In ‘redemption year’ Michigan State women’s basketball playing for plenty in stretch run

EAST LANSING — Tory Ozment knows what it’s like to be playing for something during a season’s stretch run.

She has been part of successful NCAA tournament chases with the Michigan State women’s basketball program as a true freshman in 2019 and then again in 2021.

And now with the calendar hitting February, the sixth-year guard/forward is experiencing that feeling once again with the Spartans playing for the postseason.

With eight games remaining in the regular season starting with Monday’s home date against Minnesota (6 p.m., Big Ten Network), MSU is firmly in the NCAA tournament picture and has a chance to earn one of the top four seeds for the Big Ten tournament.

“It’s kind of like a redemption year,” Ozment said. “We’ve missed out on the tournament. We haven’t really been where we would like to be. These are the games that matter the most. Everyone is tired, everyone is a little down and people have injuries, but we just have to stay consistent with our identity and I think everyone has bought into that.”

The Spartans (16-5, 6-4 Big Ten) enter play in February projected to be a No. 8 seed in the latest bracketology put together by ESPN’s Charlie Creme. They have a chance to improve their seeding and standing in the Big Ten during a big stretch of games.

Monday’s matchup against Minnesota kicks off a challenging seven-day stretch that includes a road test against No. 10-ranked Indiana on Thursday and a home game with No. 8 Ohio State on Sunday, Feb. 11. The Spartans are chasing both Indiana and Ohio State in the standings.

MSU has a chance to avenge road losses from last month to the Gophers and the Buckeyes.

“Halfway through the league we’ve put ourselves in a position to play for something,” said first-year MSU coach Robyn Fralick, whose team has matched its win total from last season and is on a three-game winning streak.

“We still have a lot of opportunities in front of us. In this league, night in and night out, what’s in front of you matters. Every night the game has an impact on what we’re shooting for. We have to compete and prepare with that in mind.”

Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on X @brian_calloway.