Jocelyn Tate Reaches 1,000 Career Points As MSU Falls To No. 4 USC Wednesday

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Despite a heroic effort from junior forward Grace VanSlooten, the No. 22/21 Michigan State women's basketball team fell short at No. 4/4 USC in a tough 83-75 battle Wednesday night at the Galen Center.

With six points Wednesday night, senior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate joined the 1,000-point club. She is now the fifth current Spartan with 1,000 points, joining VanSlooten, graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault, graduate guard Jaddan Simmons and graduate guard Nyla Hampton. Tate is the third of that quintet to reach 1,000 career points this season, joining Ayrault and VanSlooten, and all three netted their 1,000^th career point in California, as Ayrault and VanSlooten reached the 1,000-point plateau in successive days when MSU played at the Acrisure Classic in Palm Springs, Calif., with Ayrault scoring hers against Cal on Nov. 26, and VanSlooten followed the next day against Vanderbilt.

With Wednesday's loss, Michigan State falls to 19-7 overall and 9-6 in Big Ten games. USC improves to 24-2 overall and 14-1 in league contests.

VanSlooten tied her career high with 29 points, including netting a collegiate career-best 11-for-12 from the charity stripe. She previously scored 29 points against Ohio State on Dec. 21, 2024, while playing at Oregon. Ayrault was also in double figures, scoring 16 points with 10 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season. Junior guard Theryn Hallock was the third Spartan in double figures with 12 points.

The Trojans were led by 28 points from JuJu Watkins, who also added eight rebounds and three blocks, while Kiki Irafen posted a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds.

USC used a 6-0 run to take a 12-6 lead before a VanSlooten basket stopped the run. The Spartans went over three minutes without a field goal as the Trojans used another 7-0 run to take a 17-8 lead with under two minutes left in the quarter. Ayrault and Watkins traded 3-pointers, but Ayrault's jumper with one second on the clock made it a 24-16 USC lead at the end of the first period. Ayrault led the Spartans with nine points in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, USC opened up a 31-20 advantage before Hallock's first basket of the game made it 31-22. The Spartans made only two field goals in the period, but were 7-for-8 from the free throw line. Despite holding the Trojans to no field goals in the final 2:36, Michigan State trailed at halftime, 41-31.

Iriafen continued to dominate in the second half as the home team Trojans jumped out to a 54-41 lead with 4:46 left in the third period. Foul trouble continued to mount for Michigan State, as Tate had to exit with her fourth foul. The Spartans weren't done yet with a 6-0 run over 1:07 to trim it to a 58-47 game. The Trojans re-gained control and went on to out-score the Spartans, 27-18, in the third period.

Michigan State scored the first four points of the fourth quarter, as MSU forced four USC turnovers in 3:26 and made five of six. The tenacious Spartan defense forced 15 USC turnovers in the second half, as the Trojans finished with 23 turnovers, which is tied for their most in a B1G game this season.

A Spartan 7-0 run cut it to a seven-point game at 4:54 on a jumper by graduate guard Nyla Hampton. The closest that Michigan State would get was six points after a second-chance putback by VanSlooten with 4:01 left. VanSlooten and Hampton combined for 15 points in the fourth quarter as the Spartans continued to battle to the final buzzer.

The Spartans now return home to the Breslin Center to face Indiana on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. on BTN. It is the Spartans' annual Breast Cancer Awareness game.

Michigan State Women's Basketball Postgame Notes

• No. 22/21 Michigan State is now 19-7 overall and 9-6 in B1G play with Wednesday's tough battle at No. 4/4 USC.

• After playing at No. 1/1 UCLA on Sunday and No. 4/4 USC Wednesday, it marked the first time that the Spartans faced back-to-back top-10 teams since 2021-22 season when MSU upset No. 4/4 Michigan at home on Feb. 10, and lost at No. 7/7 Indiana on Feb. 12.

• Michigan State has won nine Big Ten games for the second-straight season, after finishing 12-6 in conference action last season, marking the first back-to-back seasons with at least nine league wins since the 2018-19 and 2019-20.

• MSU's 9-6 league record is second-straight season with nine wins through 15 conference contests, and tied for the Spartans' best B1G record through 15 conference contests since 2015-16 when the Spartans were 10-5 through 15 conference games, in addition to matching last year's 9-6 mark, MSU was also 9-6 in its first 15 league games in 2016-17.

