Friday, March 22
Columbia, S.C. / Colonial Life Arena
11:30 AM ET
Michigan State University
22-9,12-6Big Ten
56
vs
59
North Carolina
20-12,11-7ACC
1
2
3
4
F
Michigan St.
10
17
8
21
56
North Carolina
23
12
9
15
59
No. 9 MSU Drops Heartbreaker to No. 8 North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament, 59-56
3/22/2024 3:59:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Three Spartans score in double figures in the loss.
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Despite furious fourth-quarter comeback, the No. 9-seeded Michigan State women's basketball team fell to No. 8-seeded North Carolina, 59-56, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday afternoon at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina.
Michigan State completes the season, the first under head coach Robyn Fralick, with a 22-9 record. The 22 wins were the most since MSU went 25-9 during the 2015-16 season.
Three Spartans reached double figures in the low-scoring affair. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault was near a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds. Off the bench, sophomore guard Theryn Hallock also scored 14 points, including a clutch trey in the fourth quarter. Graduate guard Moira Joiner added 13 points in her final game in the Green and White. Junior guard DeeDee Hagemann finished with eight assists to tie for the second-most single game assists in program NCAA Tournament history.
North Carolina was led by a double-double from Alyssa Utsby with 16 points and 17 rebounds. The Tar Heels dominated the glass, out-rebounding MSU 45-27.
After a slow Spartan offensive start, the Tar Heels jumped out to an early 11-5 lead with 4:38 left in the period. North Carolina opened up a 10-point lead 15-5 after a bucket by Teonni Key, as part of an 8-0 run. MSU struggled with foul trouble as the Tar Heels led after one period 23-10.
In the second quarter, the Spartans scored the first six points to trim the deficit to 23-16. UNC responded with a 7-0 run of their own to go up 30-16, as Joiner played much of the second quarter with three fouls. Michigan State went over four minutes without a field goal before a Joiner trey put them back on the scoreboard. The Spartans used a 7-0 run to make its 30-23 ball game. After trailing by as many as 16 in the first half, Tory Ozment beat the buzzer with a first half ending layup with one second remaining that put Michigan State down by eight heading into halftime.
Neither team could get their offense going in the third period with both being held to single digits. Michigan State held North Carolina to just nine points in the third quarter, the least number of points allowed by the Spartans in program NCAA tournament history. A North Carolina three-pointer put the Spartans down 12 with 3:27 to play in the third quarter, but Joiner's fourth make from distance brought MSU back within nine with 2:50 to play.
In the fourth quarter, Hallock stopped a nearly three minutes scoring drought to put the game back in to single digits 54-46. Hagemannn drained three free throws with less than a minute remaining as MSU continued to fight. Hallock's first three pointer of the game came at an opportune moment, bringing MSU back within one point of the Tar Heels, 57-56, with 0:05 to play. But despite struggling from the free throw line much of the game, UNC made its free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
The Spartans out-scored UNC 46-36 over the final three quarters.
Michigan State will say farewell to Joiner and Ozment, who played their final games as Spartans.
Michigan State Women's Basketball Post-Game Notes
• Friday's game was Moira Joiners sixth consecutive game with 2+ three-pointers and her 30th this season with at least one made triple.
• It was Joiner's 27th game this season in double figures and her 13th with 15+ points.
• Julia Ayrault scored in double-figures for the 26th time this season and for the 13th straight game. It was Ayrault's 11th game this season with 2+ three pointers.
• Theryn Hallock scored in double-figures for the 17th time this season.
• DeeDee Hagemannn finished with eight assists to tie for the second-most single game assists in program NCAA Tournament history.
• Michigan State trailed by as many as 16 points in the first quarter, with sophomore guard Theryn Hallock ending the quarter on a personal 3-0 run to cut the deficit to 13 heading into the second. With 18 seconds remaining in the first, Hallock stole a pass and sprinted coast-to-coast for a fastbreak layup.
• MSU opened the second quarter on a 6-0 run to cut UNC's lead to seven, sparked by back-to-back triples from Moira Joiner and Julia Ayrault.
• Spartan starters Moira Joiner and Julia Ayrault found themselves in early foul trouble with three personal fouls apiece in the first half.
•The 1 2 points allowed by Michigan State in the second quarter were the least points scored by an MSU NCAA Tournament opponent since 2016 (Mississippi State, 11 in the third quarter).
• North Carolina's 35 first half points were the least by an MSU NCAA Tournament opponent since 2016 (Belmont, 20).
• Joiner's fourth three tied her for the second-most three pointers in an NCAA tournament game at MSU, the eighth player to do so.
• Michigan State held North Carolina to just nine points in the third quarter, the least number of points allowed by the Spartans in program NCAA tournament history.
