It was a half of basketball Michigan State fans had been waiting for, as the women’s basketball team ended its streak of slow starts. As the No. 5 seed, the Spartans led No. 4 Oklahoma 42-37 at halftime after 20 minutes of efficient offense.
A five-point lead that felt like a sign of change — an indication that the team that brought a 19-2 record into February had returned — lasted until the third quarter. Offensive struggles reemerged, and Oklahoma took advantage, fighting back and holding the lead for the final 11:53 of the game en route to a 77-71 victory and a trip to the Sweet 16.
First-half offensive success, third-quarter struggle
After three straight opening halves of shooting under 37% from the field, MSU had finally broken its streak of slow starts. The Spartans shot 47% from the field while adding an impressive 56% from three, allowing them to score 42 points in the first half.
An inspiring performance, the team had only lost one game when leading at halftime all season, but the third quarter was a different story.
The Spartans shot just 33% from the field and failed to make a single 3-pointer, a struggle that continued for the remainder of the game as they made just one in the second half. The inability to sustain the offensive success from the first half led to a 10-2 Sooners run in the first 3:19 of the quarter, creating a 47-44 Oklahoma lead.
Stretches of offensive struggles have been apparent in the second half of the season for MSU, but it hurts even more after playing such an efficient offensive half and holding a lead 20 minutes away from a Sweet 16 berth.
Jones sparked offense in first half
Junior guard Rashunda Jones has been the calm, steady presence alongside redshirt sophomore guard Kennedy Blair all season, but after a lower leg injury on Feb. 15, it was unclear what the rest of her season had in store.
Since then, she has battled back and, due to the injury, taken on different roles, including switching in and out of the starting lineup. Against OU, she came off the bench, but it didn't matter. She arguably had the biggest impact on the game.
In the opening half, Jones scored 16 points on an efficient 7-of-9 shooting from the field while adding three rebounds and two steals — all in just 16 minutes — accounting for 16 of MSU's 42 first-half points.
The same can't be said about the second half, as she had just four points on 2-of-8 shooting and ultimately fouled out. But without her impressive first half, who knows what the scoreboard would've looked like.
Blair left her mark alongside Jones as she has all season, finishing with 14 points, nine rebounds and six steals, though she did have six turnovers — a fitting conclusion to a breakout season.
Fralick still trying to get Spartans to "next level"
Nobody can question the impact MSU head coach Robyn Fralick has had on the program in just three years. She has led the Spartans to 20 wins every season and is the only coach in program history to lead MSU to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances in her first three seasons.
This season was her most impactful yet. She guided the program to its best start ever at 17-1 and a ranking as high as No. 12 in the AP Poll — the Spartans' highest ranking in 15 seasons.
She has improved year after year, earning a No. 9 seed in 2023-24, followed by a No. 7 seed last year and a No. 5 seed this season — just a win or two away from a top four seed. But there is still a "next level" that has yet to be reached.
That level is competing for championships — a level MSU was close to achieving this season.
On Feb. 1, the Spartans stood at 19-2 with just two Big Ten losses, but just 10 days later, they were eliminated from regular-season title contention after an 86-63 loss to UCLA. The bigger message is that this season, the Spartans took a step toward playing in meaningful games — the next step is winning them.
They went 4-6 in ranked matchups, six of which came against higher-ranked opponents. MSU won just one of those six, going 1-5 as beating "better" teams remained a struggle.
A win over No. 4 Oklahoma in its home arena, securing a trip to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009, would have been that ‘next level’ moment, but the Spartans came up just short. With senior forward Grace VanSlooten the only starter definitively gone next season — and senior guards Jalyn Brown and Theryn Hallock possibly able to gain additional eligibility — MSU will bring back an experienced core while adding a McDonald’s All-American freshman and potential transfer portal additions, giving the program every reason to believe more strides are ahead.
