Spartan Women Improve to 3-0 With 84-68 Win Over Wright State
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Redshirt-junior guard Shay Colley's dominating all-around performance led Michigan State women's basketball to an 84-68 win over Wright State at the Breslin Center on Sunday. Colley led all scorers with 21 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, closing in on a triple-double.
With the victory, the Spartans improved to 3-0 for the fourth-straight season. Wright State fell to 1-3 with the loss.
Three other Spartans joined Colley in double figures, including 17 from senior center Jenna Allen. After a slow start, junior guard Taryn McCutcheon ended with 15 points and five assists. She also tied her career high with five steals. Freshman guard Nia Clouden added 10 points.
WSU was led by 19 points from Mackenzie Taylor, while Michal Miller scored 14.
The Raiders got off to a fast start, taking an early 10-4 lead before the Spartans used a 6-0 run to tie the game at 10-10 with 3:55 left in the first period. The run expanded to 14-0 after a Colley layup to put MSU up 18-10. The Raiders went over four minutes without a field goal.
Both teams came out shooting in the second quarter with both teams scoring over 10 points apiece in the first five minutes. The Spartans took their first double-digit lead after a pair of Clouden free throws with under four minutes left in the quarter, 40-29. Michigan State went on to out-score the Raiders 25-16 in the second quarter to take a 45-33 lead at the half.
MSU was led by 11 points from both Colley and Allen after the first 20 minutes.
The third quarter was the most even of the game with both teams scoring 16 points. Allen, Clouden and Colley scored 12 of MSU's 16 points in the quarter. Michigan State took a 61-49 lead into the final period.
With a quick basket in the fourth quarter, Wright State cut it to a 10-point game 61-51. McCutcheon drained her first 3-pointer of the game to put the Spartans back up 66-51 with 8:03 left in the contest. Michigan State used a well-timed 7-0 run to take its first 20-point lead, 73-53 lead. There was no looking back for the Spartans as they cruised to a 84-68 win over Wright State.
After concluding it successful three-game homestand, Michigan State will hit the road for the first time, heading to the sun at the Cancun Challenge. MSU will take on No. 17 N.C. State on Thursday, Nov. 22 at 6:30 p.m., before taking on Kennesaw State on Friday, Nov. 23 at 9 p.m.
Postgame Notes vs. Wright State
• After two-straight games with five players in double figures, MSU had four reach double digits against Wright State. Redshirt-junior guard Shay Colley led the way with 21 points, followed by 17 from senior center Jenna Allen. Junior guard Taryn McCutcheonadded 15, while freshman guard Nia Clouden had 10.
• The Spartans were solid in the paint against the Raiders with 58 points in the paint, including 30 in the first half alone.
• The 15 steals that MSU had against Wright State were the most since the Spartans had 14 against Iowa on Feb. 1, 2018 against Iowa.
• Junior guard Taryn McCutcheon netted her 15th-consecutive game with multiple 3-pointers and her 37th career game with multi treys. With three 3-pointers made on Sunday, McCutcheon has had nine-straight games with three or more treys dating back to last season.
• After three-game in the Green and White, Clouden is now averaging 12.0 points per game. She has scored in double figures in all three games this season.
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