Two MSU women basketball players, Kiana Johnson and Akyah Taylor, are suspended for the first nine games of the upcoming season, according to the Associated Press. MSU officials said NCAA guidelines “related to receipt of extra benefits” were violated. Keep checking statenews.com and future print editions of The State News for more on this developing story.
After answering questions at the podium, Taylor Alton, with tears in her eyes, returned to the locker room and sat next to fellow senior forward Lykendra Johnson. It was the final time the duo would wear their MSU jerseys, and as Alton sat in her chair, emotionally drained from the afternoon, her fellow captain put her arm around her and the two rocked back and forth, talking of their time at MSU.
College Park, MD — One and done. The mantra of the NCAA Tournament is as old as March Madness itself, but the finality of the phrase hit Taylor Alton and the rest of the senior class especially hard on Saturday.
The MSU women’s basketball team collected a solid 76-57 victory at Northwestern to improve their NCAA Tournament résumé. Heading into Sunday’s game, head coach Suzy Merchant warned her team that its six wins in the last seven games would be meaningless if MSU didn’t finish the regular season strong.
After struggling with slow starts for much of the season, the MSU women’s basketball team (16-10 overall, 8-5 Big Ten) got off to a hot start on Thursday, before cruising to a 62-46 victory over Wisconsin (8-17, 4-9) on the road.
It had been two years since the MSU women’s basketball team (12-7 overall, 4-2 Big Ten) lost back-to-back games, but Minnesota (11-9, 3-3) snapped the streak, beating the Spartans 71-65 in the teams’ only meeting this regular season.
Students, parents and volunteers from Michigan’s 4-H program cheered on the women’s basketball team Sunday as part of the MSU Extension 4-H Day with the Lady Spartans.
When freshman forward Becca Mills fell to the floor and began grabbing her knee against Indiana, MSU women’s basketball head coach Suzy Merchant had one thought in mind. After speaking to the medical staff, Merchant was relieved not to hear the three letters she had been dreading.
As soon as the Spartans and Buckeyes tipped it off, it was clear the game was going to be a battle of physicality and will, and on the game’s most critical possession it was Ohio State that was able to exert theirs. On Sunday the Ohio State women’s basketball team (17-1 overall, 4-1 Big Ten) held on to beat MSU (12-6, 4-1) 64-56 to hand the Spartans their first Big Ten loss of the season.
After a close first half that saw six lead changes and neither team lead by more than six points, the MSU women’s basketball team (12-5 overall, 5-0 Big Ten) used a strong second half to pull away from Indiana (5-13, 0-5) 67-47 and remain undefeated in conference play.
“No rest for the weary — that’s for sure.” That’s how MSU women’s basketball head coach Suzy Merchant led off her weekly press conference this week as the Spartans (11-5 overall, 3-0 Big Ten) try to stay undefeated in conference with back-to-back home games to finish out the week.
Although the MSU women’s basketball team (11-5, 3-0) entered this season with a conference title to defend, many didn’t consider this year’s team to be a contender.
Despite a rough shooting night, the MSU women’s basketball team (9-5 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) grinded out a hard fought road win against Indiana (5-9, 0-1) on Friday, defeating the Hoosiers, 63-49, to open the conference season.
The MSU Women’s Basketball team has gotten away from the cold weather in East Lansing to spend their winter break in Cancun, Mexico as the team participates in the Caribbean Classic tournament this week. The trip got off to a good start on Tuesday when the Spartans (8-4) knocked off Colorado State (3-8) in a dominant 72-45 victory.
While the MSU men’s basketball team is preparing for its first game of the season on the USS Carl Vinson, another group of Spartans will open its season on the court. The women’s basketball team will start its season off in the Iona Tournament, playing its first game against Villanova at 1:45 p.m.
Coming off one of the strongest seasons in program history that ended with a Big Ten championship, the expectations couldn’t be much higher for the MSU women’s basketball team in 2011-12. In the team’s first exhibition of the season, the No.
The 6-foot-9 former MSU women’s basketball star once again will look to make a name for herself as she is scheduled to join the Grand Valley State University volleyball team in the fall.
As a rematch from last season, the MSU women’s basketball team will play Texas on Dec. 10 in Austin, Texas, for the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge, the conferences announced Thursday.
MSU women’s basketball head coach Suzy Merchant spoke on Wednesday about this season and the prospects of next.
Despite a second-round exit in the NCAA Tournament, the MSU women’s basketball had a historic season and that can be built on.