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Sports | Basketball Men's 1037

ICE HOCKEY

Spartans swept by Nanooks

Eric Fish
February 14, 2005

It was a difficult weekend of play for the MSU hockey team as the Spartans were unable to pick up any points on their trip to Alaska-Fairbanks and were swept courtesy of the Nanooks for the first time in history. After a heartbreaking 6-5 overtime loss Friday, and a 1-0 loss the next night, the Spartans are left in a tough spot in the CCHA standings, where they are tied for eighth place, and would have to go on the road for the playoffs if the postseason were to start today. "We play hard, we work hard and the positive is that we're not going to quit playing," MSU head coach Rick Comley said after Saturday's game. "The one thing we've done all year is play hard.

BASKETBALL

U-M unable to slow down MSU's game

Brian Charlton
February 14, 2005

Ann Arbor - A shorthanded Michigan basketball team felt the best way to beat No. 13 MSU was to slow down the pace, hold the ball and hope that the Spartans were thrown off their game. After all, the strategy worked against No.

SPORTS

Spartans beat Wolverines in Ann Arbor, 64-49

Brian Charlton
February 13, 2005

Ann Arbor — The rivalry atmosphere was almost apparent, but MSU again spoiled the party at Crisler Arena, winning 64-49 over Michigan on the road. Despite U-M\'s efforts to slow down the game\'s pace — holding the ball to at least 11 seconds left on the shot clock — the Spartans (17-4 overall, 8-2 Big Ten) still seemed to control the tempo getting three dunks on their first four possessions. \"We knew it was going to be a fight coming in and we just had to take it to them,\" sophomore guard Shannon Brown said. Brown led the way early with 14 points shooting 7 of 8 from the field, but senior guard Alan Anderson stole the show in the final four minutes, finishing with 16 points and six rebounds. U-M (12-13, 3-8) led 30-20 at halftime, but with 2:55 left in the second half, U-M cut an 18 point lead to eight with the help of nine points from Wolverine guard Dion Harris. But as U-M tried to trap, the Spartans found Anderson driving to the basket for a dunk, two shots in the paint and a short pass to junior center Paul Davis for another dunk to push the lead to 18 again. Anderson also scored his 1,000th career point 2:24 into the game on a powerful wide-open slam dunk. \"I thought Alan was the MVP today,\" head coach Tom Izzo said.

ICE HOCKEY

WEB ONLY: Icers adjust to wider ice surface at Alaska for 2-game series

Eric Fish
February 11, 2005

After two ties against CCHA-leading Michigan last weekend, the MSU hockey team will again play a challenging series this weekend when the Spartans travel to Alaska-Fairbanks to take on the Nanooks for a two-game set. Aside from the competition, the Spartans (13-11-4 overall, 8-9-3 CCHA) will also be battling the flu that has spread through the team, as well as adjusting to the four-hour time difference and the Olympic-size ice surface the Nanooks play on. If there is a bright side to making the long road trip, it's that Alaska-Fairbanks (9-12-3, 8-11-3) was on the road against Northern Michigan last weekend and will also have to make the haul back. "That's a lot better than them being home a month waiting for us," MSU head coach Rick Comley said of the Nanooks' travel back from Northern.

SPORTS

Spartans begin 3-game road swing

Chris Barsotti
February 10, 2005

With the regular season winding down, the No. 9 MSU women's basketball team heads out on the road for three games with the Big Ten Championship in sight. The Spartans (20-3 overall, 9-2 Big Ten) open up the road trip with a game at Minnesota (18-4, 8-2), a place where the Spartans have had success in recent years. "Minnesota is a very good team and probably playing their best basketball right now," MSU head coach Joanne P.

SPORTS

Field hockey nabs 2 international recruits

Chris Meagher
February 9, 2005

The MSU field hockey team signed two players to National Letters of Intent for 2005-06. Inge Sijpesteijn, a defender from Wassenaar, Holland and Floor Rijpma, a midfielder and forward from Bunnik, Netherlands will be joining the Spartans this fall. Sijpesteijn has been playing field hockey since she was 7 years old and will participate in the Europe Indoor Hockey Cup in the Czech Republic in March. Rijpma has been playing field hockey for seven years.

SPORTS

Spartans continue hunt for Big Ten crown

Chris Barsotti
February 8, 2005

After two big victories at home last week, the Spartans had their third player named Big Ten Player of the Week this season. Junior forward Liz Shimek was named Co-Player of the Week with Minnesota's Janel McCarville for her performances in the two wins against Northwestern and Illinois. During the two games last week, Shimek averaged 21 points, 7.5 rebounds, four assists and 2.5 steals.

SPORTS

Izzo: Neitzel 'likely' to start again

Brian Charlton
February 8, 2005

Freshman guard Drew Neitzel will likely get his second career start 8 p.m. Wednesday against Ohio State, MSU head coach Tom Izzo said on Monday. Izzo benched senior guard Chris Hill, who has struggled shooting the ball for most of the Big Ten season, on Saturday when MSU (15-4 overall, 6-2 Big Ten) played at Iowa. "I don't think I'm going to change that yet," Izzo said.

SPORTS

2 ex-Spartans named to Pro Bowl roster

Chris Meagher
February 8, 2005

Two MSU alumni will participate in the 2005 NFL Pro Bowl this weekend in Honolulu. Muhsin Muhammad, of the Carolina Panthers, will join Ike Reese, of the Philadelphia Eagles, as an all-star for the NFC. Muhammad, a wide receiver who also appeared in the 2000 Pro Bowl, led the NFL in receiving yards with 1,405 and touchdown receptions with 16 during the 2004 season. Reese, who plays linebacker and special teams, will be playing in his first Pro Bowl.

SPORTS

Vicari's 82 saves on weekend earns honor

Eric Fish
February 8, 2005

Sophomore goaltender Dominic Vicari was named CCHA Defensive Player of the Week for the third time this season after stopping 41 shots Friday and Saturday - 82 out of 85 shots the entire weekend were against No.

SPORTS

Still streaking

What looked to be another easy win for the No. 10 MSU women's basketball team at halftime turned into a hard-fought victory over Illinois, 68-59. The Spartans (20-3 overall, 9-2 Big Ten) took a 12-point lead into halftime after leading by as many as 17 in the half, but Illinois (13-8, 5-6) came out strong in the second half, and cut the lead to as close as two points before the Spartans put this one away. "The team showed a lot of heart and fight down the stretch," MSU head coach Joanne P.