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Women's team falls to Michigan on road

Stephen Brooks

February 16, 2013

_Ann Arbor, Mich. – _Now that was how a rivalry game should be. Despite 21 points in a heroic effort from guard Jasmine Thomas in the senior’s final regular season match up with archrival Michigan, it wasn’t enough to end her Spartan career undefeated against the Wolverines. Michigan (19-6 overall, 8-4 Big Ten) broke its 12-game losing streak to MSU on Sunday afternoon with a dramatic 70-69 win in front of a sellout crowd at Crisler Center.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

MSU looks for 13th-straight win against rival Wolverines

Stephen Brooks

February 14, 2013

The Breslin Center crew had yet to finish using their leaf blowers to clear away popcorn, wrappers and cups left behind from the Spartan women’s basketball team’s most lopsided conference victory.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Balanced attack helps propel women's basketball to blowout win against Indiana

Stephen Brooks

February 13, 2013

It was a night in which seemingly everything went right for the Spartans at Breslin Center. That was evident when MSU women’s basketball coach Suzy Merchant summoned Mariah Harris from the bench to check into her first game action since Dec. 16, 2012.

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Women's basketball looks to bounce back against Indiana

Stephen Brooks

February 12, 2013

Indiana women’s basketball might be a Big Ten bottom dweller now, but MSU women’s head coach Suzy Merchant doesn’t expect that to last long under the guidance of first-year coach Curt Miller.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Penn State loss shows room for improvement for women's basketball

Stephen Brooks

February 11, 2013

Following Sunday’s loss at No. 8 Penn State in arguably the biggest game of the regular season for the MSU women’s basketball team, head coach Suzy Merchant tried to embrace the positives.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Women's basketball drops big game to Penn State

Stephen Brooks

February 10, 2013

Around the same time the Spartans were tipping off against the Big Ten-leading Nittany Lions, Michigan was putting the finishing touches on a 67-56 upset of second-place Purdue, ranked No. 13 — a win that would have been paramount to MSU’s chances of winning the conference this season.

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Column: U-M win gives MSU control of own destiny

Stephen Brooks

February 5, 2013

The MSU women’s hoops team really needed Monday’s victory over Michigan. It needed it to maintain dominance over the Spartans’ arch rival.

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Defending Their Court

Stephen Brooks

February 4, 2013

The MSU women’s basketball team welcomed first-year Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico to the in-state rivalry in overwhelming fashion Monday night. Once the Spartans overcame a poor shooting stretch at the beginning the game, the rout was on. MSU (18-4 overall, 6-3 Big Ten) took advantage of an explosive run in the second half to down rival Michigan (16-6, 5-4) for the 12th consecutive time, 61-46. “I think Michigan State is the program that sets the bar, obviously, for the state of Michigan,” Barnes Arico said. “They have a great fan base.

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MSU beats U-M at Breslin: “Get off my court”

Josh Mansour

February 4, 2013

It was supposed to be close. Identical conference records. Overall records separated by just a game. One of the mainstays of the Big Ten’s elite against a program on the rise, with a new head coach and coming off its first NCAA Tournament berth in 11 years. But when Kiana Johnson stood with the ball in her hands, arms crossed as the final seconds ticked off the clock, an authoritative message of dominance was sent. “Get off my court,” Johnson said was the thought on her mind as she stood near midcourt.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

The Mittens come off

Stephen Brooks

February 3, 2013

Pink jerseys, Breslin Center, arch rivals. The last time those three factors for the MSU women’s basketball team came together was Feb. 13, 2011, and culminated in a 69-56 victory against Michigan in front of the first sellout crowd in program history.

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Women's basketball rights the ship with road win against Northwestern

Stephen Brooks

January 31, 2013

It wasn’t the dominating, confidence-boosting win the Spartans were hoping for, but they’ll take it. The MSU women’s basketball team (17-4 overall, 5-3 Big Ten) avoided a three-game skid by beating Northwestern 67-62 on the road tonight behind junior forward Annalise Pickrel’s career-high 21 points.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Guards answer coach’s call to step up

Stephen Brooks

January 29, 2013

Before to the game at Illinois on Jan. 13, MSU women’s basketball coach Suzy Merchant held a meeting with her three primary guards: senior Jasmine Thomas, junior Klarissa Bell and sophomore Kiana Johnson to break down extra game film.

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Merchant looks for leadership after losses

Stephen Brooks

January 28, 2013

Looking back on a week marked by a pair of tough five-point losses, MSU women’s basketball coach Suzy Merchant is looking for a little more fire from her team.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

In overtime, women's basketball falls to Purdue

Stephen Brooks

January 27, 2013

One week after entering the Associated Press top-25 for the first time since 2011, the No. 25 MSU women’s basketball team might have played itself out of the rankings by dropping consecutive games for the first time this season.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Women's basketball drops back-to-back games with loss to Purdue

Stephen Brooks

January 27, 2013

The No. 25 MSU women’s basketball team has lost two consecutive contests for the first time this season after being downed by Purdue in overtime today, 67-62.

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Women's basketball leads Pudue, 30-28, at half

Stephen Brooks

January 27, 2013

After being absent from the starting lineup for the first time this season, Becca Mills and Annalise Pickrel made their presence felt off the bench for the Spartans against No. 15 Purdue on Sunday.

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Spartans drop first game as a top-25 team to Nebraska

Stephen Brooks

January 24, 2013

Kiana Johnson did her best to carry the No. 25 MSU women’s basketball team to a win in its first-ever trip to Nebraska tonight. In their first game as a ranked team since the end of 2011, the Spartans fell to Nebraska 59-54.

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Big off the bench

Stephen Brooks

January 23, 2013

As the No. 25 MSU women’s basketball program travels to play Nebraska tonight, it can only hope the second-ever meeting with the Cornhuskers goes as well as the first.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Women's basketball cracks top 25 for first time since 2011

Stephen Brooks

January 22, 2013

After hanging on the fringe for most of this season, the MSU women’s basketball team has cracked the Associated Press Top 25 poll this week. The No. 25 Spartans (16-2 overall, 4-1 Big Ten)are ranked for the first time since the final poll of the 2010-11 season.

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Women's basketball beats Iowa, prepares for tough stretch

Stephen Brooks

January 21, 2013

The MSU women’s basketball team kicked off a challenging four-game stretch that features three road games with a 56-46 win on Sunday at Indiana behind sophomore guard Kiana Johnson’s15-point performance.