Friday, May 15, 2026

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Sports

BASKETBALL

Badgers have size, lack athleticism

The first time around, Wisconsin handed MSU its worst beating of the season, a 82-63 decision at the Kohl Center. Now, it's MSU's turn to protect its home floor when the two teams resume their rivalry at 7 p.m.

ICE HOCKEY

MSU still winning without a high-scoring offense

Averaging only three goals per game, the No. 4 Spartans are far from flashy. But clutch goaltending, a solidified defense and the ability to put enough goals on the scoreboard have the Spartans riding a nine-game unbeaten streak headed into the postseason. After an up-and-down first half of the season, MSU is 12-2-3 since Jan.

ICE HOCKEY

Icers hungry for continued success as playoffs approach

With a first-round CCHA playoff bye, the No. 4 Spartans are playing the wait-and-see game for who will invade Munn Ice Arena for a best-of-three series the weekend of March 10. But while the Spartans (20-10-8 overall, 14-7-7 CCHA) have the luxury of an off-week to get healthy and stay sharp, MSU head coach Rick Comley will be the first to tell you that he has no idea who his team could face in the second round. "The real nice thing is that there's nobody you really want to play and there's nobody that you don't want to play," Comley said.

BASKETBALL

Coming up empty

Davis, Ager, Brown or get out of town. MSU's Big Three — senior center Paul Davis, senior guard Maurice Ager and junior guard Shannon Brown — once again dominated the scoresheet Sunday, accounting for all but nine of the Spartans' points in their 78-71 loss to Indiana. MSU got just three points from its bench — all from freshman guard Travis Walton, who played 32 minutes in place of injured senior forward Matt Trannon. The Hoosiers, meanwhile, got 16 points from their bench, including a game-tying free throw by Errek Suhr and a game-tying layup by Roderick Wilmont in the game's final minutes. But MSU head coach Tom Izzo insists he's not looking to his bench to score more. "We don't have a great bench — I told you that in September," Izzo said.

SPORTS

From the road

Women's hoops reporter Ethan Conley took a trip down to Ann Arbor for Thursday's regular-season finale victory against Michigan. Heading to Ann Arbor to watch an athletic contest is usually enough to make a Spartan froth at the mouth.

SPORTS

At this spot in season, Pistons are a starfish

The trade deadline has long been the true halfway point in the NBA season. Rosters are cemented, players are sure of their roles, and teams make eleventh-hour deals to add some missing pieces (see: Wallace, Rasheed). Even more importantly, since both the 41-game mark and the All-Star break have come and gone, Thursday's deadline marked my last chance to hand out some mid-season awards!

SPORTS

North America disappoints with lack of emotion in plays

After Alexander Ovechkin scored to put Russia up 1-0 on Canada in the Olympic quarterfinal round of hockey, he celebrated like he had just scored the overtime winner to advance his team to the Stanley Cup Finals. Now don't get me wrong, I love watching Ovechkin play.

SPORTS

Monday musings

A pair of magicians performed at halftime of last week's MSU-Ohio State men's basketball game. Tragically, the performance was cut short when the performers went to pull a rabbit out of a hat and instead pulled out Michigan center Amadou Ba, who then shoved the pair to the ground. An American skeleton racer was knocked out of the Olympics last week after he broke a bone in his back. The racer did, however, receive the Most Ironic Injury of the Year Award. With two free throws late in Saturday's win against Temple, Duke guard J.J.

SPORTS

Catch up with...

Get the lowdown on how the next men's hoops class fared recently. Isaiah Dahlman Shooting guard/small forward 6-foot-6, 175 pounds Braham Area High School (Braham, Minn.) Dahlman scored his 3,000 and 3,001st career point on a layup en route to a 35-point performance.

SPORTS

Doctor embodies Olympic spirit

He's the doctor who advised Michelle Kwan to withdraw from the Winter Olympics. And he got his start in medicine at MSU. Dr. James Moeller is one of the medical doctors working with American athletes in Turin through the U.S.

SPORTS

After U-M, Big Ten tourney next

As far as the No. 14 MSU women's basketball team is concerned, tonight's game against Michigan couldn't have come at a better time. The Spartans (20-8 overall, 10-5 Big Ten) are coming off their worst loss of the season, a 69-38 drubbing at the hands of No.

SPORTS

Spartans set sights on Big Ten Championships starting today

After a long weekend at the women's swimming Big Ten Championships, MSU head coach Matt Gianiodis was back at the pool Monday ready to begin helping the men prepare for the Big Ten Championships. The men's team went 4-3 this season, in addition to a fifth-place finish at the Ohio State Invitational.

ICE HOCKEY

Icers focus to stay in 2nd

Although No. 5 MSU clinched a first-round CCHA playoff bye and is a lock to finish no lower than fourth in the conference with last weekend's sweep, the Spartans know there are bigger goals to accomplish. Heading into its final two regular-season games against Lake Superior, the Spartans want to claim second place in the CCHA and ride out the season on a winning streak. "Everybody knows the significance of the games and the time of the year," MSU head coach Rick Comley said.

SPORTS

Coach brings new philosophy to dugout

By Alex Altman For the State News Led by a new head coach and a field of experienced players, the MSU baseball team will trust its "do things the right way" philosophy as it searches for its first Big Ten championship since 1979.