Jayln Brown Delivers for #12 Excel H Ranked Spartans over the Hoosiers 

By Nick Jenkinson/Excel H Sports

   #12 Excel H Sports Ranked Michigan State Spartans used a 40-25 second half run to put away the Indiana Hoosiers 80-60 Thursday Afternoon in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall to kick off the New Year. Michigan State is 13-1 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten while Indiana is 11-4 and 0-3 in the Big Ten for the first in the Teri Moren era. The Hoosiers have lost all three Big Ten games by 20 points or more and it does not get any easier as Indiana faces former Hoosier Yarden Garzon and #6 Excel H Sports Ranked Maryland Sunday Evening at 6 PM in College Park.

   The Spartans were held 10 points under the scoring average as the put four in double figures led by Jalyn Brown 20 points as she put up 18 in the first half. Grace VanSlooten added 18 points along with 14 rebounds. Kennedy Blair scored 13 and South Bend Washington Graduate and Purdue Transfer Rashunda Jones added 10 points. The Spartans finished 29-55 from the field for 55%, 8-17 from three-point range for 47% and 14-16 from the free throw line for 87%. Michigan State pulled down 32 rebounds, dished out 17 assists, 4 steals, 2 blocks and 16 turnovers.  The Spartans had 34 points in the paint, 24 points off turnovers, 15 Fastbreak Points, 15 Bench Points and 13 second chance points.

   Shay Ciezki led Indiana with 16 points and played the full 40 minutes. Ciezki has played 40 minutes in five games this season and she has scored 10 or more points in straight games going back to last season. Lenee Beaumont added 14 points, and Neveah Caffey added 10 points to score double figures for the third straight game. All seven Hoosiers that played scored. Maya Maklausky and Edessa Noyan scored 8 points apiece along with 2 points each from Jerni Kiaku and Jade Ondineme scored 2 points apiece. The Hoosiers frontcourt scored 18 points which was big change from Monday’s Game when they only scored 2 points and no points of the bench.

    The Hoosiers finished 22-40 from the field for 40%, 6-22 from three-point range for 27% and 10-11 from the free throw line for 91%. Indiana pulled down 24 rebounds, dished out 12 assists, 6 steals, 0 blocks and 16 turnovers. The Hoosiers scored 30 points in the paint, 16 Points off Turnovers, 16 second chance points, 6 fastbreak points and 4 bench points. Coach Moren said that Sophomore Forward Zania Socka-Nugemen has not returned to practice and has been doing 30-minute workout since her lower leg injury that has sidelined her for the last 8 games, and she does not know when she will return. Sophomore Faith Weisman was in uniform, and Coach Moren Said ” She has been cleared but we are bringing her back slowly and we felt today was not the day to bring her back.”

    Michigan State led 19-18 after the first quarter as Jayln Brown scored 11 points and went 3-3 from downtown 4-5 from the field. Brown continued her hot streak in the second quarter scoring 7 points as the Spartans outscored the Hoosiers 21-17 in the second quarter and led 40-35 at halftime.

    The third quarter has been the Achilles heel for the Hoosiers as Michigan State put away Indiana with a 21-12 third quarter and 19-13 fourth quarter as the Spartans lead the all-time series 50-33 and 22-18 in Bloomington and snapping a five-game losing streak to the Hoosiers in Bloomington with their last win coming on December 28, 2017.  “I thought our effort was better today, but the game is so funny and how two or three possessions can change the game and flip so fast and change the momentum” Indiana Head Coach Teri Moren said after the game.

    When asked after the game about the third quarter breakdowns both Shay Ciezki and Coach Teri Moren they both said, “I wish they had the answer and knew why it keeps happening”. Coach Moren added that they are going to keep working at it until it is corrected. Phoenix Stotjin and Chloe Spreen were available but did not play and Coach Moren was asked about why some of the bench is not getting minutes and others are.

     Moren praised Jerni Kiaku who knows her role and “Bench players have a defined role and Jerni knows and embraces her role” while others have not embraced it and she is a big believer in how your practice is how you play and Moren said ” you earn your playing time and it’s everything you do plays a role in that.”  Indiana will keep chopping away at it and ready for the next opportunity which will be a very tough road test at Maryland.