The Spartans' offense could only make up for a lackluster defense and special teams for so long this season, as MSU watched a 4-0 start evaporate into a 5-6 final record.
MSU senior forward Liz Shimek earned the second Big Ten Player of the Week honors of her career for her performance last weekend. On Friday, Shimek set a career high for points with 26 and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Spartans to a 86-55 victory over UC Santa Barbara. Shimek was not done there, though, as she came back on Sunday and set a new career high for points by dropping 28 on Western Carolina, pacing the Spartans to a 84-61 victory.
Following Saturday's 31-22 loss against Penn State, the Spartans trotted off the field while watching the Nittany Lions celebrate a Big Ten championship on the turf of Spartan Stadium. After a perfect 4-0 start slipped away, the Spartans finished at a 5-6 mark — giving them a sub-.500 record and bowl absence for the second consecutive season. Still, MSU head coach John L.
With less than a minute remaining, MSU scores a tie-breaking goal. Fans cheer and players celebrate. But wait — the referees have to review the play. Munn Ice Arena goes dead silent. The ref turns around and gives a signal.
The MSU men's swimming and diving team was defeated by No. 4 Michigan Friday night in Ann Arbor, 152-83.
Coming off a surprise trip to the Final Four, the MSU men's basketball team returns four of its starting five this season.
• Federal prosecutors want access to hundreds of urine samples of Major League Baseball players seized in 2003 as part of the BALCO steroid scandal investigation. This is the most demand we've seen for urine since R.
After the final seconds ticked away in Saturday's contest at Spartan Stadium, Penn State's players summed up years of commitment and determination by euphorically running over to the numerous fans that traveled to watch them clinch a Big Ten Championship and BCS bowl bid. "Guys were just celebrating, carrying the Big Ten Championship thing around," Nittany Lions quarterback Michael Robinson said.
Coach P's squad made a memorable run to the national championship game last year, falling just one win short of the crown.
The MSU volleyball team didn't get the magic it was hoping for on the road this weekend. Instead, Northwestern and nationally-ranked Wisconsin appeared to have borrowed Harry Potter's broom as both teams swept the Spartans. The Spartans' hopes of making it to the NCAA Tournament vanished as they dropped both matches on the road, giving them 11 losses in their last 14 matches. The Spartans (12-16 overall, 5-13 Big Ten) were hoping to win the remainder of their last four games but unfortunately it won't be happening this season.
If I have learned one thing from watching MSU sports this year, it is that the beginning of the season means absolutely nothing. Let's take a trip down memory lane with the football team. They opened the season 4-0.
Last Saturday morning, my roommates and I were driving down Harrison when one of us wondered aloud why the flags at Kellogg Center were flying at half-mast. "It's because the Spartan football team is playing today," someone quipped. I laughed, but inside, I was crying. I mean, doesn't it seem like just weeks ago that MSU was undefeated and everyone thought they were the greatest thing since Facebook? (What's that?
With four games remaining in its Big Ten regular season, the MSU volleyball team is hoping for a fairy tale ending. The Spartans (12-14 overall, 5-11 Big Ten) have been struggling to find their groove, but a win over Indiana last weekend showed they're not giving up on the season just yet. The Spartans will look to continue their success on the road when they take on Northwestern (16-10, 7-9) and nationally-ranked Wisconsin (19-6, 1-5) this weekend. MSU beat Northwestern in five sets back on Oct.
Despite losing its past three games, the No. 13 Spartans hockey team remains focused and upbeat about its chances to get back into the CCHA race as it prepares to meet last-place Western Michigan in a home-and-home series this weekend.
With the final week of conference action approaching, the 2005 Big Ten Championship has come down to Penn State, Ohio State or Michigan. The championship will be decided in two contests this weekend when the Buckeyes travel to arch-rival Michigan and MSU plays host to Penn State. "This is the most exciting weekend in Big Ten football," Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel said.
ESPN College GameDay will be coming back to East Lansing this weekend for the second year in a row. The show was here for last year's game against Notre Dame, which the Spartans lost 31-24.
Vanessa King continues to replay in her mind the day when MSU head coach Cathy George asked her to join the volleyball team. "I was talking to her in her office and she goes, 'I want to offer you a full ride,'" said the Spring Lake High School senior.
Based on his team's performance in its first two exhibition games, MSU head coach Tom Izzo said the Spartans are playing well enough to win just one game in their upcoming trip to Hawaii. Since the Spartans are scheduled to play at least three games during their jaunt to the tropics, some improvement is obviously needed — especially with the prospect of games against such top-tier programs as Arizona, Connecticut, Kansas, and Maryland in the Maui Invitational. The Spartans committed 41 total turnovers in their exhibition games against Lake Superior State and Northern Michigan, playing sloppily and out of synch. Sophomore point guard Drew Neitzel said the Spartans' failure to protect the ball and value each possession was out of character for the team.
After starting the season 4-0, many thought recruiting would become easy for MSU head coach John L. Smith. Since then, though, the team has fallen to 5-5 overall and the opposite is being said for the Spartans recruiting efforts. But has it really become harder? "It hasn't," Smith said.
Six games in 12 days — including two consecutive Tuesday night contests — have the MSU hockey team gasping for more air to keep going. After tonight's game against Ohio State at 7:05 p.m.