It had been less than a week since three students at Michigan State were senselessly shot and killed on campus when the university's women's basketball team took the floor for the first time since the tragedy. Just suiting up was a victory for the Spartans at a time where the community continues to mourn the loss of three of its own.

Michigan State pushed No. 8 Maryland all the way up until the end of the game but fell short 66-61 yesterday afternoon. Still, the team had plenty to hang its hat on despite the loss.

“I'm really proud of us for just showing up,” said Julia Ayrault, who scored a team-high 15 points. “It's hard to come back and play a game that seems so small.”

According to the Associated Press, the team wore white shirts with the words, “Spartan Strong” during warmups. Funerals for Brian Fraser and Alexandria Verner, who were only 20 years old at the time of their deaths, were held earlier in the day. A service for Arielle Anderson, the other student killed on campus last week, will happen this week.

The heaviness of the environment in the building was not lost on Maryland. Head coach Brenda Frese acknowledged as such after the Terrapins' win.

“We knew today would be extremely emotional,” Frese said. “Michigan State was one possession away from taking this game from us.”

Michigan State's men's basketball team also played in its first game since the shooting on Saturday. They played Michigan in Ann Arbor and received the support from their intrastate rivals.