Michigan State fifth-year gymnast Giana Kalefe poses with a shield at Jenison Field House on Feb. 22, 2025.
Michigan State University Athletics enjoyed a successful weekend, highlighted by a road win over Michigan in men’s basketball and key conference victories across multiple sports.
"I think anytime you go on the road and you can hear the 'Go green, Go white,' there’s something empowering," executive senior associate athletic director and communications Matt Larson said. "It’s also a reminder in athletics, you’re often playing for a larger group than just your team."
Men’s basketball: Taking the top spot
Following a crucial win over Purdue, the Spartans traveled to Ann Arbor on Friday and defeated then-No. 2 Michigan, taking sole possession of first place in the Big Ten.
MSU secured a 75-62 victory, dominating the second half. Despite not being known for three-point shooting, the Spartans excelled from deep, hitting 40.9% compared to Michigan’s 23.8%.
Freshman guards Jase Richardson (21 points) and Tre Holloman (18 points) led the way. MSU also controlled the boards, out-rebounding Michigan 34-25, with Carson Cooper grabbing a team-high eight.
The Spartans now sit atop the Big Ten and rank No. 8 nationally.
MSU travels to College Park on Wednesday, Feb. 26, to face Maryland, aiming to extend its winning streak.
Gymnastics: Strong finish to Big Ten season
MSU women’s gymnastics capped its Big Ten regular season with a 197.475-196.275 victory over Rutgers on Saturday.
Nikki Smith set a season-high 9.950 on bars, tying Sage Kellerman, who notched a career high.
The Spartans rank No. 22 nationally and sit sixth in the Big Ten standings.
MSU concludes its Big Ten regular season at the Big Four Meet on March 2, facing Iowa, Penn State and Washington at Xtream Arena.
Women’s basketball: Defense seals the deal
MSU overcame a slow start to defeat Indiana 73-65 at the Breslin Center on Sunday.
Four Spartans scored in double figures, led by junior forward Grace VanSlooten with 17 points. Junior guard Theryn Hallock and senior forward Jocelyn Tate each added 16, while graduate guard Jaddan Simmons scored 11.
Defense was key, as MSU forced 18 turnovers and recorded 10 steals, leading to 24 points off turnovers.
Both the men’s and women’s team have adopted the strength in numbers approach, Larson said.
"You never know when your number is going to get called, and then when you get that opportunity, are you ready? Are you prepared to produce?" Larson said. "So, I think the team approach to success is really a big part of both programs."
MSU is now No. 23 in the national rankings and seventh in the Big Ten standings.
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MSU travels to Columbus to face Ohio State on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m.
Baseball: Hot start in Texas
MSU baseball traveled to Corpus Christi, Texas, for the Kleberg Bank College Classic.
MSU opened the tournament with a 9-2 win over Washington State on Friday. Junior pitcher Joseph Dzierwa recorded 12 strikeouts, the most by a Spartan since 2021.
The Spartans followed up with an 8-3 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Saturday, marking their first 6-0 start since 2016.
MSU’s unbeaten streak ended Sunday with a 15-9 loss to UCLA.
The Spartans sit second in the Big Ten but remain unranked nationally.
MSU faces Harvard in a three-game series in Greenville, S.C., from Feb. 28 to March 2.
Women’s tennis: Doubleheader sweep
MSU women’s tennis hosted a Sunday doubleheader against Youngstown State and Ball State.
The Spartans swept Youngstown State 4-0 before securing a 4-1 victory over Ball State.
MSU clinched the doubles point in both matches, forcing its opponents to battle back in singles play.
The win over Ball State marked head coach Kim Bruno’s 99th career victory.
MSU ranks eighth in the Big Ten and remains unranked nationally.
The Spartans travel to New York to face Columbia on March 2 at 10:30 a.m.
Track and Field: Regular season comes to a close
MSU track and field wrapped up its indoor regular season with strong showings at the Silverston Invitational in Ann Arbor, the GVSU Tune-Up in Allendale on Feb. 21 and the Alex Wilson Invitational on Feb. 22.
At the Silverston Invitational, Owen Gilbert placed second in the men’s 800m with a season-best 1:52.74, while Alex Yon secured second in the men’s 600m at 1:20.91.
At the GVSU Tune-Up, MSU’s throwers led the way, with nine women competing. School record-holder Elle Adrian participated in the weight throw, while Jessica Stieb, MSU’s shot put record-holder, competed in both events and claimed first place in the shot put.
At the Alex Wilson Invitational, MSU’s men’s distance medley relay team — Luke Perelli, Noah Sage, Tim Cherry and Riley Hough — posted a season-best 9:39.49. Patrick Byrnes also notched a ninth-place finish in the mile with a time of 4:12.33.
MSU now shifts focus to the Big Ten Indoor Championships, set for Feb. 28–March 1 in Indianapolis.
Softball: Weather woes and weekend battles
MSU softball also traveled to Texas for the Roadrunner Classic.
The Spartans opened the tournament Thursday in San Antonio, falling 7-4 to UTSA before a narrow 2-1 loss to Akron later that day.
Friday’s games against St. Thomas and Omaha were canceled due to weather.
"Games are canceled, games are having to be moved around last minute, schedule changes," Larson said. "So, (the team) kind of has to maintain some flexibility."
MSU dropped Saturday’s game to Incarnate Word 6-4 but ended the weekend on a high note with a 3-0 win over Omaha on Sunday.
The team is unranked nationally and is last in the Big Ten standings.
MSU travels to Oxford, Ohio, for the Miami Tournament, opening against the University of Miami on Friday, March 7, at 4 p.m.
Men’s tennis: A close call
MSU men’s tennis narrowly fell 4-3 to Cornell on Sunday.
MSU dropped the doubles point, forcing the Spartans to battle from behind in singles play.
Redshirt sophomore Aristotelis Thanos secured MSU’s first singles win, followed by senior Max Sheldon.
Junior Ozan Baris climbed to a career-high No. 6 in the ITA rankings. Thanos returned to No. 27, while freshman Matthew Forbes and senior Max Sheldon ranked No. 60 and No. 74, respectively.
MSU is ranked No. 33 in the ITA rankings and sits 12th in the Big Ten.
MSU returns home for its Big Ten opener against Washington on Friday, March 7, at 5 p.m.
Hockey: Battling for the Big Ten
MSU hockey battled through a tough two-game series against Penn State over the weekend.
In the first game on Friday they were all tied up 2-2 with the Nittany Lions taking home the extra point, and while they looked for redemption on Saturday, they fell 3-2.
Penn State seized control early Saturday, scoring twice within 21 seconds. MSU fought to rally, but PSU held firm to secure the win.
"While maybe we don’t have the opportunity to control our own destiny, I think the fact that we’re still contingent for a Big Ten championship shows the strength of the program," Larson said.
Even with the result, MSU remains No. 1 nationally and second in the Big Ten standings.
MSU closes the regular season with a two-game road series against Notre Dame, beginning Friday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. and concluding Saturday, March 1, at 6 p.m. in South Bend, Indiana.
Wrestling: Regular season wrap-up
MSU wrestling wrapped up its regular season with a 22-12 loss to Central Michigan on Friday, finishing with a 4-10 record.
Freshmen have been a bright spot for MSU, with redshirt freshmen Caleb Weiand, Jaden Crumpler and Max Vanadia contributing points against CMU.
MSU sits last in the Big Ten and remains unranked nationally.
The Spartans travel to Evanston, Illinois, for the Big Ten Championships on Saturday, March 8.
After another weekend of highs and lows for Michigan State University’s athletics, the athletes will prepare as high-stakes games approach multiple teams.
