SPORTS
Sports Briefs
Swimming MSU men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams finished competition Saturday in the 26th annual Rainbow Invitational hosted by the University of Hawaii.
ICE HOCKEY
Icers skate to weekend sweep over Quinnipiac
The sixth-ranked Spartans got exactly what they wanted from Quinnipiac this weekend - two hard-fought games and two victories.MSU (15-4-2) overwhelmed its nicknameless foe 4-1 Friday and 3-1 Saturday in the nonconference series at Munn Ice Arena.
SPORTS
Poor shooting leads to loss in Ann Arbor for womens hoops
Ann Arbor - One of two things needed to happen Wednesday night if the Spartan women’s basketball team was going to leave Crisler Arena with a win against Michigan - they’d have to either hit their shots from the inside or the outside. But neither happened on a consistent basis as the MSU (9-3, 0-2 Big Ten), dropped its second-straight Big Ten contest 58-45 to the Wolverines (10-3, 1-2). Wolverine center LeAnn Bies led all scorers with 17 points while grabbing 11 rebounds, and forward Jennifer Smith added 14 points to go along with her 11 boards for U-M. Junior forward Syreeta Bromfield led the Spartan offense with 14 points on 6-of-22 shooting from the floor. MSU’s shooting woes continued throughout the contest, as the team managed to hit only 19 of 63 shots, including a 2-of-19 night from behind the three-point arch. “We shot a horrible percentage,” Spartan head coach Joanne P.
SPORTS
Wrestlers meet U-M
The No. 20 MSU wrestling team is gearing up for its second top 20 matchup of the year, this time against No.
SPORTS
Womens hoops plays over break
While many students are sledding and sipping eggnog, the MSU women’s basketball team won’t have as much time to enjoy the “break” aspect of “winter break.” The Spartans (7-1) face two more nonconference foes during break before opening up the Big Ten season at 2 p.m.
BASKETBALL
Team licking wounds, can rebound against Nicholls State
After the drubbing the men’s basketball team experienced in Gainesville, Fla., on Wednesday, they should be ready to return the favor. Too bad for Nicholls State. The No.
ICE HOCKEY
Spartans face strong CCHA squad Northern
Coming off last weekend’s road series on an Olympic-size ice rink in Alaska, the Spartans will turn around and do it all over again tonight and Saturday at Northern Michigan. But stakes are a little higher this weekend, considering the Wildcats (8-3-1 overall, 6-3-1 CCHA) are ranked eighth in the nation and are a prominent contender for the CCHA crown. No.
VOLLEYBALL
Hartley wins spot on AVCA Mideast Region team
Although her Spartan volleyball career ended Saturday night, senior outside hitter Erin Hartley is still receiving reminders about her great senior campaign. Hartley was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Mideast Region team Wednesday. Hartley is one of 10 Big Ten players on the 12-person roster. By earning a spot on one of the eight regional teams, Hartley, along with the other 95 regional-team members, is eligible for a place on the AVCA All-America team, which will be announced Dec.
SPORTS
Junior College National Champ stepping up for U
At the beginning of the MSU wrestling team’s season, all eyes turned to freshman Nick Simmons, the grappler who never lost in his high school career.But after two non-scoring tournaments and a matchup against Eastern Michigan, the freshman will likely be redshirted, leading the team to rely on another newcomer to collegiate competition - junior Rashad Evans.After redshirting last year, the team has high hopes for Evans who will wrestle this year in the 174-pound division.“Mentally, he’s very tough,” head coach Tom Minkel said.
ICE HOCKEY
Swistak earns Olympic torch nod
Joining the likes of athletic heroes Muhammad Ali, Willie Mays and Steve Young, MSU hockey player Steve Swistak will be one of 11,500 Olympic torchbearers carrying the flame across the country en route to February’s Winter Games in Salt Lake City.Swistak, a 19-year-old redshirt freshman, will run with the torch for one-fifth of a mile near his hometown of West Bloomfield on Jan.
BASKETBALL
Ishbia upgraded from walk-on to active
The holidays came a little early for senior guard Mat Ishbia this year.The 5-foot-10, 175-pound walk-on’s status shifted just before the season when men’s head basketball coach Tom Izzo gave him a scholarship.Ishbia said he didn’t see it coming.“It was a great honor,” Ishbia said.
FOOTBALL
Recruits hyped about bowl, watch postseason practice
A trip to the Dec. 31 Silicon Valley Football Classic in San Jose, Calif., may cost MSU hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the return on that investment could be the signing of some highly sought after recruits. Recruits are allowed to watch the team’s practice for a bowl game and see the team play on national TV, said Bill Kurelic, a recruiting expert from Midwest Recruiting.
BASKETBALL
Saving the Streak
Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak and Cal Ripken’s 2,632 consecutive games played are recognized as two of the most famous streaks in all of sports.
SPORTS
Swimmers go 1, 2 at Miami Invite
In the 19-team Miami (Ohio) Invitational, the MSU women’s swimming and diving team took first place and the men’s team took second. It was a team effort for the woman’s squad.
FOOTBALL
Bowl packages available now
MSU fans can pick from full and land-only four-night packages for the Dec. 31 matchup with No. 19 Fresno State in the Silicon Valley Football Classic. Both packages, through the Alumni Association’s Official MSU Bowl Tour, provide lodging from Dec.
SPORTS
Conference features younger Spartans, new U-M leader, tough Illini
The conference season for MSU begins Jan. 5 with a showdown at Minnesota. State News reporter James Jahnke ranks the Big Ten in the order he thinks they’ll finish the season. 1.
ICE HOCKEY
Loss in Alaska demotes Icers to No. 5, No. 6
MSU’s surprising loss to Alaska-Fairbanks on Friday dropped the Spartans to No. 5 in this week’s USCHO.com poll and No.
SPORTS
Diver named athlete of week
Senior diver Carly Weiden took first place in both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events in MSU’s win in the Miami (Ohio) Invitational on Sunday.
FOOTBALL
Thornhill makes conference team
MSU senior linebacker Josh Thornhill was the only Spartan named to the All-Big Ten first team by coaches and the media.