Valentine's Day is normally a holiday to show love and affection to that special person in your life. But this year, like many previous years, I have no person to shower my affection upon.
The MSU women's track and field team completed the Tyson Invitational, on Saturday at Arkansas, with a first-place runner and a handful of other top 10 finishes.
After MSU's victory on Saturday at Michigan, I couldn't help but look at the stark differences between the two programs, especially this season.
Ann Arbor — The rivalry atmosphere was almost apparent, but MSU again spoiled the party at Crisler Arena, winning 64-49 over Michigan on the road. Despite U-M\'s efforts to slow down the game\'s pace — holding the ball to at least 11 seconds left on the shot clock — the Spartans (17-4 overall, 8-2 Big Ten) still seemed to control the tempo getting three dunks on their first four possessions. \"We knew it was going to be a fight coming in and we just had to take it to them,\" sophomore guard Shannon Brown said. Brown led the way early with 14 points shooting 7 of 8 from the field, but senior guard Alan Anderson stole the show in the final four minutes, finishing with 16 points and six rebounds. U-M (12-13, 3-8) led 30-20 at halftime, but with 2:55 left in the second half, U-M cut an 18 point lead to eight with the help of nine points from Wolverine guard Dion Harris. But as U-M tried to trap, the Spartans found Anderson driving to the basket for a dunk, two shots in the paint and a short pass to junior center Paul Davis for another dunk to push the lead to 18 again. Anderson also scored his 1,000th career point 2:24 into the game on a powerful wide-open slam dunk. \"I thought Alan was the MVP today,\" head coach Tom Izzo said.
After two ties against CCHA-leading Michigan last weekend, the MSU hockey team will again play a challenging series this weekend when the Spartans travel to Alaska-Fairbanks to take on the Nanooks for a two-game set. Aside from the competition, the Spartans (13-11-4 overall, 8-9-3 CCHA) will also be battling the flu that has spread through the team, as well as adjusting to the four-hour time difference and the Olympic-size ice surface the Nanooks play on. If there is a bright side to making the long road trip, it's that Alaska-Fairbanks (9-12-3, 8-11-3) was on the road against Northern Michigan last weekend and will also have to make the haul back. "That's a lot better than them being home a month waiting for us," MSU head coach Rick Comley said of the Nanooks' travel back from Northern.
The No. 12 MSU wrestling team hits the road for a busy weekend in Indiana, beginning with a dual Friday night at Purdue followed by a Saturday dual with No.
With the regular season winding down, the No. 9 MSU women's basketball team heads out on the road for three games with the Big Ten Championship in sight. The Spartans (20-3 overall, 9-2 Big Ten) open up the road trip with a game at Minnesota (18-4, 8-2), a place where the Spartans have had success in recent years. "Minnesota is a very good team and probably playing their best basketball right now," MSU head coach Joanne P.
The sophomore from Clinton Township, Mich. was named the defensive player of the week for both the CCHA and USCHO/ITECH following his performances against Michigan, while he also fought the flu.
The MSU field hockey team signed two players to National Letters of Intent for 2005-06. Inge Sijpesteijn, a defender from Wassenaar, Holland and Floor Rijpma, a midfielder and forward from Bunnik, Netherlands will be joining the Spartans this fall. Sijpesteijn has been playing field hockey since she was 7 years old and will participate in the Europe Indoor Hockey Cup in the Czech Republic in March. Rijpma has been playing field hockey for seven years.
For the first time in more than two years, Ohio State will come to Breslin Center when the Buckeyes face the No.
Season tickets for the 2005-06 football season will be $246 for the general public and $198 for faculty and staff, an increase ranging from $2-3 per ticket.
The competition that the MSU hockey team has faced in the remaining games of the season hasn't been the only force the team has had to combat. Starting with junior forward David Booth, the Spartans have been hampered by the flu.
After two big victories at home last week, the Spartans had their third player named Big Ten Player of the Week this season. Junior forward Liz Shimek was named Co-Player of the Week with Minnesota's Janel McCarville for her performances in the two wins against Northwestern and Illinois. During the two games last week, Shimek averaged 21 points, 7.5 rebounds, four assists and 2.5 steals.
Freshman guard Drew Neitzel will likely get his second career start 8 p.m. Wednesday against Ohio State, MSU head coach Tom Izzo said on Monday. Izzo benched senior guard Chris Hill, who has struggled shooting the ball for most of the Big Ten season, on Saturday when MSU (15-4 overall, 6-2 Big Ten) played at Iowa. "I don't think I'm going to change that yet," Izzo said.
Two MSU alumni will participate in the 2005 NFL Pro Bowl this weekend in Honolulu. Muhsin Muhammad, of the Carolina Panthers, will join Ike Reese, of the Philadelphia Eagles, as an all-star for the NFC. Muhammad, a wide receiver who also appeared in the 2000 Pro Bowl, led the NFL in receiving yards with 1,405 and touchdown receptions with 16 during the 2004 season. Reese, who plays linebacker and special teams, will be playing in his first Pro Bowl.
Sophomore goaltender Dominic Vicari was named CCHA Defensive Player of the Week for the third time this season after stopping 41 shots Friday and Saturday - 82 out of 85 shots the entire weekend were against No.
Iowa City, Iowa - "And starting at guard, a 6-foot freshman from Grand Rapids, Michigan, No.
What looked to be another easy win for the No. 10 MSU women's basketball team at halftime turned into a hard-fought victory over Illinois, 68-59. The Spartans (20-3 overall, 9-2 Big Ten) took a 12-point lead into halftime after leading by as many as 17 in the half, but Illinois (13-8, 5-6) came out strong in the second half, and cut the lead to as close as two points before the Spartans put this one away. "The team showed a lot of heart and fight down the stretch," MSU head coach Joanne P.
Detroit - Time was running out for the MSU hockey team when the Spartans found themselves behind late in both games against No.
Growing up together, Nick and Andy Simmons quickly realized their favorite part about wrestling: winning. "Being the best.