BASKETBALL
Spartans face No. 25 Sooners
Another familiar foe from the past will try to knock the No. 15 MSU men’s basketball team from the Preseason NIT, when the Spartans matchup with No.
SPORTS
Women qualify for NCAAs, men receive at-large bid
Both the MSU men’s and women’s cross country teams completed a successful outing at the Great Lakes Regional meet in Terre Haute, Ind., this weekend.
SPORTS
Defense stellar in tournament
After letting in the game-winning goal from Michigan in overtime of the second round of the NCAA Tournament, MSU field hockey team’s defense may have expected criticism.But the team would have only needed to point to the tournament statistics and scores to respond to the skeptics.Up to that season-ending goal, the defense had held some elite scorers to disappointing numbers in the tournament.In the first round, the Spartan defense held Kent State to two shots in the game, shutting down their forward Arlette van Cleeff, who scored 21 goals in the regular season.Sophomore midfielder Alexandra Kyser defended van Cleeff for most of the game, and MSU head coach Michele Madison said shutting down the nation’s No.
BASKETBALL
Spartans grab win in season opener, 80-70
Only three teams in the country were undefeated against Tom Izzo and the MSU men’s basketball team before Monday night - Duke, Arizona and Detroit-Mercy. Now, only two are. The Spartans (1-0) beat the Titans - a team made up of 13 Michigan natives, including eight Detroiters - 80-70 in the first round of the Preseason NIT at Breslin Center. The game opened both teams’ regular season and kept MSU’s home-winning streak intact at 45 games. But the Spartans, who haven’t beat the home-grown Titans in its last three tries, had a tough time reversing that streak Monday. “I was pleased with the win; I wasn’t always pleased with how we got it,” Izzo said.
BASKETBALL
Freshmen step up play in win over Detroit
After a miss midway through the second half, drawing shouts of “air ball” from the crowd, Detroit-Mercy guard Greg Grays shook his head Monday night at Breslin Center. Grays, a Southfield native, scored 24 points to lead the Titans on Monday night, but the rebuilding MSU men’s basketball team gave him one more reason to shake his head by the end of the night. With superior rebounding, MSU handed Grays’ team an 80-70 loss, marking the first time in four games his Titans would fall to the Spartans. MSU took the lead early going up 7-2 a minute and a half into the game. “Our plan was to just get the ball and just keep going, keep playing, it was no surprise,” junior forward Al Anagonye said.
FOOTBALL
Smoker nursing shoulder, Van Dyke practicing, Dortch home from Madison hospital
They are definitely not blockbuster movies by any means. But regardless, MSU will take plenty of time this week analyzing film to try and correct the mistakes made in Saturday’s 37-28 loss to Indiana.
BASKETBALL
Athletic Detroit-Mercy team wants to make it four-in-a-row over Izzo
It’s been a little more than seven months since the No. 15 Spartan men’s basketball team was on the floor.For many of the Spartans, that’s been a long seven months.“We need a game,” sophomore guard Marcus Taylor said.
ICE HOCKEY
Spartans cruise to 6-1 win in first nonconference play
Weekends generally aren’t very relaxing for the fourth-ranked Spartans, who usually face a challenging two-game weekend series.But MSU (6-2-1 overall, 5-2-1 CCHA) eased to a 6-1 win over UMass-Amherst on Friday at Munn Ice Arena and kept things light for the rest of the weekend.The Spartans held a moderate practice Saturday after defeating their first nonconference foe of the season and then observed their traditional off-day Sunday.“I like it,” senior left wing Joe Goodenow said.
FOOTBALL
Spartans overpowered 37-28
Indiana had more to play for Saturday than just its third conference win of the season. After embarrassing MSU 37-28 at home, the Hoosiers (3-6, 3-3 Big Ten) waited on the field until they received a dingy, yet coveted award that has been in the Spartans’ grasp since 1994.
SPORTS
Spartans erratic loss isnt much of a shocker
It really wasn’t very surprising, was it? MSU lost as only MSU knows how. One week after an all-important, emotional win over rival Michigan, the Spartans choked.
