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Sports | Basketball

MEN'S BASKETBALL

New Number One

Matt Sheehan
November 18, 2013

Watching the Green and White his whole life, one of Carter Godfrey’s greatest memories was watching the 2000 Spartans win the national title. Now, 13 years later, the agribusiness management junior and the rest of the Izzone are watching their Spartans play as the top-ranked team in the nation. “It’s never been like this in the Izzone before, where there are 700 people waiting outside two hours before the game starts,” the Izzone section leader said. “This year, the upper bowl is way bigger than it ever has been and the campout was three times bigger than it was last year.” The Spartans grabbed the No. 1 ranking in the AP and coaches polls for the first time in nearly 13 years Monday, giving the MSU faithful high hopes as team football team wraps up an impressive season.

BASKETBALL

Stricter ticket policy enforces student-only transfers

Cayden Royce
November 18, 2013

Spartan fans in their respective football, basketball and hockey student section seats will no longer be seeing individuals from outside of MSU filling the bleachers around them. Recent attention toward the revamped student section ticket policy, which allows student section ticket holders to transfer their tickets to the ID cards of other students without a fee, will make it much harder for non-students to attend games in student-specific seats.

BASKETBALL

MSU struggling early, leading Portland 36-32 at half

Zach Smith
November 18, 2013

The seniors stole the show for the No. 1 MSU men’s basketball team as they lead Portland 36-32 at the break. Senior guard Keith Appling led the way with 16 points, while senior center Adreian Payne chipped in with 10. Portland got off to a hot start when they stole the opening tip and rolled it in for the first lead of the game. The Pilots got another basket sandwiched in between 3-point baskets from sophomore guard Gary Harris and Appling. The lead went back and forth until there was 14 minutes left in the game and MSU forced back-to-back turnovers.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

MSU women's basketball earns win over Dayton in overtime

Derek Blalock
November 17, 2013

It went all the way down to the wire and needed an overtime period to finish, but the No. 19 MSU women’s basketball team pulled out the win against No. 23 Dayton, 96-89. With MSU trailing by two and just a minute left in play, senior forward Annalise Pickrel went up for a layup but was fouled. She made both free throws to tie the game. Redshirt freshman Aerial Powers immediately stole the inbound pass which led to an easy basket by sophomore guard Cara Miller. But Dayton guard Amber Deane was able to make her own layup as well as draw a foul against senior guard Klarissa Bell. She pursued to make the free throw to give Dayton the one-point lead. After making the big steal, Powers made a poor turnover which led Bell to foul Deane again, but Deane could only hit one shot from the line.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Columbia, Portland coming to Breslin

Derek Blalock
November 14, 2013

It’s been 4,965 days since the MSU men’s basketball team has been ranked the top team in the nation. But if the No. 2 Spartans (2-0 overall) beat Columbia (1-1) and Portland (1-1) this weekend, MSU most likely will reclaim the No. 1 ranking. The last time an MSU squad has topped the polls was on Jan. 7, 2001.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

No. 19 women's basketball beats Canisius, 102-54

Zach Smith
November 14, 2013

The No. 19 MSU women’s basketball team didn’t look as sharp in the second half as they did in the first, but they still cruised to a 102-54 win against Canisius Thursday night. MSU came out of the locker room slow, and allowed the Golden Griffins to hit a pair of 3-pointers right out of the gate.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Appling plays big against Wildcats

Derek Blalock
November 13, 2013

CHICAGO — He might have said No. 2 MSU didn’t have anything to prove, but Keith Appling proved a little something to the many NBA scouts in attendance for MSU’s 78-74 win against No. 1 Kentucky in the Champions Classic on Tuesday night. While many scouts were at the United Center in Chicago to see likely lottery picks, such as Jabari Parker, Andrew Wiggins and Julius Randle, MSU’s senior point guard quietly posted one of the best games of the night and of his career.

BASKETBALL

4 takeaways from MSU's win over Kentucky

Stephen Brooks
November 13, 2013

The Spartans secured a nationally televised statement win against No. 1 Kentucky, 78-74, on the strength of their experienced and versatile roster at the Champions Classic event in Chicago. If the No. 2-ranked MSU men’s basketball team (2-0 overall) can put away Columbia at Breslin Center on Friday, it should claim the No. 1 slot when the new rankings are unveiled Monday.

BASKETBALL

Rise to the Top

Stephen Brooks
November 13, 2013

CHICAGO – The old dog showed off its new tricks, using its experience and seasoning to withstand a late comeback from a group of talented young pups. Or young Wildcats, to be more precise. The No. 2-ranked MSU men’s basketball (2-0 overall) team toppled No. 1 Kentucky, 78-74, in the first game of Tuesday’s Champions Classic at Chicago’s United Center.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

MSU takes down Kentucky in Champions Classic

Derek Blalock
November 12, 2013

It did not take long for No. 1 MSU to take the lead against No. 1 Kentucky, and at the end of the first half Tuesday night at the Champions Classic in Chicago, MSU leads 44-32. MSU opened the game on a 10-0 run thanks to a floater by sophomore guard Gary Harris, and a steal and breakaway dunk by senior guard Keith Appling.

BASKETBALL

Champions Classic will face off experience with new talent

Derek Blalock
November 12, 2013

As a freshman, Branden Dawson was guarding one of the nation’s premier players on one of the largest stages. The now-junior forward was guarding North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes in his first collegiate game, as well as the first game ever played on an aircraft carrier in front of the President of the United States and a nationally televised audience. On Tuesday, No. 2 MSU will be back on the big stage, this time in Chicago for the Champions Classic against No. 1 Kentucky.