MSU women's basketball cruises past Texas Southern, 91-45

Lansing State Journal
MSU senior center Jenna Allen, shown on Wednesday against Virginia. had 19 points and 10 rebounds in the Spartans' win over Texas Southern on Sunday at Breslin Center.

EAST LANSING – Behind senior center Jenna Allen's second double-double of the season, the Michigan State women's basketball team cruised to a 91-45 win over Texas Southern Sunday at the Breslin Center.

The Spartans have now won three-straight games and improve to 6-1 this season, which matches the best start since beginning the 2016-17 season 6-1. The Tigers fall to 2-5 with the loss.
Allen scored a game-high 19 points and added 10 rebounds to pace the Spartans. She now has two double-doubles and three for her career. Freshman forward Tory Ozment had her third-straight double- figure scoring game with 16 points and four assists. Junior guard Taryn McCutcheon added eight points, 10 assists and six rebounds.

Texas Southern's Niya Mitchell registered a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

The Spartans created separation in the first quarter after a 13-0 run that gave MSU a 20-9 lead. Redshirt-junior forward Victoria Gaines had eight points in the first 10 minutes. MSU led the Tigers 28-16- at the end of the quarter behind eight points from Gaines and seven from Allen.

In the second quarter, the Tigers were able to cut the lead to 10 points, 31-21 after a Mitchell layup with 6:54 left in the quarter. The Spartans scored six points over 2:11 and used that 6-0 run to take a 32-25 lead with under two minutes left in the half. MSU took its first 20-point advantage with a pair of Nia Hollie free throws with four second left in the half to take a 45-25 lead into the locker room.

The Tigers were lethal from behind the arc in the first half, shooting 60 percent, but MSU shot 48.6 percent from the field.

Texas Southern hit a try spell at the end of the third quarter, finishing the final 4:23 without a field goal. Heading into the final 10 of action, the Spartans held a commanding 67-37 lead.

In the fourth quarter, Michigan State pulled away even more, taking a 40-point lead after a fast-break 3-pointer from Ozment. The Spartans trio of freshmen: Nia Clouden, Kayla Belles and Ozment combined for 18 points in the fourth period.

The Spartans return to the road to take on in-state rival Oakland on Wednesday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m.

-- MSU Athletic Communications

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