Michigan State University
22-10,11-7Big Ten
(2) NC State
28-6,16-2ACC
MSU Women's NCAA Tournament Run Ends Against NC State in the Second Round
3/24/2025 3:21:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Grace VanSlooten earns her second-straight double-double in the loss.
The Spartans' season comes to a close with 22-10 record, which matches last season's win total. This is the first time that MSU has had back-to-back 22-win seasons since the 2012-13 and 2013-14 campaigns. NC State advances to the Sweet Sixteen with a record of 28-6.
Michigan State was led by junior forward Grace VanSlooten, who had her third-straight double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. It was her seventh double-double of the season. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault and junior guard Emma Shumate both added eight points for the Spartans. She was the only Spartan to reach double figures, as MSU was held to its lowest point total of the season.
NC State was led by 26 points and six rebounds from Aziaha James, who went 6-for-11 from beyond the arc. For the game, the Wolfpack were 15-for-30 from long range.
The Wolfpack got off to a fast start taking an early 12-4 advantage, leading to a Michigan State timeout. NC State used a 10-0 run to take a 25-9 lead with under four minutes left in the period behind sharp-shooting from James. Michigan State went the final 5:05 without scoring, as NC State jumped out to a 27-9 lead after the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Spartans were able to slow down the high-powered Wolfpack offense some, but were not able to get their offense going. Another James bucket put NC State up 39-19 with under three minutes left in the half. NC State went 10-for-16 from beyond the arc in the first half. VanSlooten led the way for the Spartans with 10 first-half points.
Michigan State kept NC State without a field goal for nearly three minutes in the third quarter, but were not able to cut the deficit. Senior guard Jaddan Simmons made a huge impact in the third period with five points and a steal to help Michigan State.
The fourth quarter was the tightest quarter with the Wolfpack out-scoring the Spartans, 14-13.
The Spartans will say goodbye to a quartet of seniors in Julia Ayrault, Nyla Hampton, Jaddan Simmons and Jocelyn Tate, who played their final game in the Green & White on Monday
Michigan State Women's Basketball Post-Game Notes: vs. NC State in NCAA Tournament
• Seventh-seeded Michigan State was defeated by regional No. 2 seed and host, NC State in the NCAA Tournament Second Round.
• Michigan State was making its 15th appearance in the Second Round, as part of the Spartans' 20th overall trip the "Big Dance," having made it to the NCAA Tournament in 17 of the last 22 completed seasons . . . MSU's No. 7 seed was the Spartans' highest since 2016 when they were a No. 4 seed, and it is the first time that the Spartans were a No. 7 seed.
• It is the first time with 20-win seasons in consecutive years since 2015-16 and 2016-17, with 25 and 21 wins, respectively . . . It is also the first time with at least 22 wins in back-to-back seasons since 2012-13 and 2013-14, winning 25 games in 2012-13 and 23 in 2013-14.
• Michigan State swiped five steals Monday, as the Spartans added on to their school-record for steals, finishing the season with 389 steals in 32 games, as MSU passed the record of 375 steals set by the 2004-05 Spartan squad in 37 games.
• Junior forward Grace VanSlooten registered her third-straight double-double with team bests of 15 points and 11 rebounds in Monday's game, after logging 17 points and 10 boards in Saturday's first-round win over Harvard, and 12 points and 10 rebounds in the B1G Tournament game vs. Iowa (3/6/25) . . . in addition to it being her third double-double in as many outings, it was VanSlooten's seventh double-double of the season . . . overall, it was VanSlooten's 17th double-double of her collegiate career after 10 double-doubles during her time at Oregon.
• VanSlooten's double-double was MSU's 15th double-double in an NCAA Tournament game, after Saturday's double-double was MSU's first since Sidney Cooks had 17 points and 12 rebounds in 2019 vs. Notre Dame.
• With her 15 points, VanSlooten has posted double-figures in her last 19-straight games played, as part of posting 10+ points in 29 of her 31 games played this season, missing the Eastern Michigan game (11/11/24) due to illness and held to single digits twice . . . VanSlooten has now registered double-digit points 81 times out of 94 career games, logging double-digits in 52 games while at Oregon.
• VanSlooten now has 480 points this season, moving up to No. 18 on MSU's single-season list, passing Mary Kay Itnyre with 478 points in 1977-78, current teammate Julia Ayrault with 277 points last season (2023-24), and Kristen Rasmussen with 470 points in 1998-99.
• With six free throw attempts Monday, Van Slooten finishes with 171 attempts on the season, moving up to No. 4 on MSU's single-season free throw attempts list, passing Kisha Kelley (1993-94) with 168.
• The 11 rebounds was VanSlooten's third double-figure outing on the glass in as many games, and seventh contest with double-digit rebounds this season, notching a double-double in all seven occurrences . . . VanSlooten's 11 boards was her 11th-consecutive game with five or more rebounds, as part of the 13th time in the last 14 games played . . . overall the junior forward has posted 5+ boards in 27 of her 31 games played this season.
• Of her 11 boards, two of VanSlooten's rebounds were on the offensive glass, giving her 103 offensive rebounds this season, becoming the eighth MSU women's basketball player with 100 offensive rebounds since the stat was first kept in the 1986-87 season . . . with the 103 offensive rebounds, VanSlooten moves up to tie for the No. 5 spot with Jasmine Hines (2015-16) with 103.
• Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault added to her MSU record for career games played, playing in her 139th career game on Monday, after pulling away for the record from Branndais Agee (2013-18), Kalisha Keane (2007-11) and Alyssa DeHaan (2006-10), all with 136 career games played.
• Ayrault netted eight points on Monday, finishing her Spartan career with 1,356 career points, ending at No. 14 on MSU's career scoring list.
• With three rebounds in Monday's loss, Ayrault finishes with 752 career rebounds, ending at the No. 11 spot on MSU's career rebounding list.
• Ayrault registered two blocks Monday for the second game in a row and her 15th game this season with multiple rejections and she has at least one rejection in 25 of the 31 games played, including in 15 of the last 16 games.
• With the two blocks Monday, Ayrault finishes with 47 for the season, good for No. 9 on MSU's single-season blocked shots list, pulling away from a tie with Kristen Rasmussen with 45 rejections in 1997-98.
