Toward the end of the national anthem before basketball games, Marquise Gray raises one finger to the sky. The moment is one of solitude, thought and dedication for the junior forward, and it has special significance — both for Gray’s immediate family and for his Spartans family.
As she enters her 15th season at MSU, softball head coach Jacquie Joseph said she’s never had a better hitting team than the 2008 Spartans — including last year’s team that led the Big Ten in hitting.
Like a broken record, the MSU women’s basketball team’s rebounding problems are happening again and again. MSU head coach Suzy Merchant said rebounding will be one of the big keys to beat Indiana tonight — especially after being outrebounded by 12 the first time the two teams met on Jan. 20. The Spartans dropped the game, 70-56.
The MSU hockey team has lost three of its last four games. In one of those games, the Spartans were shut out, and the phenomenon that is junior goaltender Jeff Lerg was indeed proven to be only human.
MSU hockey senior forward Zak McClellan took some time to chat with The State News about the man behind the helmet. McClellan touched on everything from cup rotations to techno music as he provided a glimpse of life off the ice.
Anyone watching the MSU men’s basketball game Tuesday night at Purdue witnessed a real coming of age. Kalin Lucas took the last step in his maturation process from a Spartan boy to a man. The freshman guard has emerged this season as a prolific scorer, but on Tuesday he became the Spartans’ go-to guy.
A Boilermaker couldn’t have been a more fitting mascot to cheer for Purdue’s team Tuesday night. The No. 1 team in the Big Ten never came to a screeching halt — or showed signs of slowing down. They chugged along and steamrolled the MSU men’s basketball team, 60-54, at Mackey Arena, giving the Spartans their third conference and road loss of the season.
A frustrated MSU hockey team left Marquette last weekend feeling cold, bewildered and stunned. A better-prepared Northern Michigan swept the Spartans, stealing four much-needed points for the CCHA league title.
Loss. Win. Say those words four more times each and you have the results, in order, of the last 10 MSU women’s basketball games. The Spartans (14-11 overall, 6-7 Big Ten) have been exchanging wins and losses for more than a month now, most recently getting crushed by Iowa on Feb.
Senior guard Courtney Davidson saved the day – from the bench. The MSU women’s basketball team (14-11 overall, 6-7 Big Ten) clinched a 56-54 win against Purdue (13-11, 9-4) on Monday night at Breslin Center thanks to Davidson’s scoring five of the last seven Spartans points in the closing moments.
The State News tracked down freshman guard Durrell Summers to find out what life is like as a newcomer to MSU basketball head coach Tom Izzo’s team. Summers touched on everything from mashed potatoes to away games as he gave a little insight into his day-to-day activities.
When the MSU men’s basketball team travels to West Lafayette, Ind., today it will face a walking statistical anomaly. Purdue, sitting atop the Big Ten with a 10-1 conference record, ranks third or better in only three categories — free-throw percentage, steals and turnover margin.
The MSU gymnastics team seems to have started a trend. For the fifth time in as many opportunities, the team achieved a season-high score Saturday in a victory against Maryland, giving the team a 6-2 record.
Next up on the MSU women’s basketball team’s seesaw schedule is Purdue. The Boilermakers (13-10 overall, 9-3 Big Ten) will make the trip tonight to Breslin Center riding a four-game win streak, while the Spartans (13-11, 5-7) are coming off an 82-64 loss to Iowa.
It was a frustrating weekend for the MSU hockey team, which expected to walk away with some points from its two-game series against Northern Michigan in Marquette.
After connecting on four straight MSU shots late in the first half, Drew Neitzel decided to press his luck. The senior guard pulled up, dribbled in front of his Northwestern defender, shot a deep 3-pointer, and the ball grazed nothing but the bottom of the net. Heat-check diagnosis: hot.
In Sunday’s dual meet against Northwestern, the MSU wrestling team won four of the 10 matches, but came up short in a 25-15 loss to the No. 11 Wildcats.
Do … not … make … stupid … FOULS. Senior center Drew Naymick hammered it into his head time after time before Saturday’s game against Northwestern.
The MSU wrestling team fell to No. 11 Northwestern by the score of 25-15 Sunday at Jenison Field House.
Marquette — It was déjà vu for the MSU hockey team Saturday night. Northern Michigan scored three goals — tallying the first goal in the first period — and blocked nearly every shot the Spartans took.