It’s only been 18 days since the No. 7 MSU men’s basketball team defeated Northwestern 77-66 on Jan. 3 in Evanston, Ill. — but what a difference those 18 days have made for the Wildcats.
In a season mired with miscues and inconsistency on the offensive end of the court, the MSU women’s basketball team had one of its best performances of the season Sunday in its 70-59 victory over Penn State. The win completed a season sweep of the Lady Lions for the Spartans, the first time MSU has swept Penn State in school history, and continued the team’s three-game win streak.
The more you think about it, the more amazing it becomes. During the past 30 years, the MSU men’s basketball team has won six Big Ten titles, racked up 15 20-win seasons, gone to five Final Fours and celebrated two National Championships.
The MSU women’s basketball team completed the season sweep of Penn State on Sunday, knocking off the Lady Lions 70-59.
Oxford, Ohio — Entering Saturday’s game against No. 9 Miami (Ohio), the MSU hockey team was averaging 24.1 shots a game. But in the team’s 6-1 loss to the RedHawks, the Spartans only recorded 13 shots on net while Miami fired 60 shots at MSU senior goaltender Jeff Lerg.
If the MSU men’s basketball team’s 63-57 win over Illinois on Saturday was a hockey game, head coach Tom Izzo said Marquise Gray wouldn’t only get one of the stars given out — he’d get all three. Gray, a senior forward from Flint, came up big on a memorable night, scoring 11 points and grabbing six rebounds on the same night former MSU great and fellow Flint native Morris Peterson had his No. 42 jersey retired.
Born and raised in Flint, MSU forward Marquise Gray said he used to idolize former Spartans great Morris Peterson. On Saturday, he paid his great friend and fellow Flintstone the ultimate token of respect.
Oxford, Ohio — For the first time this season, the MSU hockey team chased an opposing goaltender from the game. In Friday’s 4-1 victory over No. 9 Miami (Ohio) at Steve Cady Arena, the Spartans chased Miami goaltender Cody Reichard out of the net at start of the second period after he allowed three goals on 12 shots.
To call the 41-37 game between the MSU women’s basketball team and in-state rival, Michigan, a defensive battle would be an understatement.
Whenever Tom Herzog gets ready to attend practice or run out of the tunnel with the MSU men’s basketball team, something happens to him that never used to. He becomes nervous.
Every player in every sport knows any game in the MSU-Michigan rivalry is intense. It’s not something you can prepare for by watching tape.
The Illinois men’s basketball team finally has its identity back. After a pair of disappointing seasons, during which the Fighting Illini finished with a combined 14-20 Big Ten record despite a roster simmering with experience and talent, they are back to doing what they do best: playing tenacious defense.
Former MSU great Morris Peterson will have his No. 42 jersey retired before the No. 7 MSU men’s basketball team’s game against Illinois at 4 p.m. Saturday at Breslin Center.
The MSU hockey team hasn’t defeated No. 9 Miami (Ohio) in two years. Not since Jan. 6, 2007 have the Spartans come out on top against the RedHawks, and through the two-year span the Spartans (6-13-3 overall, 3-9-2-2 CCHA) have lost four straight against Miami — all at Munn Ice Arena.
It’s once again that time to guess the outcome of this weekend’s games with the State News prognosticators.
I’ll never forget the day I bought my first “goalie helmet.” It was my pee-wee season of hockey in my small northeastern Michigan town and my father had agreed to pay for half the helmet if I could save up enough to pay for the other half.
Rivalry week has arrived for the MSU women’s basketball team. The Spartans head to Ann Arbor for the first of two matchups with Michigan tonight and hope to fair better than their last trip to Crisler Arena, a 64-55 U-M win.
More than 10 years ago, Ken Hoffman and George Perles joined together to bring a bowl game to Detroit under the sponsorship of some of the state’s most powerful and significant corporations — the Detroit Three automakers.