SOCCER
Men, women lose in Big Ten tournament
The MSU men’s soccer (12-5-1) team didn’t have enough over the weekend to knock off two top 25 opponents in the 2001 Big Ten Men’s Soccer Championship in Madison, Wis.
FOOTBALL
Quarterbacks option play dizzies team
Indiana head football coach Cam Cameron was exhausted just watching his team rush for 489 yards - a season worst for MSU’s defense.“You know what, I’d rather sit down,” Cameron said at his postgame press conference, “I’m worn out, I’m worn out.”Cameron’s weariness came watching quarterback Antwaan Randle El as he tirelessly scrambled up and down the field for 149 yards and one touchdown rushing and set up two other major ground performances.Running back Levron Williams flew 251 yards for three touchdowns and fullback Jeremi Johnson tallied 96 yards and a score of his own.
SPORTS
Final Four bid ends in 2-1 OT loss to rivals
Ann Arbor - As newcomers to the NCAA Tournament, the MSU field hockey team flirted with the Final Four, but host school Michigan spoiled the team’s hopes. The No.
FOOTBALL
No 6 fullback idolizes Duckett, commits to U for 2002
Hazelwood East High (St. Louis) fullback David Richard planned on continuing his football career at Tennessee.But the 6-foot-2, 225-pounder axed those plans Friday when he decided to commit to MSU football head coach Bobby Williams and make East Lansing his new football home next season.“The reason for the change was because I didn’t know a lot about (Tennessee),” Richard said.
VOLLEYBALL
Wildcats fold, but No. 6 Badgers sweep
The Spartan volleyball team entered the weekend riding a four-game winning streak, and a 3-1 win Friday at Jenison Field House against Northwestern only added fuel to the flames. But the Spartans (16-7, 9-7 Big Ten) ran into a road-block Saturday as they fell 3-0 to the No.
ICE HOCKEY
Halls hat trick paces Spartans
There are players who lead on the ice - scoring goals, directing players, giving pep talks on the bench - and there are players who lead away from the rink - going to class, getting good grades and being an upstanding member of the community.For his teammates and coaches, MSU senior right wing and team captain Adam Hall fills both roles.Hall was an on-ice leader in MSU’s 6-1 win over UMass-Amherst on Friday at Munn Ice Arena - notching his first career hat trick and recording his 100th career point.But Hall, an assistant captain last season, is also a CCHA All-Academic honoree and is no stranger to team volunteer activities - such as speaking at local schools through the D.A.R.E.
SPORTS
Team out-rebounds, out-plays Latvian team
The MSU women’s basketball team overmatched RTU Klondaika from Latvia in Sunday’s 88-51 victory. Four Spartans scored in double digits and junior guard Vnemina Reese notched a double-double to seal MSU’s second exhibition game. MSU head coach Joanne P.
VOLLEYBALL
Volleyball team extends win streak to 5, overpowers Wildcats 3-1
The Spartan volleyball team extended its winning streak Friday night by dropping the Northwestern Wildcats 3-1 at Jenison Field House.The Spartans (16-6, 9-6 Big Ten) have now won five straight matches in the second half of their conference schedule.Freshman outside hitter Kim Schram led the way with a match-high 19 kills.
FOOTBALL
No. 22 MSU cant stop Hoosier ground game in 37-28 loss
No. 22 MSU sure does keep things interesting.Saturday was no exception in a 37-28 loss to Indiana.
SPORTS
Madison, Cooper close superb year with honors
The MSU field hockey team didn’t leave Evanston, Ill., with a championship at last weekend’s Big Ten Tournament, but the team wasn’t overlooked completely. Two Spartans received end-of-the-year honors. Head coach Michele Madison was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year and senior forward Bridget Cooper was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. Madison received Coach of the Year after leading the team to a 15-5 record, good enough to share the Big Ten regular season championship with Ohio State. No other MSU field hockey coach has ever won the title. “(Madison) truly deserves it, she’s led our team to where we are today,” senior goalkeeper Mara Mabley said.