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Spartans prepare to face Buckeyes
In the final, regular season game of the 2011-12 season, Ohio State was in the business of breaking hearts.
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Bell leads MSU to victory over visiting Hawkeyes
Klarissa Bell announced her presence at Breslin Center in dramatic fashion Thursday night.
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Women's basketball topples Iowa 65-54
If Klarissa Bell, MSU’s leading scorer, didn’t have the attention of the visiting Hawkeyes when they got off the bus, they definitely did when her half court heave tied Thursday’s game at 25 at the halftime buzzer. Behind Bell’s career-high 25 points, the Spartans downed Iowa 65-54. Tied at 51 apiece with 3:37 left to play, MSU took advantage of a 9-0 run over the next three minutes to pull away — led by Bell and the outside shooting of junior forward Annalise Pickrel. Pickrel was fouled with 59 seconds left and hit one of two free throws to give the Spartans a 13-point lead at which point Iowa stopped fouling and let the time run out.
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MSU, Iowa tied at halftime of women's basketball game
The Hawkeyes jumped out to an early 8-2 lead as MSU struggled shooting from the floor in the early going. The Spartans battled through a shooting slump that dipped to 21.4 percent at one point halfway through the first 20 minutes and kept the margin within five.
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Off-court conflict, on-court win
With hours to prepare the No. 18 MSU basketball team for battle with Penn State, MSU men’s head basketball coach Tom Izzo first had to deal with a battle of a different variety.
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Getting player back could mean more depth for women's basketball
The MSU women’s basketball team hopes to welcome back redshirt freshman forward Akyah Taylor to the rotation for tonight’s home game against Iowa at 6 p.m. Normally, the Spartans (14-2 overall, 2-1 Big Ten ) would not make a big deal out of the return of a player who has averaged 9.3 minutes of play in four game appearances.
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Live chat: MSU men's basketball game at Penn State
The MSU men’s basketball team is set to take on Penn State on the road Wednesday night. Follow along with our live chat here, and leave your questions, comments and analysis for State News men’s basketball reporter Josh Mansour.
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Penn State police respond to minor altercation between MSU men's basketball players
Two MSU basketball players were involved in what police believe to be an altercation this morning at a Penn State campus hotel.
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Flying in the Face of Fear
The scream echoed throughout a Breslin Center stunned into silence. As he writhed on the floor in pain Sunday night, one phrase kept repeating itself in Branden Dawson’s mind. “Please, please don’t let this happen to me again.” For a moment, the sophomore guard thought his worst fear had become a terrifying reality. Dawson defied the odds at the beginning of the season in returning from a torn anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, in his left knee three months ahead of schedule and with nearly identical, jaw-dropping athleticism and leaping ability. But as he laid underneath Nebraska’s basket, clutching his knee after being fouled on a fast break layup, many wondered if the seven months spent in rehab went for naught. Tom Izzo was “crushed,” Adreian Payne was “nervous,” and Derrick Nix was “just praying that he was alright.”
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Scouting report: Penn State beat writer breaks down keys for Nittany Lions against MSU
We sat down with one of The Daily Collegian’s men’s basketball reporters, John McGonigal, to discuss the three keys for Penn State to pull off an upset.
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Spartans set to take on Penn State on the road
After Wednesday’s game against Penn State (8-8 overall, 0-4 Big Ten), eight of the Spartans’ (14-3, 3-1) next 14 games come against teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25. Of the final 15 games, eight come on the road, including historically tough venues at Wisconsin and Purdue.
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Izzo, players call for more consistent play
As men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo spoke to the media, he described the No. 18 MSU men’s basketball team (14-3 overall, 3-1 Big Ten) as a group of “grinder kids” that battle through close games by playing to the level of their competition, something he isn’t particularly thrilled about.
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Izzo: Social media can be negative, distracting for players
As much as modern society moves towards a new world order of social media, Tom Izzo still isn’t buying it. Izzo doesn’t like Twitter — a sentiment he attempts to pass along to his players. Izzo’s not impressed by the many photo filters of Instagram. Don’t look for the 18-year head coach on Pinterest, either.
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Dawson survives close call, Kearney to transfer to Arizona State
Branden Dawson has developed a reputation for making crowds gasp from seeing his highlight reel dunks and athleticism at both ends of the floor. Yet on Sunday, the sophomore guard made the Breslin Center crowd gasp for a different reason.
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Nix leads MSU basketball in 66-56 victory against Nebraska
In the moments after Tom Izzo had left the podium, the Spartans’ head coach still shook his head baffled. How could his guards shoot a combined 4-for-26? And, equally perplexing, how could his team still find a way to win?
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Men's basketball team, Nebraska tied 32-32 at half
After a tough road win against Iowa last week, the No. 22 MSU men’s basketball team (13-3 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) returned home Sunday night with many expecting a slight reprieve.
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Women's basketball pulls out tight road victory against Illinois 79-75
The Spartans hung on late to close out a win in their first road game of the Big Ten season Sunday evening, knocking off Illinois 79-75. Though the up-and-down pace favored the high-scoring Illini for most of the game, the balanced scoring and defensive disposition of the MSU women’s basketball team prevailed in Champaigne, Ill.
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Women's basketball hits the road to take on Illinois
On Sunday the MSU women’s basketball team will hit the road for the first time in the young Big Ten season to take on a high-scoring Illinois squad. In a strength versus strength matchup, the defensive-minded Spartans (13-2 Big Ten, 1-1 Overall), who allow 45.6 points per game, will be tested by the Illini offense that averages 72.7 points per contest led star forward Karisma Penn. Four Illinois (9-6, 2-1) starters average 13 points or more, headlined by Penn’s 20-points and 10-plus rebounds per contest.
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MSU basketball defeats Iowa 62-59 in nail-biter
Tom Izzo has witnessed nearly 600 games since taking the helm of the MSU basketball program. But the last time he left Carver Hawkeye Arena in Feb.2011, he was certain the 20-point loss to Iowa was the worst performance of any team during his tenure. This time around, he gets to leave with a smile.
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Live chat: MSU men's basketball defeats Iowa, 62-59
The No. 22 MSU men’s basketball team (12-3 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) travels to Iowa City, Iowa and Carver-Hawkeye Arena to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes (11-4, 0-2). To follow the game, share your thoughts and ask questions to The State News’ men’s basketball reporter, Josh Mansour, join the live chat.