Junior guard Denzel Valentine isn't accustomed to junior forward Matt Costello hyping his teammates up before games. So when Costello gave Valentine a chest bump with an intense look on his face before taking on Michigan on Sunday, Valentine knew Costello was on a mission.
With snow piling on outside of the Breslin gates and a whiteout from the fans inside, MSU turned up the heat on the Wolverines in overtime, securing a crucial 76-66 victory in the process.
Tom Izzo turned 60 years old on Friday, but he said the celebrations can wait. At least until Monday.
The dark cloud hanging over the head of the MSU women's basketball team this season is clearly the amount of injuries that have taken a tole of the program. Dressing only eight players for Wednesday night's matchup against Indiana at the Breslin Center, a couple players were asked to go further than what they're bodies are used too. Having almost played the entire 40-minutes, Tori Jankoska and Aerial Powers found ways to carry the load in the points column as only five players scored at least one point for the Spartans. Jankoska, the sophomore guard from Freeland, Michigan, scored a career-high 28-points while also adding 11 rebounds, six assists and three steals to lead MSU to a 72-57 victory, their third Big Ten conference win of the season. "Sometime she's taken on a tougher defensive assignment which has caused to not be as effective on offense," Merchant said.
Consistency. Combine it with talent and great things can happen. But consistency has been one thing he women's basketball team (11-10) as lacked this season. “You see flashes (of how good they can be), and now they have to be consistent,” head coach Suzy Merchant said.
EAST LANSING - Team and individual achievements were made on Wednesday for the Spartans. Tori Jankoska, who came into her tenth Big Ten matchup of the season against Indiana, recorded a career-high 28-points en route to a 72-57 victory at the Breslin Center. The senior guard hit 56-percent of her shots from beyond the arc, finishing the game as one-of-two Spartans (11-10, 3-7 B1G) who found themselves with over 20-points scored. Aerial Powers, the Detroit product from Country Day, led the team in field-goal (22) and three-point attempts (10). Her aggressiveness on the offensive side of the floor matched Jankoska's point total with 28. Both players' shot making abilities helped garner MSU's largest conference victory this season.
Down by three-points with seven minutes into the first half following a jumper from the key by Indiana Hoosiers guard Karlee McBride, the shots were immediately converting for the Spartans. MSU went on a 12-0 run to record their second largest lead of the evening before going into halftime with a 39-25 lead at the Breslin Center. Tori Jankoska, the senior guard, was 4-of-6 from beyond the arc to lead the Spartans with 19-points. She was responsible for the final four-points of the half after being fouled after converting a three-pointer. Aerial Powers, the Detroit product, has added 16-points and Becca Mills has recorded four-points, the only three players who have garnered any points in the first 20-minutes. The Spartans are currently shooting 37 percent from the floor (13-of-35), compared to Indiana, who has converted just 32 percent of their shots (9-of-28). Six players have garnered stats in the points column for the Hoosiers, with Karlee McBride leading the team with six-points.
By Mayara Sanches msanches@statenews.com Not many freshman recruited by a Big Ten school get to play much, or even at all, during their freshman year. They are put on the bench, where they sit and watch the great players do their best, hoping to learn from them.
Foul trouble crippled the men's basketball team early against No. 16 Maryland on Saturday. Senior forward Branden Dawson, sophomore forward Gavin Schilling, junior forward Branden Dawson and junior guard Denzel Valentine each picked up two in the first half, and head coach Tom Izzo was forced to turn to his bench sooner than he would have preferred. It wasn't the first time Valentine got himself into early foul trouble this season.
MSU men's basketball is scheduled to visit Rutgers for a 9 p.m. game on Tuesday but with Winter Storm Juno brewing along the East Coast, the contest could be in jeopardy.
In a closer-than-expected contest, MSU held on for a 66-60 victory. The game started with fireworks, as junior guard Denzel Valentine lobbed the ball to senior forward Branden Dawson who finished emphatically with the slam. MSU (13-6 overall, 4-2 Big Ten) looked good early, jumping out to an 8-2 lead after Dawson netted two free throws.
The men's basketball team couldn't maintain a strong start against Penn State but managed to hold on to the lead, taking a 30-28 advantage into halftime.
There’s never been a more frustrating season for Suzy Merchant. “I don’t know what to say in the locker room, it’s hard,” the women’s basketball head coach said. For the past 12 seasons, she’s won 10 or more Big Ten games every season, but this is the first time she has had this many girls unable to play.
According to NCAA rules, the men's basketball team had to take Monday off. But days after suffering a tough road loss to No.
It's been something head coach Suzy Merchant has talked about over and over again. “They haven’t quit, not one game." In the past two press conferences Merchant has expressed how appreciative she is of her team's hard work. The seven Spartans, who are healthy and able to be on the court to play, have been on court almost 40 minutes, the entire game’s length. “It’s been punch after punch, injuries, the departure of Jasmine (Lumpkin) ... This team stayed in every fight.
While the baskets were sinking on Thursday’s victory against Illinois, it wasn’t that simple against Iowa. Trailing 49-48 with a little under 12 seconds in the clock, the women’s basketball team had to be quick and smart, but Iowa’s attitude showed through. MSU fought hard but couldn’t get two wins in a row, losing 52-50 to No.
The women’s basketball team defeated Illinois, 63-54, winning their first game without freshman Jasmine Lumpkin — who started in 14 of the 16 games this season — on Thursday night, breaking their five-game losing streak. Lumpkin left the team for personal reasons. “People hit the panic button, and we only have seven kids to play the game,” head coach Suzy Merchant said.
By Mayara Sanches msanches@statenews.com With the team's loss against Northwestern on Sunday women's basketball lost their fifth straight conference game. It's a record the Spartan women's basketball team is not too familiar with. At least not in the last decade. Holding the longest streak, MSU has won 10 or more Big Ten games in the last 12 seasons, with a record of 140-58, second only to Ohio State during that span.
Women’s basketball player Jasmine Lumpkin decided to leave the team due to personal reasons. The freshman’s decision is effective immediately, although she does not cite specific reasons of her termination. “We appreciate Jasmine’s contributions, and we wish her well in her future endeavors,” head coach Suzy Merchant told msuspartans.com. The guard and forward played 15 games this season, starting 14 of those times, she 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. MSU will return to the Breslin Center, without Lumpkin, when they host Illinois on Thursday at 7 p.m.
By Tom Izzo's own admission, this is a transition team battling injuries. Key players have stepped into new leadership roles, and while the team has been competitive, losses have piled up. Going forward in the Big Ten season, the Spartans are still seeking a signature win.