Ohio State (21-5, 13-4) travels to East Lansing to take on MSU (14-13, 8-8) in a Big Ten battle that Ohio State absolutely needs to win to keep pace in the Big Ten Champions race.
From espin:
Nia Clouden and the Michigan State Spartans (14-13, 8-8 Big Ten) square off against the Ohio State Buckeyes (21-5, 13-4 Big Ten) after Clouden put up 22 points in a 62-51 loss to Michigan.
Clouden totaled a team-high 22 points in Michigan State's last game against Michigan on Thursday, but it wasn't enough in a 62-51 defeat.
Ohio State took down Penn State 78-55 on Thursday in the team's most recent outing, led by Taylor Mikesell's 19-point scoring effort in the win.
Michigan State's 70.2 points per game this season out-paces the 66.5 points per contest Ohio State allows. The Spartans are 10-3 when they score over 66 points.
The Spartans make 73.4 percent of their free throws as a team, the eighth-best mark in the Big Ten. Clouden hits 5.3 free throws per game to lead Michigan State while knocking down 88 percent of her attempts at the line.
Ohio State enters the game averaging 80.7 points per game, 12.9 more than the 67.8 Michigan State surrenders per contest. The Buckeyes are 18-3 in games where they put up more than 68 points.
This season, the Buckeyes have drilled 8.7 shots per game from beyond the arc while limiting their opponents to 5.8 triples. Ohio State is 11-4 when it hits at least nine shots from downtown this season.
Clouden leads Michigan State in scoring, averaging 19.5 points and 4.2 assists per game. The Spartans leading rebounder is Tamara Farquhar, who averages 6.6 boards per game in addition to scoring 6.1 points. DeeDee Hagemann is the team's best passer, tallying 5.6 assists to go with 7.8 points per game.
Matilda Ekh is the most prolific shooter for Michigan State, making 2.4 threes per game while shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc.
Jacy Sheldon leads Ohio State in points, scoring 19.7 a contest, and assists with 3.8 per game. Mikesell adds 19.2 points for the Buckeyes, while Mikulasikova averages 10.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
Mikesell has a 48 percent shooting percentage from downtown and leads the squad in made threes per game, connecting on 3.7 three-pointers per contest.
Go Bucks!
