After clinching at least a share of the Big Ten title on Sunday, the MSU men’s basketball team returned to its locker room with the same attitude as when it first entered. Sure, there were plenty of hugs and smiles to go around.
It’s taken Goran Suton five years to get a share of a Big Ten Championship. And while a share of the title is all well and good, excuse the senior center if he and his teammates want the whole thing for themselves.
With its 57-55 victory over Purdue on Sunday, the MSU women’s basketball team locked itself into the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and gave itself a solid chance at getting into the NCAA Tournament to play as many as two more games at Breslin Center.
Junior forward Raymar Morgan’s health is still a concern, but his play on Sunday was a sign that it might not be for much longer. Morgan played his best game in nearly six weeks against Illinois, scoring 14 points and adding six rebounds off the bench to help the Spartans defeat Illinois 74-66 at Assembly Hall.
Senior guard Mia Johnson is a self-proclaimed feisty Spartan warrior — a “go-getter.” But the one thing the senior guard won’t do is cry. Except on Senior Day.
It was all a giant screwup. With 19 seconds on the clock in a 55-55 basketball game against Purdue, MSU senior guard Mia Johnson brought the ball up the court to run the final play for the Spartans.
The MSU women’s basketball team lost its second consecutive game Thursday night for the first time since Dec. 14, falling 66-51 to Minnesota.
Even as her last few games as a Spartan come closer to reality, senior guard Mia Johnson is strictly focused on the importance of winning the Big Ten Championship. After all, intensity and focus have been Johnson’s trademarks at MSU and have allowed her to leave an indelible mark on the program.
Early in the second half of the MSU men’s basketball team’s 62-54 win against Iowa Wednesday night, Delvon Roe caught a bounce pass from sophomore guard Kalin Lucas, took one dribble and threw down a two-handed dunk.
Korie Lucious came off the bench and provided a spark for the MSU men’s basketball team Wednesday night. Twice.
With several veterans battling injuries or fighting shooting slumps Wednesday night, No. 9 MSU’s freshmen picked up the slack and saved the day. Forward Delvon Roe scored a team-high 16 points, guard Korie Lucious added 12, and forward Draymond Green added four for the Spartans, who slipped past Iowa 62-54 at Breslin Center.
In its 54-51 loss to Wisconsin on Sunday, the MSU women’s basketball team looked frazzled and unable to handle the on-ball pressure from its opponent. This was the first time the group has been truly exposed since sophomore guard Brittney Thomas went out with a season-ending knee injury.
With games against Purdue and Wisconsin in the books and a road game against No. 20 Illinois on Sunday, tonight’s game against Iowa could be viewed by some as the perfect time for the MSU men’s basketball team to overlook its competition. Then you remember senior guard Travis Walton is the captain of this team, and taking any opponent for granted won’t happen under his watch.
Staring down second place with two tough games to play following a heartbreaking 54-51 loss to Wisconsin on Sunday, MSU women’s basketball head coach Suzy Merchant said her team would have to be much better if it wanted a chance to win the Big Ten regular season championship.
After Sunday’s win against Wisconsin, MSU men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo couldn’t stop gushing about his team’s defensive performance. A day later, Izzo was still downright giddy about the job his team did against the Badgers, especially in the second half when the Spartans limited their opponents to just two field goals in the final 12:30.
To characterize Goran Suton’s performance Sunday as a tale of two halves would be a colossal understatement.
The MSU women’s basketball team took a hit to its Big Ten championship chances Sunday, losing 54-51 at Wisconsin. That, combined with Ohio State’s win against Indiana on Sunday, put the Spartans one game back with two to go.
With 12:31 remaining and his team trailing Wisconsin 41-29, MSU head coach Tom Izzo called a 30-second timeout with a very simple message for his team — play defense. The sixth-ranked Spartans did as their coach asked, outscoring the Badgers 32-9 the rest of the way to win 61-50 on Sunday at Breslin Center.
Six straight losses in January led Wisconsin to be a team written off by many people around the country. MSU head coach Tom Izzo, however, was not one of those people.
The MSU women’s basketball team set a record for defense Thursday, beating Michigan 52-27. The 27 points the Spartans held U-M to are the lowest ever allowed at Breslin Center. The previous low was also against U-M, when MSU beat the Wolverines 67-33 on Jan. 18, 2004.