• With its next B1G win, MSU would post its first back-to-back seasons with 10+ conference wins since 2012-13 and 2013-14, that were the last two seasons of a 12-year streak of double-digit league wins ... with their next overall win, the Spartans would register their first 20+ wins in consecutive seasons since the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, with 25 and 21 wins, respectively.

• MSU's 75 points Wednesday marks just its second loss this season when scoring 70+ points, now 17-2, compared to 2-5 when scoring under 70 . . . both losses have come on the road, as the Spartans' only other previous loss when netting over 70 points was an 85-80 loss at Nebraska.

• Michigan State's tenacious defense forced 23 USC turnovers, as the Trojans tied the most in a B1G game, also with 23 TOs vs. Ohio State (2/8/25) and also tied for the second-most overall, behind 27 miscues in the Trojans' season-opener vs. Ole Miss (11/4/24).

• The 23 USC turnovers that the Spartan defense forced was the 19th time this season that MSU forced 20+ opposition turnovers, including the ninth time in a B1G game . . . it was first time forcing 20+ turnovers in the last seven games, last doing so with 20 vs. Oregon (1/30/25).

• The Spartans are now 8-5 away from home, including 5-4 in true road games overall, going 4-4 in B1G road games.

• Michigan State is now 9-4 in games at night with Wednesday's defeat loss . . . the Spartans are now 5-2 in games played on a Wednesday . . . MSU is now 2-3 in February games . . .

• Wednesday was MSU's first game this season televised on Peacock, marking the Spartans' seventh different television channel/streaming service.

• The Spartans battled the Trojans for the first time at B1G foes, as well as just the fourth overall time in the series history . . . Wednesday was the first meeting since the 2005 NCAA Tournament . . . USC now leads the all-time series, 3-1, including 2-0 in Los Angeles, as Wednesday was MSU's first visit there since 1992.

• Michigan State trailed at halftime for the second game in a row and the third time in the last four outings, and the Spartans are now 4-7 when trailing at intermission, compared to 13-0 when leading at the break and 2-0 when tied at halftime.

• Senior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate tallied the 1,000th point of her collegiate career on a jumper at the 7:39 mark of the third quarter, which was her sixth point of the game after entering the game with 994 points . . . Tate now has 414 points in her two seasons at Michigan State after transferring following two seasons at Bowling Green, where she scored 586 points.

• Tate is now the third Spartan to hit 1,000 career points this season, joining graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault and junior forward Grace VanSlooten, as Ayrault has scored all of her career points at MSU, while VanSlooten is a fellow transfer like Tate, after playing two seasons at Oregon.

• All three Spartans to reach 1,000 career points this season did so in California, as Ayrault and VanSlooten reached the 1,000-point plateau in successive days when MSU played at the Acrisure Classic in Palm Springs, Calif., with Ayrault scoring hers against Cal on Nov. 26, and VanSlooten followed the next day against Vanderbilt.

• Tate is also the fifth current Spartan in the 1,000-point club, as along with joining VanSlooten and Ayrault, she joins graduate guard Jaddan Simmons (Arizona State) and graduate guard Nyla Hampton (Ball State), who reached the 1,000-point plateau at their respective previous schools last season before transferring to MSU.

• MSU used the same starting line for the fifth-straight game, starting the game with graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault, graduate guard Jaddan Simmons, senior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate, junior guard Theryn Hallock and junior forward Grace VanSlooten on the court . . . Wednesday was MSU's seventh game this season with that starting five and the Green & White is now 3-4 with that starting quintet on the court.

• Tate extended her streak of being the only Spartan to start all 26 games this season, and made her 57th start in 57 games played at MSU, along with her 94th collegiate career start in her 127th career game played.

• Ayrault made her 25th start in 25 games played this season, missing one with an injury, and made the 69th start of her career . . . Hallock started for the 22nd time in 26 games played this season and 23rd start of career . . . Simmons made her 21st start of the season in playing her 26th game as a Spartan as part of her 128th career start in 134 career collegiate games played . . . VanSlooten started for the 17th game as a Spartan in her 25th MSU contest this season, missing the game vs. Eastern Michigan; it was VanSlooten's 78th collegiate career start in her 88th collegiate career game.

• Wednesday was Ayrault's 133rd career game, and is now tied for the No. 8 spot with Aisha Jefferson (2005-10) at 133 games . . . in her next game played, Ayrault will tie for the No. 7 spot held by Victoria Lucas-Perry at 134 games played.

