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Team

SPORTS

Spartans show offensive potential in wins

Matt Bishop
February 5, 2007

The MSU's women's basketball team might just be finding an offensive rhythm. The evidence: MSU has recorded two of its highest point totals of the season the last two games, and in Sunday's 80-70 win over Illinois, four Spartans scored in double figures, led by a season-high 22 points from sophomore guard Mia Johnson. Add to that a season-high 19 points from sophomore forward Aisha Jefferson and 14 from freshman center Allyssa DeHaan, and MSU could have the makings of a lethal inside-out combination. DeHaan, for the most part, had her way with the Fighting Illini, shooting 7-of-8 from the field with seven rebounds in a nice bounce-back game. "If (DeHaan's) really focused, you can expect some special things," MSU head coach Joanne P.

SPORTS

Monday musings

Tom Keller
February 5, 2007

Minnesota high school officials imposed an eight-day suspension of wrestling competitions and practices after 24 cases of herpes were reported by teams statewide.

SPORTS

Coleman wins gymnast honors

Cash Kruth
February 2, 2007

Senior gymnast Kristen Coleman was named Big Ten Gymnast of the Week. It's the first time she has received the award in her career. The honor came on the heels of posting a score of 39.525 in the all-around competition at the "Flip for a Cure" meet, which broke a 10-year-old school record. Coleman also garnered first-place performances on the uneven bars and balance beam, and finished tied for first with fellow Spartan Nicole Curler on the floor exercise.

ICE HOCKEY

Versatile Howells is key in Spartans' success

Zack Colman
February 1, 2007

Sometimes, just going with the flow can be a good thing. The no-questions-asked mentality of versatile senior Tyler Howells has made MSU head coach Rick Comley's job much easier. When the team was riddled with illness and injury, Comley tried a number of different line combinations. He tried senior forward Brandon Warner — with a career total of nine points — on the top line.

SPORTS

From the road

Women's hoops reporter Matt Bishop spent Thursday through Monday in State College, Pa., and Somerset, N.J., covering the women's basketball team's losses to Penn State and Rutgers.

SPORTS

MSU seeks revenge against Penn State

Matt Bishop
February 1, 2007

There could be some bad blood brewing between the MSU and Penn State women's basketball teams. When these two teams met at Penn State last Thursday, the Lady Lions upset the Spartans, 69-58 — but that's not all that has MSU upset. With the game in hand, less than five seconds left on the clock and the Spartans no longer defending, Penn State guard Brianne O'Rourke flew in from near half court to try to pad the score. O'Rourke missed the uncontested shot, but it was followed by Kamela Gissendanner as time expired for the make. "That's how they wanted to handle the end of the game," sophomore forward Aisha Jefferson said.

ICE HOCKEY

Comley weighs in on NHL

Eric Fish
January 31, 2007

According to television reports, last week's NHL All-Star game, which took place on a Wednesday night in an attempt to boost ratings, experienced a 76 percent drop in viewership compared with the 2004 game. The all-star game and skills competition from Dallas was televised nationally on Versus as opposed to 2004's All-Star game, which was shown on ABC on a Sunday afternoon.

BASKETBALL

MSU plays Illinois tonight

Tom Keller
January 30, 2007

Saturday's near-win at No. 5 Ohio State showed the MSU men's basketball team's tenacity, but tonight's game against Illinois might be a better indicator of the Spartans' resolve. Less than 72 hours removed from their extremely dramatic and taxing comeback against the Buckeyes, the Spartans (17-5 overall, 4-3 Big Ten) will need to find a way to rebound quickly against the struggling but dangerous Fighting Illini (15-8, 3-5), who are playing to resuscitate their fading postseason bid. "This is where you really make a statement, or you really grow up, or you really have a turning point," head coach Tom Izzo said Monday at his weekly press conference.

SPORTS

MSU wrestling downs U-M in Sunday meet

Eric Fish
January 30, 2007

The No. 23 MSU wrestling team defeated No. 17 Michigan Sunday at Jenison Field House to win the overall meet, 21-17, and claim its first dual win over U-M since 2003. Senior brothers Nick and Andy Simmons put the Spartans ahead early, 15-0, but five match wins by the Wolverines put the Maize and Blue back in the picture near the end. With the Spartans hanging on to a slim 18-17 lead, the final decision came down to a double-overtime final match when freshman Alan O'Donnell defeated U-M's Omar Maktabi, 2-1, to secure the victory. "That was the biggest win of my career," O'Donnell said in a written statement.

ICE HOCKEY

Spartans remain in conference hunt

Zack Colman
January 30, 2007

While the bye week was a restful one, the MSU hockey team did more moving than it would have liked. The Spartans, who have 25 points in the CCHA so far this year, dropped from third to fourth in the league standings during their idle weekend, while Michigan surpassed MSU with a pair of conference wins. "It doesn't really matter until all games have been played," MSU head coach Rick Comley said.

FOOTBALL

Stanton to represent MSU in skills contest

Eric Fish
January 30, 2007

Senior quarterback Drew Stanton has been selected to represent MSU today in the College Football All-Star Challenge in Miami. Stanton earned team MVP honors last season after tossing 17 touchdowns for 2,252 total yards.

SPORTS

Curler already making an impact

Colleen Maxwell
January 29, 2007

Nicole Curler's freshman year has been a balancing act. Literally. The 5-foot gymnast attends classes, practices and study tables. Not to mention she ranks sixth in the nation on the balance beam (9.850) as of Jan.

BASKETBALL

How to defend Oden

Tom Keller
January 29, 2007

Columbus, Ohio — Trying to stop Greg Oden is like playing a game of Russian roulette — you pick your poison and hope you live to tell about it. After Saturday's game, MSU junior center Drew Naymick had no problem reciting the catalog of moves the all-world Ohio State freshman uses on the low post — the head fake, the drop step, the off-arm hook — "it's legal," Naymick said — all performed with textbook precision. "That's what makes him a great player," Naymick said. Oden's expansive repertoire — not to mention his brute force — has opened him up for dozens of uncontested highlight-reel dunks already this season.

BASKETBALL

Scrappy comeback shows MSU is for real

Columbus, Ohio — They say close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. We really should consider expanding that saying to include the RPI. Because if MSU's oh-so-close 66-64 loss to No.