Michigan State did not make it easy on itself in Norman last Friday. The Spartans let Colorado State hang around all night, then survived a furious late push to escape with a 65-62 win and a ticket to the NCAA Tournament second round.
Senior forward Grace VanSlooten steadied the whole operation with 18 points and 10 rebounds, delivering another double-double in a high-stress spot. The victory moves Michigan State to 23-8, the program's most wins since the 2015-16 squad, and sets up a Sunday date in Norman with a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line.
VanSlooten keeps rolling
VanSlooten provided the interior presence Michigan State badly needed, piling up her 18 points and 10 boards while soaking up contact inside. She became just the seventh Division I player this century to record a double-double in each of her first three NCAA Tournament games, according to Michigan State Athletics.
The Spartans slogged through a messy first half, coughing up possessions and letting Colorado State hang around. In the fourth quarter, they finally cleaned things up, tightened the screws defensively and did just enough on the glass to close it out.
Brown's big shot, Blair's defense
Redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair matched VanSlooten with 18 points of her own and added a career-high three blocks, showing up on both ends when Michigan State needed stops and buckets.
Senior Jalyn Brown, meanwhile, picked her moments. She went 3-for-6 from deep and buried what The Detroit News described as a go-ahead 3 late in the game that flipped the momentum back to the Spartans.
Colorado State refused to fold, leaning on a monster, career-best 36 points from Brooke Carlson to keep the upset bid alive. In the end, though, Michigan State's depth and balance were just enough to survive the scare.
Up next: Sooners in Norman
Michigan State now turns around for a Sunday showdown with No. 4 seed Oklahoma in the second round, on the Sooners' home floor. Oklahoma rolled past Idaho 89-59 in its opener, per Oklahoma Athletics.
Raegan Beers led the Sooners with 18 points and 10 rebounds, her 21st double-double of the season, giving Oklahoma a seasoned interior force that Michigan State will have to deal with straight away.
Why it matters
The win gave Michigan State 23 victories this season, the most for the program since the 2015-16 Spartans went 25-9, a clear sign that coach Robyn Fralick's group is trending up, according to Michigan State Athletics.
Sunday's matchup in Norman will be a quick gut check, a test of whether this Michigan State team can bottle its balance and toughness and turn a nervous first-round escape into a deeper March run.
