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Sports

BASKETBALL

Jenison hoops floor on sale, court hosted games in '80s

Patrick Walters
October 17, 2003

It's a safe bet that the MSU basketball teams of the 1980s never could have imagined the floor they were playing on would someday be in an MSU fan's bathroom. But that's exactly what has happened. The hardwood floor that is believed to have played home to MSU basketball teams anytime from 1982 to 1989 at Jenison Field House - the home of Spartans hoops before Breslin Center opened - is now on sale to the public at the MSU Surplus Store. The 4-by-8 pieces of hardwood floor are on sale during the store's regular public sale hours, from 7:30 a.m.

ICE HOCKEY

Icers gear up for Ohio State

Paul Day
October 17, 2003

MSU hockey head coach Rick Comley has yet to defeat Ohio State during his time in East Lansing. That's not saying much, because the Spartans coach is only entering his second season behind the bench for the green-and-white.

BASKETBALL

Hoopers open season with 'Magical Journey'

Patrick Walters
October 17, 2003

The MSU men's and women's basketball teams officially will open the season tonight at Breslin Center with a "Magical Journey." Fans will watch team introductions, intrasquad scrimmages after midnight, have autograph sessions with coaches and players and watch performances by the MSU cheerleading team, MSU Motion dance team and Sparty. Admission is free and doors open at 10:30 p.m.

SOCCER

Men's soccer faces Penn State on Sunday

Alessa Thomas
October 17, 2003

After last week's painful loss to Michigan, the men's soccer team is ready to bounce back. The Spartans (7-3-2 overall, 1-1-2 Big Ten) will have a chance to redeem their loss Sunday when they take on Penn State (6-5, 1-2) at 2:30 p.m., their last Big Ten conference home game. Overall, MSU has an average of 1.8 goals per game, while its opponents are averaging 1.2 goals.

FOOTBALL

Dukes: forgotten player

Jon Styf
October 16, 2003

After six relatively quiet games, he finally got his chance to make a big hit. And when the opportunity arose, Clifford Dukes left an imprint that Illinois quarterback Jon Beutjer won't soon forget, especially when he stands on the sidelines this weekend in Ann Arbor. The junior defensive end fought around the left end and hit Beutjer with enough power to make any spectator cringe. It was his fourth sack of the season, equal to his 2002 total, which led the team.

BASKETBALL

Junior trio shoots for national championship

Alan Anderson, Chris Hill and Kelvin Torbert were getting ready for their respective high school proms when MSU appeared in its last Final Four. The three junior players entered MSU in 2001, two seasons after Mateen Cleaves led the Spartans to the 2000 NCAA National Championship.

BASKETBALL

Brutal nonconference schedule will prepare team for postseason

Patrick Walters
October 15, 2003

A nonconference schedule as difficult as the MSU men's basketball team's this season is giving head coach Tom Izzo and his team two options - do or die.With an updated urgency surrounding the Spartans to win a championship this season - not just games, as Izzo put it - games against heavyweights Duke, Kentucky and Oklahoma within state lines and road trips to Kansas, UCLA and Syracuse are giving MSU a chance to make an early mark as a national title contender.But is it best to play top teams and risk burning out early, or prepare for the best and learn from tough defeats?

FOOTBALL

7-1 start would be best since '66

Jon Styf
October 14, 2003

Despite an early falter, this season's MSU football team has the opportunity to make history.With a win against Minnesota, this would be the best start for a Spartan team since they finished second in the polls in 1966.But with senior defensive end Greg Taplin questionable (sprained knee) for the game and junior defensive tackle Brandon McKinney out, the No.

SPORTS

Gridders get another commitment from Ohio

An online football recruiting database has reported that Garfield Heights (Ohio) High School running back/cornerback Tony Howard has orally committed to MSU.Howard, a 6-foot, 190-pound senior, reportedly told SpartanMag.com that he was committed to joining the Spartans' 2004 recruiting class.

SOCCER

'U' 2nd half not enough against U-M

By Bob Darrow Special for The State news The MSU men's soccer team has heard coach Joe Baum tell them that in order to win a game, they have to give 110-percent effort for the full 90 minutes. After Sunday's 4-2 loss to rival Michigan, the Spartans are likely wishing that half the amount of time would have been enough. The contest at Old College Field was a tale of two Spartan teams - one that was thoroughly dominated by Michigan in the first half, and the other that stormed out after halftime to score two quick goals and continue to threaten the Wolverines' lead for the duration of the game. For the first 46 minutes, the action belonged almost entirely to U-M.

FOOTBALL

The Great Green Hype

Urbana-Champaign, Ill. - On its return from pounding Illinois 49-14 Saturday, MSU left last season's disappointment in Urbana-Champaign, Ill., and leapfrogged Michigan in The Associated Press Top 25 poll. The No.