EAST LANSING— No. 20 Michigan State suffered a close loss against unranked Nebraska on Wednesday, losing 85-80, putting the Spartans at 12-3 on the season, and 2-2 in the Big Ten.  

MSU had just come off a 77-59 win over unranked Purdue and started off hot with an 8-0 lead over Nebraska. This lead would quickly disappear, as the Cornhuskers would tie it up in the second quarter and never look back. 

Nebraska led by 17 late in the third quarter, but the Spartans did not quit, managing to cut the lead to five, but their run came too little too late. Graduate guard Julia Ayrault had a team high of 21 points as well as a team high of nine rebounds. 

Junior guard Theryn Hallock put up 18 points with three rebounds, and junior forward Grace Vanslooten put up 12 points and six rebounds. MSU struggled offensively with 18 turnovers, resulting in 27 points scored off turnovers. 

The Spartans also got into foul trouble early and had difficulty guarding the glass, giving Nebraska the momentum to get out in front. The Big Ten is a very competitive conference, especially on the road, however, the Spartans need to find ways to maintain their lead and not crack under pressure. 

MSU will return to East Lansing to face unranked Washington, and the Spartans will look to complete a much-needed win to remain ranked in the AP Top 25. The matchup will tip off on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Breslin Center.