Rashunda Jones had the first double-double of her college career while helping the Michigan State women’s basketball team begin their western road trip on a strong note.
Jones had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the No. 15-ranked Spartans as they overcame a slow start to record an 82-67 victory over No. 23 Washington in a Big Ten contest on Thursday, Jan. 8 at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle.
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Jones was one of three players to score in double figures for MSU as it pushed its win streak to seven and picked up its second victory over a top-25 ranked team this season.
Kennedy Blair had a game-high 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field and added six rebounds and five assists and Grace VanSlooten had 17 points and eight rebounds for the Spartans (15-1, 4-1 Big Ten).
MSU was propelled by 13-0 runs in the second and third quarters while adding to its win streak. The Spartans trailed by 11 in the final minute of the opening quarter but recovered with a big second quarter where they outscored Washington, 25-11. That included finishing the opening half with 13 unanswered points.
The Spartans built on that momentum and pushed their lead to double figures in the third quarter with a 13-0 run. That was part of a 21-5 run to close the quarter for MSU, which ended up leading by as much as 22.
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Washington, which had won three straight and was coming off a win over then-No. 6-ranked Michigan on New Year’s Day in what was its last game, was led by Elle Ladine’s 15 points.
Sayvia Sellers had 14 points before fouling out and Avery Howell, the reigning USBWA national player of the year, had 10 points for Washington (12-3, 2-2).
MSU concludes its western road trip with a game at Oregon at 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan 11.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Michigan State women’s basketball takes down Washington on road
