EAST LANSING, Mich. — Taking on another ranked opponent, Indiana women’s basketball returned to the hardwood Sunday — this time away from Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Looking to notch their second consecutive victory over a ranked squad, the Hoosiers faced off with No. 22 Michigan State. Despite leading for much of the opening quarter, the Hoosiers fell behind the Spartans at the end of the first quarter. The Cream and Crimson pulled within two possessions late in the game, but fell 73-65 to Michigan State at the Breslin Center.
Michigan State scored the first points of the ballgame, but Indiana responded with a 10-1 run to take a 7-point lead. However, the Spartans responded with their own 12-0 spurt over the last four minutes of the opening quarter to claim a 5-point lead heading into the second period.
The Hoosiers scored 6 consecutive points — 3 apiece from senior forward Karoline Striplin and junior guard Yarden Garzon — in the opening stages of the second quarter. But again, Michigan State went on another lengthy run, this time 12-2 as it took a 9-point lead almost halfway into the period.
The two squads combined for just 11 points over the final five minutes of the opening half as the Spartans led by 8 points at halftime.
Striplin led all scorers at the break with 7 points. She opened the scoring in the second half as the Hoosiers trailed by 6, but the Spartans then went on to lead by as many as 13 late in the quarter. Any time Indiana started to make headway toward a comeback, Michigan State responded as it led 50-38 with just one quarter remaining.
The Hoosiers strung a 10-0 run together in the middle stages of the final quarter and pulled within 4 of the Spartans.
However, as it did for much of the game, Michigan State answered — this time with an 8-2 spurt to regain a double-digit lead. The Hoosiers’ comeback attempt fell just short as they lost to the Spartans by 8 points.
Michigan State junior forward Grace VanSlooten led all scorers with 17 points while graduate student guard Chloe Moore-McNeil paced the Hoosiers with 15.
The Hoosiers now have four days before their final home game this season against No. 21 Maryland at 7 p.m. Thursday inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington. The matchup will stream on Peacock.
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and Savannah Slone (@savrivers06) and columnist Ryan Canfield (@RyanCanfieldOnX) for updates throughout the Indiana women’s basketball season.
