WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Women could teach men a thing or two
The MSU men’s basketball team was supposed to be the No. 2 team in the country and favorites to cut down the nets in April.
SPORTS
Young Spartans struggle with confidence, meets
In a season unlike any other, the MSU gymnastics team has seen a variety of challenges and still is struggling to overcome the adversity with which it’s faced. Among the latest struggles, the most recent is the Spartans’ 194.625-191.825 loss to Western Michigan on Sunday.
Jeff Kanan
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ICE HOCKEY
Spartans looking for consistency, sweep of Northern Michigan
Call it Saturday Night Fever, but the MSU hockey team lately has struggled to follow up good Friday night performances with the same effort on Saturday nights.
BASEBALL
MSU set to play CMU at Comerica Park in April
The MSU and Central Michigan baseball teams will renew their in-state rivalry this spring by playing the first ever college baseball game at Detroit’s Comerica Park on April 20, CMU said in a press release Monday. A press conference officially announcing the game with representatives from both schools will be held at 10:30 a.m.
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WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
MSU lacking defensive identity
Tom Izzo’s version of the MSU men’s basketball program was built on defense. After back-to-back 20-point losses and five losses in six games, the defense is the biggest culprit.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Free throws start falling for Spartans
The No. 11 MSU women’s basketball team is excelling in almost all aspects of the game this season. It hold the highest national ranking in the Big Ten, id second place in the conference standings and among the top five in the league in most of the statistical categories.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Women’s team wins at Breslin
The titles “leading scorer” and “record breaker” usually aren’t connected to senior guard Brittney Thomas.
SPORTS
Bogatov sparks MSU to victory against Wake Forest
Maybe it was the racket. After losing the first set, 6-0, MSU sophomore Denis Bogatov was left searching for answers. He decided to start the second set with a new racket, hoping a change would help get him back on track. And the racket seemed to help as Bogatov rolled to an impressive come-from-behind victory over Wake Forest’s Jonathan Wolff (0-6, 6-4, 6-3). “I just told myself that I couldn’t continue playing as horribly as I did in the first set,” Bogatov said.
SPORTS
Nittany Lions dominate weekend at MSU
Opening the match against No. 3 Penn State, junior 184-pounder Ian Hinton’s 13-1 major decision loss to Penn State’s No. 14 Quentin Wright foreshadowed the course of the match for MSU on Friday at Jenison Field House.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Spartans scorched by Badgers in second-consecutive 20-point loss
It was same story, different venue for the MSU men’s basketball team. Following a 20-point loss at Iowa on Wednesday, the Spartans lost, 82-56, at Wisconsin on Sunday. For the sixth-straight game, a Spartan opponent made at least 49 percent of its shots.
ICE HOCKEY
Icers split weekend, season series with Buckeyes
The MSU hockey team continued to match its opponents’ intensity level but didn’t register its first sweep of the season in a weekend split with Ohio State. On Friday freshman goalie Will Yanakeff led the Spartans with 32 saves in his second shutout in his past four starts, and junior defenseman Tim Buttery scored his first goal of the season, while sophomore forward Derek Grant tallied an empty netter to lift the Spartans to a 2-0 win.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Spartans handle Boilermakers, 76-57
The No. 11 MSU women’s basketball team faced off against Purdue in a battle of the Big Ten’s best defenses and came away with a 76-57 victory.
ICE HOCKEY
Spartans fail to sweep first season series
The MSU hockey team failed to earn its first series sweep of the season Saturday, as it fell, 4-2, at Ohio State.
ICE HOCKEY
Yanakeff propels Spartans to 2-0 win at Ohio State
Freshman goalie Will Yanakeff’s fifth consecutive win led the MSU hockey team to a 2-0 victory against Ohio State on Friday.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Spartans look to perform better against Wisconsin
One day after the MSU’s 72-52 loss to Iowa — a loss head coach Tom Izzo called “embarrassing” — the Spartans had the day off from practice. Instead, with a game at Wisconsin looking on Sunday, they gathered at the Alfred Berkowitz Basketball Complex for three hours of meetings. “We just met and talked about what we wanted to do,” junior forward Delvon Roe said.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Lucious visiting Iowa State
Recently-dismissed junior guard Korie Lucious is in Ames, Iowa visiting Iowa State.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Spartans need overtime to beat Badgers, 73-70, in Wisconsin
The scene was set for a night to remember for Badger fans, defeating one of the best teams in the country, remaining in a tie for first place in the Big Ten and allowing head coach Lisa Stone to celebrate her 500th career victory.
Compiled by Chris Vannini, Production by Krystle Wagner
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MEN'S BASKETBALL
The Odd Couple
About two and a half months ago, the MSU men’s basketball team had a team evaluation meeting. Players were told areas they needed to work on. Sophomore center Derrick Nix decided to write down the needed improvements and hang them above his locker so he remembered.
SPORTS
Bird makes presence felt on mat
With 32 athletes and four coaches, the MSU wrestling team has made room on its roster for one additional purple, blue and yellow member of the team. Indigo — head coach Tom Minkel’s colorful hyacinth macaw — attends wrestling practice most days of the week and has become a valuable member of the MSU wrestling family.
ICE HOCKEY
Spartans look to move up CCHA standings with wins against Ohio State
Moving up the CCHA standings has been about as difficult as walking through a snowdrift as several quality teams occupy the middle of the conference. Moving up will be the MSU hockey team’s objective, however, when they visit Ohio State for a series this weekend to try to climb out of 10th place in the CCHA and continue a 5-3-1 run in its past nine games.