LANSING, Mich. — In a significant in-state rivalry match, Syla Swords led the Michigan Wolverines with 19 points, alongside six rebounds and six assists, as they overcame No. 20 Michigan State with a final score of 71-61 on Sunday. This victory snapped a three-game losing streak for Michigan, giving them a much-needed boost in their performance.
Olivia Olson contributed 14 points to the scoreline, while Mila Holloway added 10 points and five assists for the Wolverines, who improved their season record to 17-7 and 8-5 in Big Ten play. With this win, Michigan has now claimed three consecutive victories.
For Michigan State, Grace Vanslooten was the standout player, putting up 15 points and grabbing 12 rebounds before fouling out in the closing minute. Her teammates Nyla Hampton and Julia Ayrault followed with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
The turning point in the game came when Swords scored a crucial 3-pointer that pushed Michigan ahead 37-36 a little more than three minutes into the third quarter. From that moment on, the Wolverines maintained the lead. Holloway started the fourth quarter with a layup, quickly followed by Hobbs, who nailed a 3-pointer, extending the Michigan lead to 10. The Spartans struggled to close the gap from that point, trailing by at least seven.
In a surprising turn of events, Michigan State, known for its strong shooting percentage this season above 45%, managed only 31.8% from the floor, marking a season-low with 21 successful shots out of 66 attempts.
Historically, Michigan State leads the all-time series against Michigan with a record of 74-26, and they have an impressive home record of 36-10. Just last month, the Spartans had convincingly defeated Michigan with an 88-58 margin.
This season’s record for the Spartans stands at 18-5 and 8-4 in the conference, marking their best start since the 2015-16 season, where they also began with an 18-5 record.
Looking ahead, Michigan will host Indiana on Wednesday, while Michigan State is set to face Wisconsin at home the same day.
