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MSU men's basketball receives No. 1 ranking
For the first time in nearly 13 years, the men’s basketball team is sitting on top of the latest AP poll.
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MSU women's basketball earns win over Dayton in overtime
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.
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No. 19 Lady Spartans lead No. 23 Dayton at half, 34-23
The No. 19 women’s basketball team is in a battle with No. 23 Dayton, as the Spartans lead the Flyers, 34-23. However, it wasn’t the crowd or the sound of a swooshed jump shot that was heard the most — it was the refs’ whistle.
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Izzone gave team extra push to pass Columbia
With a win over No. 1 Kentucky in the Champions Classic mere days prior and a real shot at reaching the top of the polls, the No. 2 MSU basketball team faced a 26-22 halftime deficit to Columbia at home Friday night.
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MSU wins ugly against Columbia, 62-53
Despite a 9-0 run to start the game, the No. 2 MSU men’s basketball team spent much of the game on upset alert in its 62-53 win against Columbia.
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Upset Alert: MSU trailing Columbia at half, 26-22
MSU trails Columbia 26-22 at halftime. Senior center Adreian Payne leads the Spartans with nine points, five boards, and a pair of steals and blocks.
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Columbia, Portland coming to Breslin
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.
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No. 19 women's basketball beats Canisius, 102-54
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.
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Three-point shooting gives women's hoops 61-22 halftime lead
?It’s been a three-point shooting spectacle in the home opener for the MSU women’s basketball team as they lead Canisius 61-22 at the half. Five different Spartans tickled the twine from 3-point land.
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Appling plays big against Wildcats
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.
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4 takeaways from MSU's win over Kentucky
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.
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Column: MSU is new target for men's basketball
CHICAGO – Being No. 1 can be a difficult task. The pressure and expectations can be overwhelming. After Tuesday’s Champions Classic, MSU might have to face all of the above next week.
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Rise to the Top
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.
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MSU takes down Kentucky in Champions Classic
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.
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Champions Classic will face off experience with new talent
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.
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Izzo, MSU looking for No. 1 spot
As his team prepares for tipoff in a highly touted contest against No. 1 Kentucky in Chicago, head coach Tom Izzo said Monday he can’t remember a non-Final Four matchup with as much national buzz as tonight’s Champions Classic is receiving.
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MSU women's basketball faces No. 6 Notre Dame
As the men prepare to take on top-ranked Kentucky, Suzy Merchant and the No. 20 MSU women’s basketball team will face its own challenge Monday night. The Spartans will open their season against No. 7 Notre Dame at 7 p.m. in South Bend, Ind.
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Trice looking to make statements in healthy season
Each and every day, Travis Trice is working to prove himself. On a team with four- and five-star talent, such as Gary Harris, Keith Appling, Adreian Payne and Branden Dawson, Trice can sometimes be lost in the shuffle.
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Ellis opts not to redshirt
After talk of redshirting this season, freshman guard Alvin Ellis III will not redshirt his freshman year. The six-foot-four guard was a late signee to last season’s recruiting class after originally having committed to Minnesota. However, Ellis chose to look at other options after Tubby Smith was fired in March, and eventually signed on with MSU in late April.
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Dawson, Trice start healthy years off right
This time last year, Branden Dawson and Travis Trice were coming off of a summer where neither were able play and develop. Dawson, a junior forward, was recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament he sustained in the final regular season game against Ohio State during his freshman year.