• Junior forward Grace VanSlooten netted 29 points, which is not only a season-high but ties her collegiate career-best, matching 29 points vs. Ohio State (12/21/22) during her freshman season at Oregon.

• VanSlooten's 29 points was her fifth 20-point outing this season, but Wednesday was MSU's first loss when she nets 20+ points, now 4-1 . . . overall it is VanSlooten's 12th game with 20+ points, doing so seven times at Oregon, and her team is now 9-3 when she scores 20-points after going 5-2 during her career at Oregon.

• By going a game-high 11-of-12 at the free throw line, VanSlooten posted a collegiate career-high at the charity stripe, bettering her previous MSU season-high marks of seven makes and nine attempts, while topping her collegiate career top marks of nine makes vs. Arizona (1/14/24) and 11 attempts vs. Washington State (1/15/23)

• VanSlooten has logged 10+ points in each of the last 13 games as part of posting double-digit points in 23 of her 25 games played at MSU, missing the Eastern Michigan game (11/11/24) due to illness and held to single digits twice . . . VanSlooten has now registered double-digit points 75 times out of 88 career games, logging double-digits in 52 games while at Oregon.

• With six rebounds Wednesday, VanSlooten posted her fifth game in a row with five or more rebounds, as part of the seventh time in the last eight games played . . . overall, the junior forward has snared 5+ boards in 21 of her 25 games played this season.

• Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault registered the seventh double-double of the season and the 13th of her career with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

• Ayrault has posted 10+ points in the last two games after her streak of netting double-figures in every game played this season and in her last 35 games played was halted with only three points vs. Wisconsin (2/12/25) . . . the Spartan forward has now tallied double-digit points in 24 of the 25 games played, missing the Detroit Mercy game (12/20/24) with an injury

• Ayrault has posted double-figure points in 48 of her last 54 games played since the 2023-24 season-opener . . . overall, the graduate forward has 10+ points in 64 career games . . . the Spartans are now 46-18 when Ayault registers double-figure points.

• With 16 points Wednesday, Ayrault now has 1,295 career points, needing five more points to become the 14th MSU women's basketball player in program history to reach 1,300 career points . . . Ayrault is holding solid at No. 14 on MSU's career scoring list . . . next up at the No. 13 spot is Kelli Roehrig (2013-18) with 1,370 points.

• Ayrault has netted at least one 3-pointer in her last 22 games played as part of the 23rd time in her 25 games played this season, with the two games being held without a make from distance coming in the first three games, doing so in games one and three of the year.

• With one triple Wednesday, Ayrault now has 124 career 3-pointers, pulling away from a tie at No. 14 with Eileen Shea (1987-91) with 123 treys to move up to tie for the No. 13 spot with Branndais Agee (2013-18).

• Ayrault's 10 rebounds was her seventh double-figure rebounding game, posting double-doubles in all seven occasions.

• The 10 boards was her eighth-straight contest and part of Ayraults 21st game this season with five or more rebounds.

• Wednesday's 10 boards moves Ayrault's career total to 718 rebounds, passing Branndais Agee (2013-18) with 715 boards for the No. 12 spot on MSU's career rebounding list.

• Ayrault tallied two blocks Wednesday, as she now has at least one rejection in each of the last 10 games as part of her 20th game in 25 games played with at least one block.

• Wednesdays two rejections brings Ayrault's career total to 175 blocks, holding steady at her spot at No. 3 on the Spartans' career blocks list.

• Junior guard Theryn Hallock was the third Spartan in double-figure scoring with 12 points for her third double-digit scoring outing . . . it was Hallocks 19th double-figure scoring game this season and 38th of her career, and MSU is now 13-6 this season and 28-10 in her career when Hallock posts double-digits.

• Hallock dished out three assists for the second game in a row, part of her third-consecutive game with three or more helpers and the seventh game in the last eight outings dishing out three or more helpers . . . overall, it was Hallock's 15th game this season with a 3 or more in the assists column by her name.

• Along with her milestone-marking points outing, Tate also swiped a game-high four steals, 17th game with multiple steals, including 12th with three or more swipes.

Jocelyn Tate Reaches 1,000 Career Points As MSU Falls To No. 4 USC Wednesday

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Team Stats

Grace VanSlooten

Julia Ayrault

Theryn Hallock

Jocelyn Tate

Players Mentioned

Julia Ayrault

Theryn Hallock

Nyla Hampton

Jaddan Simmons

Jocelyn Tate

Grace VanSlooten