 points, but it was a collective effort by the Spartans that ultimately gave them the edge on that end, with four players scoring in the double figures. The Spartans also made 13 three-pointers, their season high, a promising sign for a team that has struggled from beyond the arc.

“So much of shooting is shot quality. The better the shot quality, the better you shoot the ball,” Fralick said. “And so tonight, I think our shot quality was really good. When you do that, you have a better chance to make more of them, and tonight, I think our shot quality was in a good spot and we were able to finish.”

Despite early success in Big Ten play, the Spartans know there’s still a long season ahead with room for improvement. One of the season's biggest challenges awaits this Saturday as the Spartans will take on their biggest rival, the Michigan Wolverines.

For someone who has grown up dawning the green and white, Theryn Hallock knows how much this upcoming game means.

“For me, growing up as a Spartan, this is a very important game,” Hallock said. “So practice is different, the weight room is different, the locker room talk is different. We’re excited because obviously the rivalry games are so much fun to be in, but we want to get the wins.”

The Spartans will travel to Ann Arbor on Saturday, Jan. 25, to face Michigan, ranked No. 24, in the first game of the rivalry matchup.