EAST LANSING, Mich. — Indiana entered East Lansing riding a two-game winning streak, but its momentum was halted as No. 22 Michigan State held off the Hoosiers 73-65.
The game was closely contested early, with neither team gaining a large advantage until Michigan State started to pull away late in the second quarter. From there, the Spartans maintained steady control for most of the second half, though Indiana made a late push.
It ended up being too little, too late. The Hoosiers cut the deficit to four with 3:45 remaining but couldn't complete the comeback, falling at the Breslin Center.
Indiana shot 25-for-58 from the field, while Michigan State went 25-for-63. Despite a better shooting percentage, the Hoosiers' 18 turnovers proved costly.
Chloe Moore-McNeil led Indiana with 15 points, followed by Karoline Striplin with 14 and Yarden Garzon and Shay Ciezki with 13 each.
Michigan State had three double-digit scorers: Grace VanSlooten led with 17 points, while Jocelyn Tate and Theryn Hallock each added 16.
The loss marks Indiana’s third straight road defeat, dropping the Hoosiers to 9-7 in Big Ten play and 17-10 overall.
Here’s how it happened on a brisk Sunday in Michigan:
MSU EARNS 1ST HALF LEAD AFTER IU STRUGGLES EARLY
After the first half, the Spartans held an eight-point lead thanks to their defense forcing Indiana into a subpar offensive performance. The Hoosiers shot just 10-of-30 from the field and committed 10 turnovers in the first 20 minutes.
Things didn't start poorly for Indiana, though. The Hoosiers led 10-3 with just over five minutes gone, briefly hinting at a potential runaway victory.
Instead, Michigan State responded with a 12-0 run to close the quarter, holding Indiana scoreless for the final 4:47 while forcing seven straight missed shots.
Indiana finished the first quarter shooting 4-of-15 with five turnovers, a steep drop-off from its strong start—especially considering Michigan State didn’t shoot particularly well, either.
The Spartans went just 6-of-18 in the opening period but took control thanks to their defense, which stifled the Hoosiers outside of the first five minutes.
Indiana bounced back to start the second quarter, scoring the first six points to regain a 16-15 lead. But it was short-lived. Michigan State quickly responded, first reclaiming the lead with two points and then outscoring Indiana 10-2 to build a nine-point advantage.
The Hoosiers cut the deficit by one before halftime, but their 6-of-15 shooting in the second quarter wasn’t enough. Michigan State shot slightly better at 6-of-13, but unlike Indiana, it avoided costly mistakes, committing just one turnover to Indiana’s five in the period.
Indiana found early success in both the first and second quarters, but allowing Michigan State to go on separate 12-0 and 12-2 runs kept the Hoosiers from establishing a rhythm, leaving them in an eight-point hole at the break.
IU TRIES TO MOUNT COMEBACK, BUT MSU HANGS ON
Down by eight at halftime, Indiana had work to do in the second half but couldn't generate much until the fourth quarter—when it was too little, too late.
The Hoosiers cut Michigan State's lead to six with the opening basket of the third quarter, but they never got closer. The Spartans continued to stifle Indiana’s offense for the third straight period.
Indiana shot just 5-of-13 and committed four more turnovers in the third quarter. Once again, Michigan State wasn’t much better from the field, shooting 6-of-17 for an even worse percentage than the Hoosiers.
However, the Spartans extended their lead by hitting two 3-pointers while Indiana went 0-for-3 from deep. Both teams struggled from beyond the arc, but Michigan State was slightly more effective.
In the fourth, Indiana finally mounted a comeback, cutting a 12-point deficit to just four midway through the quarter with a 12-2 run. The Hoosiers had momentum and a chance to tie the game.
But Teri Moren’s squad couldn't complete the rally. Michigan State immediately responded with a 10-2 run, effectively sealing the win despite Indiana's much-improved offensive performance.
The Hoosiers shot 10-of-15 from the field and 4-of-7 from three in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough. The Spartans' 7-of-15 shooting in the final period secured the victory.
Indiana scored 27 points in the fourth, the highest-scoring quarter by either team, but its early struggles proved too costly. The Hoosiers' hopes of a three-game winning streak were dashed inside the Breslin Center.
FINAL STATS
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