Wednesday, October 23, 2024

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Sports | Basketball

BASKETBALL

Lost the battle... Won the war

The No. 10 MSU women’s basketball class of 2011 defines everything it means to be a Spartan. Behind seniors Brittney Thomas, Cetera Washington and Kalisha Keane the Spartans became the first MSU women’s basketball team to claim an outright conference title, despite a 54-53 loss to Ohio State on Thursday night. The three seniors are Spartans to the fullest extent, and although they will graduate with their last game at Breslin Center being a loss, they can find peace in knowing they represent everything you look for in a basketball player. They have toughness, heart, passion, energy, character and leadership.

BASKETBALL

Spartans fall to OSU, still swipe title

Heading into Thursday night, the No. 10 MSU women’s basketball team had one obstacle left between itself and the program’s first-ever outright Big Ten championship. Unfortunately for the Spartans (24-4 overall, 12-3 Big Ten), that obstacle was six-time defending champion Ohio State.

BASKETBALL

MSU hangs on vs. Gophers, wins 53-48

After a wretched first half, freshman guard Keith Appling knocked down two free throws to give the MSU men’s basketball team a 50-48 lead against Minnesota in its own building. Seventeen seconds later, senior guard Mike Kebler knocked down two more free throws to all but seal a 53-48 win for the Spartans (16-11 overall, 8-7 Big Ten) and improve their chances of making a 14th consecutive NCAA Tournament. “We had a lot of guys that kind of screwed up and then came back,” MSU head coach Tom Izzo said told the Spartan Sports Network.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Back on top

After five consecutive years of watching Ohio State reign atop the Big Ten conference and raise banner after banner, the No. 11 MSU women’s basketball team — with a 69-56 victory at Illinois — have dethroned the former champions and will carry the trophy a few hours north to East Lansing.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

MSU women look to become MSU’s best ever

After freshman center — a.k.a former Spartan Alyssa DeHaan’s replacement — Madison Williams went down with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, would anyone have believed me if I said MSU women’s basketball head coach Suzy Merchant would be able to reshape her offense and turn the No.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Saturday Spotlight

When ESPN decided before the season that it would send its College GameDay crew to East Lansing this Saturday, I doubt anyone at the network thought they would be seeing a game between two teams fighting to make the NCAA Tournament in MSU and Illinois.