The MSU women’s basketball team’s season was on the brink of collapse courtesy of a three-game losing streak in mid-January. The Spartans were at a crossroads — 11-7 overall and 2-5 in the Big Ten. Everybody knew something needed to be done.
They’ve been leaders throughout their stay at MSU, but the MSU gymnastics team’s four seniors took on a more direct leadership role before the start of the season.
If the Spartans can get one game of their home-and-home series this weekend against Bowling Green to a shootout, MSU will clinch a spot in the top four in the CCHA standings and receive a first-round bye and home-ice advantage in the second round of the CCHA Tournament.
If the No. 23 MSU gymnastics team was looking for any extra motivation for this weekend, competing against No. 1 Oklahoma should assure an intense atmosphere Friday at Jenison Field House.
The MSU women’s basketball team is hitting its stride and looks primed to make a run in both the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments.
No more than a few hours after Kalin Lucas quickly and quietly ducked out of the MSU men’s basketball team’s locker room before talking to media Sunday, he called his head coach.
Following the U.S. men’s hockey team’s 5-3 defeat of Canada Sunday night, all the talk on ESPN, MSNBC and Twitter was about goalie Ryan Miller.
Columbus, Ohio — After seeing its 13-point lead turn into a three-point deficit, the MSU women’s basketball team was on the verge of a crushing defeat to No. 7 Ohio State. In front of a raucous crowd of 11,827 at Value City Arena, the Spartans turned to junior guard Brittney Thomas.
Columbus, Ohio — This time last year, junior guard Brittney Thomas was on the sidelines after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament.While she was injured, Mia Johnson stepped in and assumed the point guard duties, bringing an aggressive mentality to the position.
Friday’s bus ride home from Big Rapids wasn’t fun for the No. 12 MSU hockey team. The Spartans had just played one of their worst games of the season, losing 4-1 to No. 14 Ferris State. MSU looked completely out of sync, and after the game, head coach Rick Comley called out his team’s work ethic.
Throughout the season, MSU men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo has talked about the distractions facing his team and how the players had yet to put them behind. Twenty-eight games into the season, Izzo still is talking about distractions.
In the final home match of his career, Franklin Gomez wasted no time in securing an advantage and pinning Indiana’s Matt Ortega for a six-point fall.
Needing a victory to once again pull even with Ferris State in the CCHA standings, junior forward Dustin Gazley scored the game-winning goal in the middle of the third period to push MSU past the Bulldogs, 3-2. Saturday’s crucial victory made up for the Spartans’ sluggish 4-1 loss Friday to Ferris State. The Spartans close the regular season with a home-and-home series next week against CCHA bottom dweller Bowling Green.
Following a nail-biting loss against No. 20 Illinois last weekend, the No. 22 MSU gymnastics team returned home Saturday and earned a 194.175-192.400 victory against New Hampshire at Jenison Field House.
MSU’s bye-weekend caused the No. 12 Spartans to come out of the gates flat and out of sync, eventually leading to a 4-1 loss to No. 14 Ferris State at Ewigleben Ice Arena.
Although not a crucial Big Ten game because of MSU’s early conference struggles and Ohio State’s dominance, Sunday’s 3 p.m. game at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio isn’t completely devoid of meaning.
After years of juggling hockey and baseball, Jeff Petry was worn out and finally decided one sport had to go. Baseball was it, and he didn’t know how to tell his dad. Imagine breaking that news to the 13-year Major League Baseball veteran, who helped pitch the Detroit Tigers to the 1984 World Series title and wanted to lend his expertise to the team Jeff was about to quit.
The last time the MSU hockey team earned a clean conference sweep was on Dec. 12, 2009, against Bowling Green. Since then, the No. 12 Spartans (17-10-5 overall, 12-7-5 CCHA) haven’t been able to put together a complete weekend.
Nearly two weeks ago, Breslin Center played host to arguably the most pivotal game of the MSU men’s basketball team’s season.
Ohio State’s loss to Purdue on Wednesday night didn’t change anything for the MSU men’s basketball team. The only thing it determined was who would be tied with the No. 11 Spartans in the Big Ten standings heading into this weekend. MSU (21-6 overall, 11-3 Big Ten) technically is in first place, but the Spartans and Purdue are tied in the loss column.