Michigan Wolverines @ Michigan State Spartans
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MICH | 15 | 18 | 23 | 21 | 77 |
MSU | 21 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 67 |
Brown, No. 18 Michigan women beat Michigan St. 77-67
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- — Leigha Brown scored 19 of her 29 points in the second half and finished two assists shy of a triple-double to lead No. 18 Michigan to a 77-67 win over rival Michigan State on Sunday.
Brown scored 10 in the fourth quarter, eight from the foul line, and Maddie Nolan had two big 3-pointers in the fourth and scored 22 points for the Wolverines (19-5, 9-4 Big Ten Conference).
Michigan pulled out a second-straight win without leading scored Laila Phelia, who has a lower leg injury. Brown was 8 of 9 and Nolan 5 of 6 from the foul line in the fourth quarter.
Matilda Ekh and Moira Joiner both had 12 for the Spartans (11-12, 3-9), who lost their third straight since coach Susy Merchant had a medical issue and a minor car accident on Jan. 28. Dean Lockwood is the interim head coach. DeeDee Hagemann added 11 points and a season-high nine assists.
Michigan State, which lost the first meeting 70-55 and has 10 losses by 10 points or less, went 5 of 23 from the field and 1 of 3 from the line in the fourth quarter.
Nolan sandwiched a pair of 3-pointers around four Brown free throws to open the fourth quarter as the Wolverines surged to a 66-55 lead. Nolan finished with five triples. Brown had 12 rebounds and eight assists.
The Spartans scored the first 10 points of the game but Nolan scored Michigan's last eight with a pair of 3-pointers to cut the deficit to 21-15 after one quarter. Brown scored eight-straight Wolverine points, tying the game at 31-all three minutes before halftime but the Spartans' last three buckets were 3s, with Julia Ayrault and Ekh connecting in the final two minutes for a 40-33 lead.
Brown and Kiser combined for 17 points in the third quarter when Michigan outscored the Spartans 23-15 to take a 56-55 lead into the fourth quarter. The Wolverines were 10 of 16, MSU just 5 of 17 but had a Hagemann 3 at the buzzer.
Michigan State shot 35% in the second half and 31% for the game.
Michigan doesn't play until Nebraska visits on Sunday. Michigan State hits the road to play Wisconsin on Wednesday.
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Game Information
East Lansing, MI
Referee:Jesse Dickerson
Referee:Maggie Tieman
2025-26 Standings
| Big Ten Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA | 17-0 | - | 27-1 |
| Iowa | 13-3 | 3.5 | 22-5 |
| Michigan | 13-3 | 3.5 | 22-5 |
| Ohio State | 12-4 | 4.5 | 23-5 |
| Minnesota | 12-5 | 5 | 21-7 |
| Michigan State | 11-6 | 6 | 22-6 |
| Maryland | 10-6 | 6.5 | 22-6 |
| Illinois | 9-7 | 7.5 | 19-8 |
| USC | 9-7 | 7.5 | 17-10 |
| Washington | 9-8 | 8 | 19-9 |
| Oregon | 7-9 | 9.5 | 19-10 |
| Nebraska | 6-11 | 11 | 17-11 |
| Wisconsin | 5-12 | 12 | 13-15 |
| Indiana | 4-12 | 12.5 | 15-13 |
| Purdue | 4-12 | 12.5 | 12-15 |
| Penn State | 3-13 | 13.5 | 10-17 |
| Northwestern | 2-14 | 14.5 | 8-19 |
| Rutgers | 1-15 | 15.5 | 9-18 |
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