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By Morris Phillips

At some point, Michigan State needed that 96.3 points a game, and that best-nationally 50.5 average margin of victory to be a factor.

For almost three quarters, Cal made sure the numbers didn’t matter. After that, the Spartans took over, and the numbers were overwhelming.

Trailing 58-42 with 2:12 remaining in the third quarter, MSU took flight, outscoring the Bears by 22 the rest of the way in a 78-72 victory at the Acrisure Classic in Palm Springs on Tuesday afternoon.

“We got a shot of confidence, started to play better, started getting stops without fouling,” coach Robyn Fralick said. “This tournament is what you want, amazing arena, amazing destination, great teams to play against.”

The Bears played the first of 19 men’s and women’s games at Acrisure Arena over a four-day period ending Friday. The crowd was sparse given the 11:00a.m. tip, but the game was nationally televised and played at a high level.

For 28 minutes, the Bears made shots and kept MSU as far as they possibly could from scoring at least 90 points for the sixth time in their seven games thus far. But the Spartans didn’t conduct themselves like they were cooked. And when their persistence at getting to the basket started to work, along with some friendly whistles, they pounced, and Cal was held scoreless for a significant stretch.

A 16-2 run from the point of Cal’s biggest lead wasn’t answered until Lulu Twidale calm sank a three with 6:30 left. Cal still led 65-60, but Michigan State was fully realized. Julia Ayrault, turning and facing with the ball at every opportunity, drew some fouls that eventually would get Marta Suarez and Michelle Onyiah to their fifth fouls. The Spartans got it done at the foul line, making 11 of 14 in the final quarter.

The contrast was jarring as Cal limited MSU to 2 of 19 shooting with three turnovers in the second quarter when they seized control with the finish of an 18-0 run that put them 36-26 four minutes before the half.

Twidale and Suarez keyed that stretch with eight points a piece, while Michigan State saw its shooting get as low as 27 percent from the floor before the break.

Cal (6-1) played without key reserve Jayda Noble, who coach Charmin Smith decided to replace with additional minutes from Gisella Maul, freshmen Lola Donez, and Gabrielle Abigor. Four Bears starters scored in double figures led by Twidale with 20 points.

Ayrault had 22 points, nine rebounds despite missing 13 shots. She also keyed the Spartans’ gritty style and pestering defense that totaled 10 steals and 20 offensive rebounds.

“Michigan State plays very aggressive,” said coach Shea Ralph of Vanderbilt, MSU’s opponent in Tuesday’s championship game. “Watching them today, they play really hard, they press. A lot of what we saw today against Arizona we’re going to see again tomorrow.”

Cal plays Arizona in the consolation game at 11:00a.m. on Wednesday with Michigan State-Vanderbilt to follow at 1:30p.m.

By Morris Phillips

Last season, Michigan State center Julia Ayrault’s inclusion to the All-Big Ten First Team was a no-brainer. Along with WNBA talents Caitlin Clark and Jacy Sheldon, Ayrault was one of the conference’s ten best players, averaging 15.4 points per game, 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks.

This season, with Clark and Sheldon off to the pros, and some new, prominent names added from USC and UCLA, Ayrault’s name didn’t appear on the conference’s pre-season list. Given her talent, activity and versatility, the omission is glaring.

No confirmation here, but just assume Ayrault, the child of two former collegiate basketball players, might be taking all this personally. Her play in Michigan State’s dominant 6-0 start to the season would suggest as much. Ayrault has scored in double figures in all five games she’s played despite none of those games being in doubt after halftime.

On Tuesday morning in Palm Springs’ Acrisure Arena, Ayrault becomes the Cal women’s problem, as a big roadblock in the Bears attempt to forge a 7-0 start to the season for the first time under Coach Charmin Smith.

The meeting of undefeated teams comes as part of the Acrisure Classic, a four-team tournament that features Vanderbilt and Arizona in the second, opening day matchup.

Michigan State coach Robyn Fralick has her own concerns. Cal’s guard play and experience are worrisome to her, especially Ioanna Krimili and Lulu Twidale, who lead Cal in scoring, but more importantly, have hit big shots in key moments in the Bears’ 6-0 start.

“They shoot the three very well. I think when you watch them play, you can tell they’ve played a lot of basketball and make good decisions,” Fralick said of Cal’s backcourt of Krimili, Twidale and Kayla Williams.

In the combined 12 wins for both teams, neither have had many anxious moments. Michigan State is tied for the national-lead in quarters scoring at least 20 points with LSU. Their up-tempo style has overwhelmed their six mid-major opponents, with the margins of victory all falling between 37 and 65 points.

“At this point, I think we’re ready to see where we are,” Fralick declared.

Cal led by double digits throughout the second halves of their first five games, and against Auburn in their most recent outing, they finally had a game decided late, but Twidale hit a pair of threes in the final two minutes to create a winning margin.

The Bears-Spartans matchup features a familiar face as former Oregon Duck Grace VanSlooten, the Toledo, Ohio native, entered the transfer portal following her sophomore season, and agreed to join the Spartans and create a formidable post duo with Ayrault. VanSlooten has faced the Bears three times, winning the matchup as a freshman, while scoring 20 points with nine rebounds. Last season, VanSlooten suffered a pair of losses to Cal, missing 19 of her combined 26 shots from the floor in the process as the Cal defense proved formidable.

In an interesting juxtaposition, the 6’3″ VanSlooten plays the four in Michigan State’s scheme with the 6’2″ Ayrault in the post. When Fralick was named coach prior to last season, she approached Ayrault, then listed as a guard, regarding a change of position. Ayrault agreed, and that move may have been the key in the Spartans’ 22-9 record and surprising NCAA Tournament berth.

Ayrault’s father, Andrew, now an assistant coach at his alma mater, Wayne State, likely encouraged his daughter to be open-minded to the position switch. Also, Ayrault, now in her fifth season playing for the Spartans has declared that she’s fully committed to the university, thus her decision to return to school, and not test the waters in the transfer portal.

“Staying the course, believing in a place is important to me,” Ayrault said. “I love Michigan State, I love everything about it, so just being here and loving a place and loving the people… that would be it.”

The Spartans’ fast pace and pressure defense will cause Cal problems. The Bears have been prone to turnovers, and Michigan State creates them and turns them into points. The Spartans have scored at least 95 points in all but one of their games thus far. Offensively, the Spartans attack quickly, but prudently.

“You have to play with pace on both sides of the ball,” Fralick said. “Make sure we hunt good shots. But I tell our team that doesn’t mean we (necessarily) have to shoot fast.”

The Bears and Spartans tip at 11:00 a.m., with the game televised on TruTV.