Julia Ayrault had a big finish Tuesday afternoon.
And her efforts helped the Michigan State women’s basketball team remain unbeaten and earn a spot in the championship game of the Acrisure Classic.
Ayrault had 13 points in the final quarter as the Spartans rallied to a 78-72 victory over Cal in a matchup of unbeatens in Palm Springs, California.
Ayrault finished with 22 points and nine rebounds for the Spartans, who overcame a 16-point deficit that they faced in the late stages of the third quarter. Ayrault surpassed 1,000 career points with the strong finish and has 1,001 for her career. She hit the milestone at the free-throw line.
Nyla Hampton hit the go-ahead 3 with 3:59 to play as part of a big finish for the Spartans (7-0). MSU outscored the Cal (6-1) by a 30-12 margin in the final quarter.
Theryn Hallock added 15 points and Grace VanSlooten had 13 points and seven rebounds for the Spartans, who advance to play in the title game at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. Hampton added 10 points.
Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on X @brian_calloway.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Julia Ayrault leads Michigan State women’s basketball past Cal
