Friday, April 24, 2026

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

Sports | 1117

SPORTS

Gymnasts lose in close contest

After falling to Iowa State by less than three points Jan. 17, the MSU gymnastics team dropped another close meet to Ohio State 195.875-195.175.The loss leaves the Spartans searching for their first victory of the season as their record falls to 0-4 (0-1 Big Ten).Senior Diana Crea won the uneven bars with a score of 9.900.Next up for the Spartans is the State of Michigan Classic at 4:30 p.m.

ICE HOCKEY

Weekend tie dampens Comley's mood

South Bend, Ind. - Rick Comley's hockey team had just earned three points on the road - which usually is an acceptable outcome - but the coach wasn't happy. "Aw, nuts!" Comley said outside of the visitors' locker room at the Joyce Center on Saturday.

SPORTS

Spartans find elusive road win in Indiana

Bloomington, Ind. - From the tip-off, Indiana made it clear this game would be no cakewalk. The MSU women's basketball team (11-7 overall, 4-3 Big Ten) had to struggle with the Hoosiers (9-8, 2-5) for every bucket, but eventually found its first road win of the year Sunday at Assembly Hall.

SPORTS

Women shut out Toledo in tennis play

The MSU women's tennis team evened its record at 2-2, shutting out Toledo 7-0 on Sunday.No Spartan dropped a single set.Junior Caroline Lay was part of the day's toughest matchup as she defeated Toledo's Monica Ribero 7-5, 6-2 in No.

BASKETBALL

Nothing special about Green-and-White play in loss

There's a sports adage that says special players make special plays on special days. But to the embarrassment of the MSU men's basketball team Sunday, most of the special players donned maize and blue. The plays that determined Sunday's 60-58 loss to intrastate rival Michigan simply didn't turn in the Spartans' favor.

SPORTS

Super Bowl Sunday sure to please fans

I haven't been this excited about a sports weekend in quite some time. And lucky for me, and every other diehard sports fan, Sunday provides more than a few sparks - it's a double-dose of fireworks. First, of course, there is Super Bowl XXXVII.

SPORTS

Team seeks victory over revenge-minded Indiana

Eight days after the MSU women's basketball team wiped the floor with Indiana at Breslin Center, the Spartans will try to complete a regular-season sweep. In the last meeting, the Spartans (9-7 overall, 2-3 Big Ten) came away with a 70-44 victory over the Hoosiers (9-6, 2-3). But sophomore guard Kristin Haynie said she knows some things will be different when the Hoosiers have home-court advantage.

ICE HOCKEY

Friend or foe: Irish on deck

MSU senior defenseman John-Michael Liles has plenty of friends on the Notre Dame hockey team - he was teammates with Fighting Irish forwards Connor Dunlop and John Wroblewski and defenseman Brett Lebda in the U.S.

SPORTS

Freshmen swimmers make a splash on team

Though swift and graceful in the pool, the sidewalk is a different story for freshmen Ian Clutten and Rudolf Wagenaar.Clutten and Wagenaar are from Capetown, South Africa, and aren't as excited with the weather at MSU as they are about everything else."The climate change has been tough," Wagenaar said.

ICE HOCKEY

2 defensemen taking on monstrous workload

Brad Fast and John-Michael Liles get more ice than Jay-Z's girlfriend. The multitalented senior defensemen have been MSU's main workhorses this year, logging far more minutes than any other Spartan not wearing goalie pads. Fast and Liles are MSU's top defensive pairing in that they play most of the important 5-on-5 shifts every game.

BASKETBALL

Spartans in need of a victory

Following three straight road losses, the MSU men's basketball team is limping back to Breslin Center with a do-or-die attitude for tonight's contest against Penn State at 6 p.m. The Spartans (9-7 overall, 1-3 Big Ten) are losers of five of their last six games and on the brink of starting the Big Ten season 1-4. Don't think it hasn't gotten to head coach Tom Izzo. Izzo again cited MSU's costly turnovers, spotty free-throw shooting and inconsistent field-goal percentage as thorns in the Spartans' side Monday.

SPORTS

Florida recruit sticks with Smith

MSU added some beef to its recruiting class Saturday, when offensive lineman Joe Toth from Florida's Port Charlotte High verbally committed to the Spartans during his visit to campus.Port Charlotte head football coach Ray Hixson confirmed Toth's commitment and said the 6-foot-3, 280-pounder chose MSU from a list that included Eastern Kentucky, Central Florida, Florida, Florida Atlantic and the U.

ICE HOCKEY

Slater becomes violent when 'ticked' off

MSU's most important players were dropping like flies against Nebraska-Omaha this weekend. But fortunately for MSU head coach Rick Comley and the vitality of Spartan hockey, no one was hurt too seriously. In Friday's first period, freshman left wing David Booth, senior defenseman John-Michael Liles and freshman defenseman Corey Potter all had to be helped into the locker room after incurring various injuries within a 73-second span.

ICE HOCKEY

Spartans make it five in a row

There's no "I" in "team," but superb performances by individual players were the driving forces behind MSU's commanding sweep of Nebraska-Omaha this weekend at Munn Ice Arena.Senior left wing Brian Maloney, who had two goals in 21 games before the series, scored three goals and added an assist this weekend.

SPORTS

Sports briefs

Spartans slide past Butler, spank RaidersThe MSU men's tennis team opened the season with a sweep in a home doubleheader. After falling behind to Butler in the first match, the Spartans (2-0) were able to sneak out a 4-3 victory over the Bulldogs. Against Wright State, MSU didn't drop a single set, routing the Raiders 7-0.