Moira Joiner and Julia Ayrault lead Michigan State women’s basketball over Maryland.
Captains Julia Ayrault and Moira Joiner have been the driving factors behind the Michigan State women’s basketball team’s success this season under new coach Robyn Fralick.
And the graduate students aided the Spartans to a crucial early Big Ten home victory on Tuesday.
Ayrault and Joiner combined for 20 points in the fourth quarter, guiding MSU to a 74-69 victory against Maryland at Breslin Center in a game between teams ranked in the current Associated Press poll.
Ayrault recorded her third double-double of the season, finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Joiner had 20 points, four rebounds, and four assists as the Spartans snapped a seven-game losing run against one of the Big Ten’s perennial heavyweights.
MSU earned their first win over the Terrapins since January 17, 2019, and only its third overall in a 21-game series.
“That was kind of the main focus this week is how do we respond (from the Iowa loss),” he added. “We performed well against Iowa, but how will we play the following game? It was fantastic to be back at home and to win against a very solid Maryland squad.
“Me and Mo (Joiner) were discussing it, and we’d never defeated them. It felt nice to win against them and be able to do so at home.”
Ayrault, who has an 18.6 point average in her past six games, and Joiner loomed big as the Spartans (12-3, 2-2 Big Ten) recovered in the second half after scoring only 22 points in the first half of the season. After the intermission, they combined for 30 points, shooting 10 of 12 from the field and 3 of 4 from three.
“I thought they had some of the most critical baskets of the game for us with just making some really tough shots,” Fralick went on to say. “Mo made a big 3. Julia – she finished well and reduced the game to two possessions. I’m quite proud of them. “I’m proud of them for stepping up and playing big in important moments.”
Michigan State’s Julia Ayrault, left, shoots while Maryland’s Jakia Brown-Turner defends during the third quarter on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.
MSU shot 55.6% in the second half, with Theryn Hallock adding 14 points and DeeDee Hagemann adding 12 points and seven assists. After being hampered by the Terps in the first two quarters, Fralick said the Spartans made a few offensive tweaks that helped them get things rolling on way to a crucial Big Ten victory and NCAA tournament appearance
“I didn’t really care about anything else besides winning,” Joiner was quoted as saying. “We can’t be a club that plays Iowa one game and then doesn’t play them the next. This was an important game, too. Maryland is a good squad. These games are really significant for the NCAA Tournament.”
Shyanne Sellers led Maryland (10-5, 2-2) with 23 points and nine rebounds. Brinae Alexander scored 20 points for the Terps, who suffered their second defeat in three games following a seven-game winning run.
Injury update.
Mary Meng, MSU’s freshman center, will miss the rest of the season due to a foot injury, Fralick said. Meng is the third MSU player to have a season-ending injury this season. Isaline Alecander and Gabby Elliott will also miss the rest of the season due to injury.
Meng made nine appearances off the bench, averaging 4.2 points and 2.6 rebounds.