Lansing Sun

The Michigan State women's basketball team, ranked No. 20/21, is set to face Nebraska on January 8 at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The game will be available for streaming on B1G+, with Larry Punteney and Kara Graham providing commentary.

Michigan State recently ended a two-game losing streak by defeating Purdue 77-59, improving their overall record to 12-2 and 2-1 in Big Ten play. They rank fourth in the Big Ten for scoring offense and fifth for scoring defense.

Nebraska also broke a three-game losing streak with a victory over Penn State, bringing their record to 11-4 overall and 2-2 in the league. The Cornhuskers lead the Big Ten in three-point field goal percentage and are seventh in assists. Alexis Markowski leads Nebraska's scoring with an average of 13.6 points per game.

The Spartans have forced opponents into committing more than 25 turnovers in nine games this season, including their recent win against Purdue where they forced exactly that number.

Six different players have led Michigan State in scoring throughout the season, with Julia Ayrault leading five times. Grace VanSlooten follows closely behind as a top scorer four times.

In terms of series history, Nebraska holds a lead over Michigan State with a record of 12-6. The Spartans aim to break their two-game losing streak against the Huskers and secure their first win in Lincoln.

Julia Ayrault recently joined Michigan State's prestigious group of players who have scored over 1,000 career points during her collegiate career across multiple teams.

Head coach Robyn Fralick has announced Julia Ayrault and Nyla Hampton as team captains for this season. This marks Ayrault's second consecutive year as captain while Hampton is new to the role after transferring from Ball State last season.

The Spartans continue to show strong defensive performances, highlighted by holding Purdue to just three points in one quarter during their last matchup on January 1st.