SPORTS
Pressure of No. 1 rank wasn
It’s not easy being at the top. For the first time since Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson roamed the campus in the late 1970s the Spartans held the No.
SPORTS
Womens hoops win in close game vs. Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS - The MSU women’s basketball team has proven it can handle pressure by winning another Big Ten buzzer-beater. In its past two conference games, MSU (2-1 Big Ten, 8-6 overall) has stayed alive and won at the buzzer, this time squeezing by Minnesota (0-3 Big Ten, 7-7 overall), 66-65.
SPORTS
Icers serve Bulldogs back-to-back shutouts
You don’t have to go to an Ivy League school to figure out you can’t win a hockey game without scoring a goal.And that was one feat Yale couldn’t accomplish in its series against MSU at Munn Ice Arena this weekend.MSU senior goaltender Joe Blackburn blanked the Bulldogs 5-0 on Friday night and sophomore goaltender Ryan Miller earned a 4-0 shutout Saturday as MSU extended its unbeaten streak to 18 (15-0-3).Yale (6-8-0) outshot the top-ranked Spartans (16-1-4 overall, 9-1-3 CCHA) both games, but Blackburn made 31 saves and Miller turned away 36 shots to earn the wins.
SPORTS
Taylor slowly battles back from injury
Bloomington, Ind. - It’s tough for any freshmen to come into the Big Ten and contribute right away, and injuries only make it more difficult. For Freshman guard Marcus Taylor those expectations have been higher than most freshmen since the day he committed to MSU. As a Lansing native, the hometown hero is averaging over 20 minutes a game as the Spartan’s backup point guard, but a broken ring-finger on his shooting hand (right) has slowed his progress. “I’ve only been practicing for a week now, and I haven’t been playing the full time either,” he said after MSU’s 59-58 lost at Indiana.
SPORTS
Mens hoops faces new tests on the road
This weekend’s game at Loyola University marks the first road game of the season for the No. 2 MSU men’s basketball team.The undefeated Spartans (6-0) hold the nation’s second-longest home court winning streak at 34 games, but MSU won’t have the student cheering section, the Izzone cheering it on this weekend.MSU head coach Tom Izzo said defeating two of last year’s Final Four teams in the last two weeks - Florida and North Carolina - was a great accomplishment.
SPORTS
Icers get long rest before Great Lakes Invitational
Holidays are traditionally set aside as a time for rest and recuperation and that philosophy doesn’t change for MSU’s top-ranked hockey team.After this weekend’s CCHA series with last place Ferris State, the Spartans (11-1-3 overall, 8-1-2 CCHA) will have almost three weeks to rejuvenate mentally and physically before the 36th annual Great Lakes Invitational on Dec.
SPORTS
Womens hoops off to Samford
As the snow piles up in East Lansing, warm air will welcome MSU’s women’s basketball team (3-3) today as they travel to Birmingham, Ala.
SPORTS
Former NFL receiver stands trial
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Rae Carruth urged a woman to wait before cooperating with a private investigator involved in his murder case, the woman testified Wednesday. Prosecutors played a voice mail message that Carruth left on Tanya Ferguson’s cell phone Jan.
SPORTS
Icers prepare for last place Ferris State
After having to battle back to earn three points from struggling Bowling Green last week, the MSU hockey team is looking to pick up four points from last place Ferris State this weekend.The top-ranked Spartans (11-1-3 overall, 8-1-2 CCHA) and the Bulldogs (3-8-3, 1-7-2) will meet for the only time this season in a home-and-home series Friday and Saturday.Friday’s game will be played at Ewigleben Ice Arena in Big Rapids and Saturday’s game at Munn Ice Arena, both at 7:05 p.m.Despite Ferris’ record, senior right wing John Nail said they’re a talented team.“I think they’re a deceiving team because of their record,” Nail said.
SPORTS
Unique player looks to lead Purdue
Talking about a Gene Keady-led Purdue team in the preseason is virtually worthless.Coming into each new season, the Boilermakers seem destined for the middle of the Big Ten pack.
