With games against Purdue and Wisconsin in the books and a road game against No. 20 Illinois on Sunday, tonight’s game against Iowa could be viewed by some as the perfect time for the MSU men’s basketball team to overlook its competition. Then you remember senior guard Travis Walton is the captain of this team, and taking any opponent for granted won’t happen under his watch.
Staring down second place with two tough games to play following a heartbreaking 54-51 loss to Wisconsin on Sunday, MSU women’s basketball head coach Suzy Merchant said her team would have to be much better if it wanted a chance to win the Big Ten regular season championship.
After Sunday’s win against Wisconsin, MSU men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo couldn’t stop gushing about his team’s defensive performance. A day later, Izzo was still downright giddy about the job his team did against the Badgers, especially in the second half when the Spartans limited their opponents to just two field goals in the final 12:30.
If MSU men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo wasn’t feeling enough pressure Sunday afternoon, all he needed to do was take a look over his shoulder.
Coming off an Opening Day victory, the MSU baseball team dropped its final two games of the weekend to fall to 1-2 on the season. The Spartans defeated Connecticut 4-2 in their first game of the season but fell to Seton Hall 8-4 on Saturday and Minnesota 7-2 on Sunday.
The MSU hockey team was red hot entering Saturday’s game at Bowling Green. After defeating the Falcons 3-2 on Friday night at Munn Ice Arena, the Spartans were riding a five-game unbeaten streak.
More than 40 middle-aged men gathered near a podium Sunday afternoon, all sharing one common bond. The men, typically known outside this setting for their achievements in helmets and shoulder pads, were dressed in suits and ties.
To characterize Goran Suton’s performance Sunday as a tale of two halves would be a colossal understatement.
The MSU women’s basketball team took a hit to its Big Ten championship chances Sunday, losing 54-51 at Wisconsin. That, combined with Ohio State’s win against Indiana on Sunday, put the Spartans one game back with two to go.
With 12:31 remaining and his team trailing Wisconsin 41-29, MSU head coach Tom Izzo called a 30-second timeout with a very simple message for his team — play defense. The sixth-ranked Spartans did as their coach asked, outscoring the Badgers 32-9 the rest of the way to win 61-50 on Sunday at Breslin Center.
Bowling Green, Ohio — Saturday’s game was a first and a last for Bowling Green senior goaltender Jimmy Spratt. In the Falcons 4-0 victory over the MSU hockey team, Spratt earned his first career home shutout during his last game at BGSU Ice Arena.
After each goal scored by the MSU hockey team, members of the Spartan Brass take a celebratory lap around Munn Ice Arena with their instruments. But when MSU scored its third goal of the night, the band didn’t start the lap at their usual rallying point. Instead, they were 50 feet away from their section – trying to make it back from an MSU goal that was scored only 26 seconds earlier.
Six straight losses in January led Wisconsin to be a team written off by many people around the country. MSU head coach Tom Izzo, however, was not one of those people.
The MSU women’s basketball team set a record for defense Thursday, beating Michigan 52-27. The 27 points the Spartans held U-M to are the lowest ever allowed at Breslin Center. The previous low was also against U-M, when MSU beat the Wolverines 67-33 on Jan. 18, 2004.
Every fall, college football administrators around the country collectively hold their breath in anticipation of their grades. Atypical of grades normally seen on college campuses, these are released by the Black Coaches & Administrators, or BCA, and reflect on the demographics of black coaches in Division I football programs.
It’s once again that time to guess the outcome of this weekend’s games with the State News prognosticators.
Nobody wants to finish in last place. But with the 10th place MSU hockey team playing a home-and-home series against last place Bowling Green this weekend, it’s not farfetched to say the loser of the weekend might finish at the bottom of the pile in the CCHA this season.
Whatever Michigan guard Manny Harris tried to do, it simply wouldn’t work. The Wolverines’ 6-foot-5 guard tried to drive through the lane, post up in the paint and spot up from three, but wherever he went on Feb. 10, MSU senior guard Travis Walton was there in his face.
Intensity hasn’t been a problem for the MSU women’s basketball team all season. But in Michigan week, the Spartans have ratchetted up any extra moxie they have left to get the best of their in-state rivals and keep themselves on track for a Big Ten Championship.
The Big Ten Conference has always been a league known for its physical style of play, with the MSU men’s basketball team embodying that image for the past decade.