The Penn State women’s basketball team lost for the first time in nearly a month by a score of 83-77 against Michigan State on Sunday. The Spartans were led by Porsche Poole’s 32 points, and snapped the Lady Lions’ five-game win streak, which dated back to January 7th–when Penn State lost to the same Michigan State squad.

Penn State (16-5, 6-3 Big Ten) had no answers for Poole, who shot 10-15 from the field. The Michigan State (13-9, 5-4 Big Ten) guards were able to get into the lane easily, encountering little resistance from the Penn State defense. Alex Bentley and Maggie Lucas struggled to contain the Michigan State guards, and Nikki Greene also got into early foul trouble, further hampering the defense.

The Lady Lions  had several good chances to win the game, particularly after they climbed out in front with less than two minutes remaining. However, the Spartans were eventually able to prevail, finishing strong en route to the win. Penn State was led in scoring by Lucas, who had 21 points and by Mia Nickson, who had her best game of the season with 18 points and six rebounds. In her limited playing time, Greene was able to score 10 points and grab five boards.

The Spartans were able to take Bentley almost completely out of the game; Penn State’s second-leading scorer was held to just eight points. Bentley also managed just two assists while turning the ball over three times. As a result, the Lady Lions continuously tried to pound the ball underneath, especially in the second half. The strategy nearly worked, but Michigan State was too good offensively down the stretch for Penn State to grab the win.

The next contest for the Lady Lions is at the Bryce Jordan Center on Thursday against Indiana at 7 p.m. The Hoosiers enter the contest at the bottom of the Big Ten standings, giving Penn State a much-needed rest from its grueling schedule as of late.