SPORTS
Ohio State looks to defy critics
This is the sixth in a series of Big Ten men’s basketball previews.Two years ago, people didn’t think the Ohio State men’s basketball team would amount to much.
SPORTS
Haslem plans to toughen up for U
Udonis Haslem’s 27 points were lost amidst MSU’s convincing 89-76 win over Florida in the 2000 national championship game.The Gator center shot 10-of-12 from the field and made all seven of his free throws in 28 minutes on the court.But MSU will be ready for Haslem this time.“We’ll be prepared for him this year,” MSU senior forward Andre Hutson said.
SPORTS
U athletes honored for academic excellence
On top of practicing for hours each day, spending extra minutes in the weight room and competing weekly, 45 MSU student-athletes squeezed in the time to earn Fall 2000 Academic All-Big Ten Honors Monday.MSU places sixth in the conference overall in Academic All-Big Ten student-athletes.
SPORTS
Icers remain nations top team despite weekend tie
The top-ranked Spartan hockey team slipped a little bit, but remained the nation’s consensus No.
SPORTS
Thomas transitions into new role
Making the switch from high school senior to a college freshman is often a rough transition for many to handle.
SPORTS
Gators look to take down cagers winning streak after championship defeat
Andre Hutson knows what it’s like to play a road game in a hostile environment. He doesn’t like it.The senior forward is pleased opposing players feel that same wrath when they play in Breslin Student Events Center, where the 5-0 Spartans have won 32 consecutive games, the second-longest run in Division I.Tonight at 7, the 3-0 Florida Gators will try to snap MSU’s streak in a rematch of last year’s national championship game, which MSU won 89-76.“I feel we have the best crowd,” Hutson said.
SPORTS
Womens hoops prepares for Wisconsin - Green Bay at Breslin
The women’s basketball team will have to learn how to win without the sure shot of co-captain and leading scorer Becky Cummings, as they host the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay tonight. Senior forward Cummings tore her left foot’s plantar fascia in the team’s upsetting 66-59 loss Sunday to Eastern Michigan at the Women’s Basketball Showcase in Grand Rapids. The plantar fascia is a tissue beneath the arc of the foot.
SPORTS
Five honored in wrestling open
Gearing up for an important tussle with archrival Michigan on Friday, the ninth-ranked wrestling team won half of the individual titles at the Northern Iowa Open on Sunday. Junior Chris Williams, senior Mike Castillo, and sophomores Nik Fekete, Karl Nadolsky and Gray Maynard all triumphed in their weight divisions, while fourth-ranked senior Pat McNamara lost for the first time this season. The event was the Spartans’ last action before the top-10 showdown against the No.
SPORTS
Dupays status uncertain for battle against cagers
Florida head coach Billy Donovan said Monday he still doesn’t know if point guard Teddy Dupay will play versus MSU at the Breslin Student Events Center on Wednesday.Dupay, a 5-foot-11 junior, was suspended late last week for violating unspecified team rules.Donovan said he’ll decide after practice today if Dupay will accompany the team to East Lansing.“Teddy is back in practice, but it’s still up in the air whether he will play versus Michigan State,” Donovan said.Dupay sat out Florida’s 83-76 victory over DePaul on Saturday.In two games, he’s averaging 22 points and 4.5 assists per game.Dupay was in the middle of controversy last April when MSU point guard Mateen Cleaves injured his ankle in the championship game after he got tangled up with Dupay.Donovan said Dupay’s lack of popularity in East Lansing won’t play into his decision on whether to play him.“Teddy didn’t try in any way to hurt Mateen,” Donovan said.
SPORTS
Wildcats new coach strives to improve, build program
When people think of Northwestern athletics, Bill Carmody knows basketball will not come to anyone’s mind as the Wildcats’ have had a long-standing tradition as Big Ten doormats. As the program’s new head coach, Carmody said the primary reason Northwestern hasn’t produced victories in past years points to the lack of talent. “I don’t see any reason why we can’t win here - it’s a terrific school, a great basketball conference and a great area,” he said.