• DeeDee Hagemann was fouled from beyond the arc with 0:48 to play, making all three free-throws to cut UNC's advantage to five points.
• A steal and score by Hagemann with 0:38 to play brought the Spartans within three points, the closest MSU had been since the 5:56 mark in the first quarter.
Michigan State completes the season, the first under head coach Robyn Fralick, with a 22-9 record. The 22 wins were the most since MSU went 25-9 during the 2015-16 season.
Three Spartans reached double figures in the low-scoring affair. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault was near a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds. Off the bench, sophomore guard Theryn Hallock also scored 14 points, including a clutch trey in the fourth quarter. Graduate guard Moira Joiner added 13 points in her final game in the Green and White. Junior guard DeeDee Hagemann finished with eight assists to tie for the second-most single game assists in program NCAA Tournament history.
North Carolina was led by a double-double from Alyssa Utsby with 16 points and 17 rebounds. The Tar Heels dominated the glass, out-rebounding MSU 45-27.
After a slow Spartan offensive start, the Tar Heels jumped out to an early 11-5 lead with 4:38 left in the period. North Carolina opened up a 10-point lead 15-5 after a bucket by Teonni Key, as part of an 8-0 run. MSU struggled with foul trouble as the Tar Heels led after one period 23-10.
In the second quarter, the Spartans scored the first six points to trim the deficit to 23-16. UNC responded with a 7-0 run of their own to go up 30-16, as Joiner played much of the second quarter with three fouls. Michigan State went over four minutes without a field goal before a Joiner trey put them back on the scoreboard. The Spartans used a 7-0 run to make its 30-23 ball game. After trailing by as many as 16 in the first half, Tory Ozment beat the buzzer with a first half ending layup with one second remaining that put Michigan State down by eight heading into halftime.
Neither team could get their offense going in the third period with both being held to single digits. Michigan State held North Carolina to just nine points in the third quarter, the least number of points allowed by the Spartans in program NCAA tournament history. A North Carolina three-pointer put the Spartans down 12 with 3:27 to play in the third quarter, but Joiner's fourth make from distance brought MSU back within nine with 2:50 to play.
In the fourth quarter, Hallock stopped a nearly three minutes scoring drought to put the game back in to single digits 54-46. Hagemannn drained three free throws with less than a minute remaining as MSU continued to fight. Hallock's first three pointer of the game came at an opportune moment, bringing MSU back within one point of the Tar Heels, 57-56, with 0:05 to play. But despite struggling from the free throw line much of the game, UNC made its free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
The Spartans out-scored UNC 46-36 over the final three quarters.
Michigan State will say farewell to Joiner and Ozment, who played their final games as Spartans.
Michigan State Women's Basketball Post-Game Notes
• Friday's game was Moira Joiners sixth consecutive game with 2+ three-pointers and her 30th this season with at least one made triple.
• It was Joiner's 27th game this season in double figures and her 13th with 15+ points.
• Julia Ayrault scored in double-figures for the 26th time this season and for the 13th straight game. It was Ayrault's 11th game this season with 2+ three pointers.
• Theryn Hallock scored in double-figures for the 17th time this season.
• DeeDee Hagemannn finished with eight assists to tie for the second-most single game assists in program NCAA Tournament history.
• Michigan State trailed by as many as 16 points in the first quarter, with sophomore guard Theryn Hallock ending the quarter on a personal 3-0 run to cut the deficit to 13 heading into the second. With 18 seconds remaining in the first, Hallock stole a pass and sprinted coast-to-coast for a fastbreak layup.
• MSU opened the second quarter on a 6-0 run to cut UNC's lead to seven, sparked by back-to-back triples from Moira Joiner and Julia Ayrault.
• Spartan starters Moira Joiner and Julia Ayrault found themselves in early foul trouble with three personal fouls apiece in the first half.
•The 1 2 points allowed by Michigan State in the second quarter were the least points scored by an MSU NCAA Tournament opponent since 2016 (Mississippi State, 11 in the third quarter).
• North Carolina's 35 first half points were the least by an MSU NCAA Tournament opponent since 2016 (Belmont, 20).
• Joiner's fourth three tied her for the second-most three pointers in an NCAA tournament game at MSU, the eighth player to do so.
• Michigan State held North Carolina to just nine points in the third quarter, the least number of points allowed by the Spartans in program NCAA tournament history.
• DeeDee Hagemann was fouled from beyond the arc with 0:48 to play, making all three free-throws to cut UNC's advantage to five points.
• A steal and score by Hagemann with 0:38 to play brought the Spartans within three points, the closest MSU had been since the 5:56 mark in the first quarter.
Team Stats
MSU
UNC
FG%
.373
.407
3FG%
.389
.300
FT%
.786
.444
RB
27
45
TO
16
16
STL
9
5
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
4
FTM
1
Pts
9
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
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