Michigan State University
14-4, 5-2B1G
Rutgers
12-7, 3-4B1G
No. 21 Spartan Women Take Down Rutgers 59-48
1/19/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 19, 2016
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EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) Aerial Powers scored 10 of her 18 points in the fourth quarter and No. 21 Michigan State closed the game on a 19-4 run to beat Rutgers 59-48 on Tuesday night.
Powers' steal and fast-break layup extended Michigan State's lead to 47-44 with 4:49 left and her nifty reverse layup made it 56-47 at the 44-second mark.
Powers also grabbed 12 rebounds for Michigan State (14-4, 5-2 Big Ten).
Michigan State went the final four minutes of the first quarter without a field goal and Morgan Green's jumper was the Spartans' first basket of the second at the 7:35 mark. The Spartans trailed by as many as 10 points during the stretch.
"As usual fashion with Rutgers, it was a heavy weight fight to the last round, to the last man standing. I don't think we handled their physicality well throughout most of the game. Certainly in the first half we were out muscled. So give them a lot of credit. They are very physical both on and off the ball. We did some things well, we did some things not so well, but at the end of the day to secure a victory on your home floor against an athletic Rutgers team, I'm proud of our group," MSU head coach Suzy Merchant said.
Michigan State opened the third on a 5-0 run for a 30-28 lead - its first advantage since 13-12. But the Spartans only made one of their final 13 field-goal attempts in the quarter.
Tyler Scaife led Rutgers (12-7, 3-4) with 24 points.
"We had turnovers, crucial turnovers, lazy cuts and that always leads to the transition baskets at the other end. They [Michigan State] got second and third opportunities because we didn't block out. Instead of us going to the floor, we tried to reach for the ball and possessions were crucial," said Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer.
The Spartans will now head to No. 5/5 Maryland on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 2 p.m. at the XFINITY Center. The Terrapins are in a three-way tie for first place with Ohio State and Purdue with matching 5-1 records.
MSU Post-game Notes vs. Rutgers (Jan. 19)
● No. 21 Michigan State moves to 14-4 overall and 5-2 in the Big Ten with the 59-48 victory over Rutgers.
● Junior Aerial Powers scored 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a season-high 39 minutes, securing her seventh double-double of the season and 41st of her career.
Powers is just two double-doubles shy of tying Mary Kay Itnyre for first overall in career double-doubles in the Spartan record book.
● This is the ninth time Powers has led MSU on the offensive end this season, posting an 8-1 mark when she leads the team in scoring.
● Four Spartans scored in double figures (Hines, Powers, Jankoska, Agee) for the eighth time this season. MSU is 7-1 when four Spartans reach this benchmark.
● This was the first game this season Michigan State has played on a Tuesday.
● Tonight marks the fewest points the Spartans have scored in a game this season with 59.
● Redshirt sophomore guard Branndais Agee and junior guard Tori Jankoska both recorded four steals, helping MSU to a 26-12 advantage over Rutgers in points off of turnovers.
● Jankoska posted a season-high two blocks in the contest.
● For the second-straight game, MSU used the starting lineup of Akyah Taylor, Jasmine Hines, Tori Jankoska, Aerial Powers and Branndais Agee. With that starting lineup, MSU is 2-0.
● After trailing at halftime for the second-straight game, Michigan State was able to overcome the intermission deficit, out-scoring Rutgers 34-20 in the second half. MSU is now 2-4 when trailing at halftime.
● With 18 points, junior forward Aerial Powers now has 1,420 career points, remaining at No. 9 on MSU's career scoring list. She now needs 73 points to tie Kristen Rasmussen (1996-00) for the No. 8 spot. With 15 points, junior guard Tori Jankoska now 1,252 points, moving up to No. 12 on the Spartan career scoring list, passing Lykendra Johnson (2008-12), with 1,242 career points.
