No. 22 Maryland women upset No. 12 Michigan State 86-70

Okananwa's 23 points lead Terrapins to victory over Spartans

Feb. 4, 2026 at 8:39pm

The No. 22 Maryland women's basketball team defeated the No. 12 Michigan State Spartans 86-70 on Wednesday. Oluchi Okananwa scored 23 points to lead the Terrapins, who pulled away in the second half. Maryland forced 20 turnovers and held Michigan State to just 4-of-15 shooting from 3-point range.

Why it matters

This was a key Big Ten conference matchup between two ranked teams. The win boosts Maryland's NCAA Tournament resume, while the loss is a setback for Michigan State's conference title hopes.

The details

Maryland led 43-33 at halftime and broke the game open in the third quarter. Okananwa shot 8-of-13 from the field and added 4 rebounds, 5 assists and a steal. Yarden Garzon scored 16 points and Kyndal Walker added 14 for the Terrapins, who shot 49% as a team. Michigan State was led by Grace VanSlooten's 19 points and 9 rebounds.

  • The game was played on Wednesday, February 5, 2026.

The players

Oluchi Okananwa

A key player for the Maryland Terrapins who scored 23 points in the win.

Grace VanSlooten

The leading scorer for the Michigan State Spartans with 19 points and 9 rebounds.

Maryland Terrapins

The No. 22 ranked women's basketball team that pulled off the upset victory.

Michigan State Spartans

The No. 12 ranked women's basketball team that suffered the home loss.

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What’s next

Michigan State will look to bounce back when they visit Penn State on Saturday. Maryland will travel to Nebraska, also on Saturday.

The takeaway

Maryland's upset victory over the higher-ranked Michigan State team demonstrates the parity in women's college basketball this season and the Terrapins' ability to compete with the top teams in the Big Ten conference.