Michigan State University
16-15, 7-11
No. 4/3 Maryland
28-2, 18-0
Michigan State Falls to Maryland in Quarterfinals, 70-60
3/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - Ninth-seeded Michigan State women's basketball team fought hard from start-to-finish and battled tough with top-seeded and No. 4/3 Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal before falling, 70-60, Friday at the Sears Centre Arena.
With the loss Michigan State falls to 16-15, while Maryland wins its 22nd-straight improving to 28-2 and advancing to Saturday's semifinals.
MSU was led by 26 points and 10 rebounds from sophomore guard/forward Aerial Powers, which was her 24th double-double of the season. Sophomore guard Tori Jankoska added 19 points and six rebounds in the loss.
Maryland was led by 27 points from Lexie Brown, while Brionna Jones added nine points and seven boards.
Michigan State started cold missing its first eight shots and not making a field goal for the first seven minutes of the game. Maryland took advantage of the cold MSU shooting, using an 8-0 run to take a 19-6 lead with under 11 minutes left in the half.
The Spartan began to break into the Maryland lead, cutting it single digits, 27-20 after a jumper by freshman forward Kennedy Johnson.
Despite shooting only 29 percent in the first half, the Spartans were down just 33-24 in the first half. In the first half, MSU was led by 14 points from Powers. She was also one of several Spartans in first-half foul trouble with senior forward Becca Mills getting called for three in the first 20 minutes.
Foul trouble hampered the Spartans much of the second half as there were a total of 38 fouls called in the game, with 19 on each team.
The Spartans cut the lead to nine points with 13 points left in the game, but were not able to get any closer.
Post-Game Notes vs. Maryland - Big Ten Tournament
• This was the first time that MSU faced the top-seed since defeating Penn State in the 2013 tournament ... Overall, MSU is now 1-3 against the top seed with loses in 2004, 2006 and Friday's loss.
• MSU is now 11-7 in Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal games.
• Sophomore guard/forward Aerial Powers logged her 24th double-double of the season, extending her MSU record.
• Powers is now the fourth different Spartan women's basketball player with multiple double-doubles in a Big Ten Tournament game and first since Lykendra Johnson in 2012, behind Paula Sanders (1994-97) with three, while tying Johnson and Kristen Rasmussen (1997-2000) with two.
• Powers' 26 points is tied for the third-most in a game by an MSU women's player in a Big Ten Tournament game, tying Jamie Wesley with 26 vs. Ohio State on March 1, 1997.
• After establishing a new MSU Big Ten Tournament game record with 15 rebounds in Thursday's second-round game, Powers' 10 boards Friday is tied for 10th on MSU's tournament game records, marking the 12th time that an MSU player had double-digit rebounds in a Big Ten Tournament game.
• With the 26 points Powers has scored in double-figures in all 31 games this season and 54th of her career, as well as logging 20+ points in her 17th game this season and 24th of her career.
• Pwers hit two three-pointers Friday, giving her 54 this season, just shy of MSU's single-season top 10 list, while giving her 73 for her career, sitting at No. 16 on MSU's career three-pointers list.
• Sophomore guard Tori Jankoska's 19 points gives her double-digit points in 29 of the 31 games this season and 52 career games.
• With two three-pointers, Jankoska now has 68 treys this season, moving up to tie for No. 5 on MSU's single-season three-pointers list, matching 68 by Lindsay Bowen in 2005-06.
• Jankoska now has 132 for her career, sitting at No. 8 on MSU's career three-pointers list.
• Michigan State's starting line-up Friday was made up of senior forward Becca Mills, senior guard Anna Morrissey, sophomore guard/forward Aerial Powers, sophomore guard Tori Jankoska and freshman guard Lexi Gussert ... This was the fifth consecutive time MSU has used this started this lineup and fifth overall.
• Mills made her 100th career start and played in her 129th career game ... The 100 starts moves her to tie for No. 9 on MSU's career games started list with Kristen Rasmussen (1996-2000) and the 129 games played gives her sole possession of the No. 12 spot on the Spartans' games played list.
• Powers registered her 64th career start, while Jankoska logged her 48th career start ... Morrissey recorded her 25th career start, all of which have come this season, and Gussert started for the 11th time of her career, also all this season.
• The 26 points by Powers gives her 1,120 for her career, becoming the 20th MSU player to reach the 1,100 points plateau and climbing to No. 19 on the Spartans' career scoring list, passing Becky Cummings (1997-2001) with 1,108.
• Powers added to her MSU single-season records for points, rebounds and free throws, now with 678 points, 375 rebounds and 170 free throws.
• Powers was 12-14 at the free throw line Friday, marking her second-most made charity stripe shots in a game behind 14 against Illinois (1/15) and it was her fourth double-digit made free throws outing of the season.
