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Sports

BASKETBALL

Cruising Spartans look to Big Ten, NCAA tourneys

Chris Mackinder
March 10, 2003

Columbus, Ohio - Tired of riding the NCAA Tournament bubble, the Spartans knew a road win at Ohio State on Saturday would nearly solidify their postseason hopes. So they took care of business. They defeated the Buckeyes 72-58 at Value City Arena and now look ahead to the Big Ten Tournament - and beyond. "I do believe we deserve to be in the NCAA Tournament right now," MSU head coach Tom Izzo said, following the regular season-ending victory.

BASKETBALL

Senior re-emerging late in season

Patrick Walters
March 10, 2003

Columbus, Ohio - Senior forward Adam Ballinger is certainly picking a convenient time to heat up. After drudging through a season laden with shooting slumps and abandoned expectations, he has come alive for MSU the past two contests.

ICE HOCKEY

Spartans seize 4th seed with sweep

James Jahnke
March 10, 2003

The Nanooks are coming to town.After sweeping Western Michigan this weekend to close out the regular season, the MSU hockey team earned a first-round CCHA Tournament matchup with ninth-place Alaska-Fairbanks starting Friday at Munn Ice Arena.It's been quite a turnaround for the Spartans (21-13-2 overall, 17-10-1 CCHA), who bottomed out at 10th place in the league in early January.

SPORTS

March Madness has 2 meanings

Forget Enron, WorldCom and Washington, D.C. The real crooks are in college basketball. From NCAA suspensions, violations and infractions to Sunday's Duke-North Carolina late-game fracas, the Division I-A ranks of men's hoops are sporting an ugly black eye of corruption this year.

SPORTS

Tourney hopes hinging

Andrew Fifer
March 10, 2003

Indianapolis - Through 27 games this season, the MSU women's basketball team was only familiar with the winning end of blowouts. But Ohio State introduced the Spartans (17-11) to the losing end with a 71-55 thumping Friday in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. After MSU head coach Joanne P.

ICE HOCKEY

Spartans blank Broncos, 4-0

James Jahnke
March 8, 2003

Kalamazoo - The MSU hockey team is 2-for-2 in terms of spoiling opponents' senior nights this season.A week after the Spartans pounded Michigan 4-0 on its senior night, MSU sophomore goaltender Matt Migliaccio shut out Western Michigan by the same score in the Broncos' last game of the season at Lawson Arena.The Spartans (20-13-2 overall, 16-10-1 CCHA) used three first period goals to dispose of the Broncos (15-18-2, 13-13-1) on Friday.

ICE HOCKEY

Slater's hat trick leads hockey team to victory on Senior Night

James Jahnke
March 8, 2003

The MSU hockey team's seven departing players played well on Senior Night, but a pair of sophomores upstaged all of them in the Spartans' regular-season finale. Second-year center Jim Slater, who has been battling a shoulder injury, scored a goal in each period for his first career hat trick Saturday night at Munn Ice Arena.

BASKETBALL

Men's basketball tops Buckeyes, 72-58

Chris Mackinder
March 8, 2003

Columbus, Ohio - The Buckeyes turned into just another victim for the Spartans on Saturday afternoon. MSU dominated Ohio State for most of the game, and despite some defensive lapses, picked up the 72-58 victory at Value City Arena.

ICE HOCKEY

Hockey team looks for needed strong finish

James Jahnke
March 6, 2003

Two things are on the Spartans' minds as they wrap up their regular season against Western Michigan this weekend - to get on a roll heading into the playoffs and to honor their seven departing teammates.MSU (19-13-2 overall, 15-10-1 CCHA) and the Broncos (15-17-2, 13-12-1) play Friday at Lawson Arena in Kalamazoo and Saturday at Munn Ice Arena.

BASKETBALL

Ballinger leads seniors to victory

Patrick Walters
March 5, 2003

He had saved his best game for last, was mobbed by his teammates for the second time this season and kissed the green and white "S" at midcourt for good measure. On a senior night that saw four MSU seniors bid the regular-season hardwood at Breslin Center goodbye, senior forward Adam Ballinger shrugged off the criticism of a lackluster season and led the Spartans to a masterful 82-54 win over Iowa on Wednesday. Ballinger, who set career highs in points (22) and field goals (9, including 4-for-5 from 3-point range), set the tone for MSU's (17-11 overall, 8-6 Big Ten) game-winning 16-0 run to open the game. Ballinger and the Spartans never looked back. "The guys did a good job of getting me going," Ballinger said after the game, "Things just flowed.

BASKETBALL

Wolfe will end career after this season

Patrick Walters
March 3, 2003

On the third day of the third month in the third year of this century, No. 3 on the MSU men's basketball team announced this season, his third playing, would be his last. Junior forward Adam Wolfe announced Monday he is "99 percent" sure he will forego his final season of eligibility and leave the team following the completion of this season. Though Wolfe made the announcement abruptly, the decision is not entirely shocking.

ICE HOCKEY

Hockey team falls to U-M at the Joe, Berenson wins No. 500

James Jahnke
March 2, 2003

Detroit - When the MSU hockey team smacked No. 8 Michigan 4-0 on Friday night, almost every bounce of the puck went its way. But the Spartans'puck luck ran out in Saturday's rematch at Joe Louis Arena. U-M head coach Red Berenson notched his 500th career win with a 5-4 victory infront of 20,058 fans. "You know me, it's not a big thing until it's all over," Berenson said of his milestone mark.

BASKETBALL

Bracket pools, NCAA tourney make March

Tomorrow is the first day of March, which means the madness of college basketball is almost upon us. During a three-week span (perfect for hoops junkies), reputations are built, hearts are broken and legends are made. This is by far the greatest sporting event of them all.

ICE HOCKEY

Another cold battle

James Jahnke
February 28, 2003

Here we go again. Just two weeks after archrivals MSU and No. 8 Michigan split a hard-fought, home-and-home hockey series, they'll bump heads two more times this weekend - tonight in Ann Arbor and Saturday in Detroit.

SPORTS

Mason: War statements not likely to be accepted

Kristofer Karol
February 28, 2003

It would probably be in the best interest of Spartan athletes to continue facing the U.S. flag during the national anthem, MSU Athletics Director Ron Mason said. His caveat comes after spectators and media have paid increased attention to the unusual action of a women's basketball player at New York's Manhattanville College.

SPORTS

Sports briefs

Dagenais promoted to associate head coach MSU volleyball assistant coach Todd Dagenais was promoted to associate head coach Thursday by head coach Chuck Erbe. Dagenais, who spent 1997 working as a volunteer assistant and 1999-2002 as an assistant coach, has completed five seasons of service to the Spartan team.