Wednesday, December 24, 2025

Take a peek behind the curtain and test drive the NEW StateNews.com today!

Sports

ICE HOCKEY

Icers find scoring Friday, lose it Saturday

The MSU hockey team’s seven-goal turnaround from Friday to Saturday demonstrates the importance of early goals. On Friday, the Spartans scored two first-period goals and created all the scoring chances it needed to score a season-high seven goals, but struggled early in Saturday’s game and earned very few good scoring chances in a 4-0 loss in a series split against No.

SPORTS

Argiros inspires gymnasts in weekend meet

Despite losing, 194.450-191.400, to No. 14 Minnesota on Saturday, the MSU gymnastics team came out confident and dominant on the uneven parallel bars at Jenison Field House, sweeping the event with the top three places. Leading the way for the Spartans was senior Nicole Argiros with a score of 9.850.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Spartans tame Golden Gophers, 66-54

Led by 20 points and 17 rebound from junior forward Lykendra Johnson, the No. 12 MSU women’s basketball team defeated Minnesota, 66-54. The performance by Johnson is her best of the season, just beating out her 17-point and 17-rebound performance on Jan.

Marina Csomor ·
MEN'S BASKETBALL

Boilermakers stand in way of Big Ten hopes

Eleven months ago, the MSU men’s basketball team headed to West Lafayette, Ind., needing a victory to stay in the race for a second-consecutive Big Ten title. The Spartans walked out with a 53-44 win over the third-ranked Boilermakers and won a share of the Big Ten championship two weeks later. This year’s Spartans aren’t as far into the conference slate.

SPORTS

Spartans look to quickness, endurance in search of victory

After securing his 150th dual win at MSU last weekend, wrestling head coach Tom Minkel has a strategy to keep his team on the road to success for the second half of the season. The Spartans (8-2 overall, 0-2 Big Ten) have proven they are as tough and as quick as some of the top teams in the nation, but to continue their successful season, Minkel said they need to be more offensive-minded. “We’re going to set the tone, set the pace, set the tempo,” he said.

SPORTS

Gymnasts raise cancer awareness this weekend

In its second home meet of the year, the MSU gymnastics team will host Minnesota at 3 p.m. Saturday at Jenison Field House, where both teams will be competing to raise breast cancer awareness. In their annual meet, the Jan Howard Memorial Flip for a Cure, the Spartans will wear pink leotards and have silent auction items at the competition to raise money for the cause, which head coach Kathie Klages said is very close to the Spartans’ hearts. “Jan Howard was the mother of one of my former gymnasts who I coached here at Michigan State … so it’s very touching for us to have this to remember Jan, who passed away in ‘97 from breast cancer,” Klages said.

BASKETBALL

Champaign spill

Champaign, Ill. — Trailing by four with 4:02 left, the No. 17 MSU men’s basketball team had a chance to steal a victory from No. 23 Illinois at Assembly Hall in Champaign, Ill.

BASKETBALL

Spartans drop second conference game, lose to Illini, 71-62

Illinois shot a blistering 53 percent from the field Tuesday night to down the MSU men’s basketball team, 71-62, in Champaign, Ill. The loss is MSU’s second in the conference. Guard Brandon Paul scored 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting, including 4-for-6 from beyond the arc, to lead the Fighting Illini to victory. As a team, Illinois shot 47 percent from 3-point range.