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Sports | Basketball

BASKETBALL

Appling benefits from Billikens' sag defense

Coming into the game against Saint Louis, the MSU men’s basketball team knew it would be well defended against. The Billikens are praised for their defense and were extremely physical and abusive to the Spartans. At least all the Spartans not named Keith Appling. The Billikens sagged of the sophomore guard and dared him to shoot. Appling has struggled with his shot all season, but he can still find the bucket when needed.

BASKETBALL

Coming out clean

Columbus, Ohio — Nothing about the MSU men’s basketball team’s game against Saint Louis in the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament surprised head coach Tom Izzo.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Column: Seniors united through careers, tournament losses

After answering questions at the podium, Taylor Alton, with tears in her eyes, returned to the locker room and sat next to fellow senior forward Lykendra Johnson. It was the final time the duo would wear their MSU jerseys, and as Alton sat in her chair, emotionally drained from the afternoon, her fellow captain put her arm around her and the two rocked back and forth, talking of their time at MSU.

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BASKETBALL

Despite elimination, Spartans laid foundation for next season

College Park, Md. — Just hours after their season ended with a 67-55 loss to No. 7 seed Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the MSU women’s basketball team already is looking ahead to next season. Although the 2011-2012 campaign is now in the books, freshman center Jasmine Hines said she felt that because the Spartans refused to quit during the loss, they had laid a good framework to build on in preparation for next season. “We’re all competitors,” Hines said.

BASKETBALL

Green happy with triple-double, happier with win

Draymond Green became just the third player in history to record multiple triple-doubles in the NCAA Tournament, according to the Big Ten Network, joining Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Oscar Robertson. Friday also marks the third triple-double of Green’s career and his first this season.

BASKETBALL

Next stop, Columbus

For the third time in three weeks, the Spartans are about to find themselves surrounded by Buckeyes. With the Big Ten championship title under its belt, the MSU men’s basketball team will begin its quest for its third National Championship, facing LIU Brooklyn at 9:30 p.m.

BASKETBALL

MSU sees success despite losing Dawson

When Branden Dawson went down with a season-ending knee injury in the MSU men’s basketball team’s regular season finale a week and a half ago, the Spartans didn’t have much time to adjust. Four days later, MSU traveled to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Tournament without the freshman guard — who started all 31 games before tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, in a 72-70 loss to Ohio State.