The Breslin Center is known for its various traditions regarding MSU basketball. From the Izzone jumping whenever the Spartans are on defense to popping paper bags after the team’s first field goal, these traditions have become a part of experiencing a game at the Breslin Center. One of those traditions has officially been discontinued.
When the No. 21 MSU women’s basketball team returns to action Wednesday night, the Spartans will square off against Detroit Mercy at 7 p.m. at Breslin Center. MSU (2-1 overall) is coming off of an overtime victory against then-No. 21 Dayton, and Detroit Mercy (1-3) is off from back-to-back losses against Western Michigan and Michigan.
College sporting events can seem like a whole new world through the eyes of a young child, like something unreachable. An idea struck David Harns, the founder of Spartan Kids Ticket Exchange, when he saw the wonder in his son Elijah’s expression when they attended the 2010 MSU-Notre Dame football game at Spartan Stadium. This happened to be the game of the famous Little Giant play, named for the 1994 movie based around youth football. Harns watched his son, who was only eight years old at the time, as the Spartans worked their magic on the field and said that he felt the impact that seeing it made for his son.
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.
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.
After a stellar first week of her college basketball career, the Big Ten announced Monday redshirt freshman guard Aerial Powers was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week. It was the first time an MSU player was awarded the conference’s Freshman of the Week since junior forward Becca Mills did so on Nov.
Friday night was Adreian Payne’s time to shine — and on Monday night, it was Keith Appling’s turn to step into the spotlight. Led by the senior guard’s career-tying 25 points, MSU beat Portland in their Coaches vs.
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.
For the first time in nearly 13 years, the men’s basketball team is sitting on top of the latest AP poll.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
?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.
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.
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.
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.