Lansing Sun

Michigan State University's women's basketball team faced their first defeat of the season against Alabama at the West Palm Beach Classic, ending with a score of 82-67. The game took place on Friday evening at Rubin Arena, where both teams showcased strong performances.

Julia Ayrault led Michigan State with 18 points and two steals. Grace VanSlooten was close to a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds. Theryn Hallock contributed 14 points off the bench, scoring nine in the fourth quarter alone. Despite these efforts, Alabama managed to secure the win, improving their record to 11-1 alongside Michigan State's now matching record.

The Spartan defense remained robust by forcing Alabama into 29 turnovers. However, it wasn't enough as Alabama had five players scoring in double figures, with Aaliyah Nye leading her team with 18 points.

The game began slowly for both teams, each starting off cold from the field. After some initial back-and-forth scoring in the first half, Alabama pulled ahead significantly in the third quarter with a 14-0 run that widened their lead to 52-36. The Spartans attempted a comeback in the final quarter but couldn't close the gap entirely.

Looking ahead, Michigan State will take a break for the holidays before facing Maryland on December 29th. This loss marks an end to Michigan State's best unbeaten start in program history and ties them for MSU's best record through twelve games since previous seasons.