SPORTS
Jefferson delivers, but MSU still falls
Indianapolis — In her team’s biggest game of the season, Aisha Jefferson delivered. Her teammates, though, were notably absent.
BASKETBALL
Spartans fall to Iowa, 59-54, in Big Ten semifinals
Indianapolis — Iowa, the only team to beat the MSU women’s basketball team during its run to end the regular season, did so again Saturday, knocking the Spartans out of the Big Ten Tournament with a 59-54 win at Conseco Fieldhouse.
SPORTS
Spartans look to clinch Big Ten championship vs. Michigan
With just one regular season game remaining, MSU men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo seems to have had it. Following his team’s two-point victory over conference bottomfeeder Penn State on Thursday, Izzo said he was going to change the way his team practices and subsequently could make dramatic changes to the lineup. “We’ve fought it all year and we’re going to fight it another game only we’re going to maybe fight it in a different way,” Izzo said.
BASKETBALL
Spartans able to overcome DeHaan injury
Indianapolis — The MSU women’s basketball team found a way to win without Allyssa DeHaan, who left Friday’s Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal game with Michigan midway through the first half with back spasms.
BASKETBALL
Spartans beat Michigan, 61-50
The MSU women’s basketball team advanced to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals with a 61-50 win against Michigan on Friday afternoon at Conseco Fieldhouse.
BASKETBALL
MSU in prime shape to take tourney title
The Spartans, the hottest team in the league, have shown the ability to beat anybody — from the top-tier teams to the squads in the basement — and that’s exactly what a team needs to be successful in the postseason.
BASKETBALL
Walk-on known for energy, toughness
Jon Crandell didn’t have the typical path of a walk-on. He was just a normal student during his freshman year, playing intramural basketball, until former MSU walk-on guard DeMarcus Ducre spotted Crandell and told him to look more into basketball.
BASKETBALL
Senior duo has led Spartans in different ways
Isaiah Dahlman is the most likeable player on the MSU men’s basketball team. But it’s not because he’s a lockdown defender or will have the ball in his hands in crunch time. Raymar Morgan is the most frustrating player on the MSU men’s basketball team. But it’s not because he’s cold, indignant or an incompetent basketball player. As the two seniors’ careers in Green and White come to an inevitable end, it’s certain both players — who will go down as some of the program’s most valuable, in their own right — had an indelible impact on the success of MSU basketball through the past four years and its great promise for years to come. “We’re so different,” Dahlman said.
BASKETBALL
Thomas stepping into leadership role
As a season wears on, coaches naturally become concerned with fatigue as their players deal with the rigors of a long season. MSU women’s basketball head coach Suzy Merchant is no different.
ICE HOCKEY
Breaking down CCHA bracket, team matchups
It’s finally playoff time. The Spartans will host a best-of-three quarterfinal series March 12-13 — and March 14, if necessary — after the first-round winners are reseeded.
BASKETBALL
Let the madness begin
The month every college basketball fan salivates over has arrived, and the MSU women’s basketball team will kick off what is sure to be a wild month in this weekend’s Big Ten Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
BASKETBALL
Spartans aware of Battle's 3-point range
How afraid is the No. 11 MSU men’s basketball team of Penn State guard Talor Battle? Frightened enough to place a taped 3-point line four-to-five feet beyond the normal 3-point line.
SPORTS
Gymnasts hope to get healthy, improve during busy spring break
The spring break forecast for the No. 24 MSU gymnastics team looks similar to that of many students: sun, breeze and maybe some beach. But unlike regular MSU students, the team has serious business to attend to.
BASKETBALL
Despite Penn State's recent stretch, MSU still holds edge
It appears the Spartans are fully healthy and might have found the chemistry and spark needed after Sunday’s win at then-No. 3 Purdue. To continue their roll, they’ll have to stop the Nittany Lions, who boast one of the Big Ten’s top scorers and have won three of their last four.
BASKETBALL
Washington making mark with defense, rebounding
Cetera Washington lives by the mantra that while defense wins games, rebounding wins championships. So it should be no surprise the junior forward recently has stepped on the accelerator in both areas, becoming a key force during MSU’s run of 10 wins in its past 11 games.
SPORTS
Spartans prep for Big Ten Championships
Competing against the nation’s best every week, the MSU wrestling team finally is in line to reap the benefits of facing a grueling schedule with a young lineup. As the team prepares for this weekend’s Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor, it hopes the growth of its underclassmen will carry over in the results of the competition.
ICE HOCKEY
Grading MSU's regular season performance
Although the Spartans posted an impressive regular season, everything is on the line as the CCHA Tournament approaches. MSU still is a bubble team trying to earn an at-large bid into the 16-team NCAA Tournament. And they likely will need a deep run in the conference playoffs to receive an invite to the “big dance.” Here’s a look at the Spartans’ regular season grades as they prepare for the CCHA Tournament:
BASKETBALL
DeHaan, Keane earn Big Ten honors
Four members of the MSU women’s basketball team were honored by the Big Ten on Monday, led by senior center Allyssa DeHaan as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year and junior forward Kalisha Keane as the conference’s Sixth Player of the Year.
BASKETBALL
Merchant focused on keeping team fresh
With the postseason here, MSU head coach Suzy Merchant is scaling back practices to keep her team fresh for a run in the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments.
BASKETBALL
Sleepover builds chemistry, leads to win
After an unsettling home loss to Ohio State and a long week of practice, the MSU men’s basketball team realized they needed to sleep it off. At Breslin Center.