Big Ten Network : Michigan State Top Stories

Morgan helps Michigan State claim share of crown

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 15:22:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Tom Izzo had just become the sixth coach in Big Ten history with at least six conference championships, and he didn't even realize it. "Really? That's the one thing I don't keep track of," Izzo said after No. 12 Michigan State beat Michigan 64-48 Sunday to finish the regular season in a three-way tie. "I keep track of national championships, and I want more of those." If Raymar Morgan can maintain his momentum, the Spartans will have a shot to give Izzo his second national title and the school its third. Morgan scored 13 of his season-high 22 points in the first half, helping Michigan State build an 18-point lead that it used to cruise to an easy victory against its overmatched rival. The senior forward -- whose career has been marked by inconsistency -- averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds over the last four games. "If he plays like he's been playing lately, the sky is the limit for us and we can get back to the Final Four," teammate Kalin Lucas said. Michigan State has advanced to the Final Four a nation-best five times in the previous 11 NCAA tournaments. The Spartans (24-7, 14-4 Big Ten) shared the conference championship with Ohio State and Purdue, winning their second straight title and sixth since Izzo was promoted to replace Jud Heathcote for the 1994-95 season. They will be the third-seeded team at this week's Big Ten tournament behind the top-seeded Buckeyes and Boilermakers. "I can enjoy this one right now because it was the toughest of the six to get," Izzo said shortly after the school's 12th Big Ten championship banner was hoisted to the Breslin Center's rafters. "We were picked to win it, which makes it hard, then we had to overcome some setbacks along the way." The Wolverines' season has been full of setbacks since being ranked No. 15 in The Associated Press preseason poll, and the lowlight might've been getting routed at Michigan State after a 28-point win over Minnesota. "It was really disappointing and frustrating, but never discouraging," Michigan coach John Beilein said. "It was over real early." Michigan failed to live up to high expectations, slumping to a .500 record after six games and following up a win over then-No. 15 Connecticut two months ago by going 4-9. The Wolverines (14-16, 7-11) will have to make a stunning appearance in the Big Ten tournament final to avoid a losing record and would have to win that postseason title to earn a second consecutive bid to the NCAA tournament. They will be seeded eighth and matched up with ninth-seeded Iowa on Thursday. "It's a different season now," DeShawn Sims said. "We have nothing to lose." That's one way to look at it. Michigan might not even earn a spot in the NIT and might be relegated to the College Basketball Invitational or CollegeInsider.com Tournament. Beilein looked as upset as he's been in three seasons on Sunday, but he refused to sound defeated. "We have a plan and we're working on it," Beilein said. "I'm very confident in the plan." Michigan's Manny Harris and Sims made only one shot each in the first half as their team matched a Big Ten-low with 14 points, outscoring Morgan by only a point. Harris missed nine of 10 shots, finishing with four points, and Sims scored just nine. "This is definitely one of the best places to play," Sims said of the Breslin Center, where the Spartans have won 18 of 21 against their rival. "They definitely put on a show." Harris has said he plans to return for his senior season, but declined to say if he just played his last regular-season game for Michigan. "I'm not thinking about that right now," he said. "I'm going to the Big Ten tournament to try to win the whole thing. Then, I'll think about the future." It took a look at the Big Ten's past to figure out who's in Izzo's company. He became the first coach to win at least six conference titles in his first 15 seasons since Bob Knight won seven during the same span at Indiana. Knight finished with 11 championships with the Hoosiers from 1971-2000, matching the Big Ten record set by Purdue's Ward "Piggy" Lambert. The other coaches with at least six Big Ten titles are Minnesota's Walter Meanwell, Ohio State's Fred Taylor and Purdue's Gene Keady. If Izzo gets his wish of a national title, he and the program will be in elite company. Izzo would trail just John Wooden, Adolph Rupp, Bobby Knight and Mike Krzyzewski on the list of coaches with multiple titles, and Michigan State would join UCLA, Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina, Duke and Kansas are the only programs with at least three championships. "Right now we're better than I give us credit for," Izzo said. "But not as good as I think we can be."

Spartans hold off Samford

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 22:30:00 +0000

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Michigan State freshman starter Andrew Waszak went five innings, struck out three and gave up six hits en route to picking up his first collegiate victory as the Spartans defeated Samford, 7-4, on Tuesday night in Birmingham, Ala. Reliever Kurtis Frymier came on with one out in the ninth and retired all three batters he faced to earn his second save of the year as MSU improved to 7-4. Samford is now 7-5. "It was a good first win for Andrew - we are certainly happy for him," said MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. With the Bulldogs leading, 1-0, Samford starter Arthur Strauss issued consecutive walks to Bo Felt and Andrew Carpenter to start the second inning, and the Spartans took advantage. After a single by Chris Roberts packed the bases, Ryan Jones came through with a bases-clearing triple to center field. Eli Boike made it 4-1 in favor of the Spartans later in the inning with a one-out single that scored Jones. The Spartans chased Strauss in third inning and added to their lead with an RBI-single by Felt. With MSU leading, 5-1, in the bottom of the third, the Bulldogs began to peck away at the deficit as they got run-scoring single with two outs. The Bulldogs made it a one-run game, at 5-4, in the fourth inning with another two-out hit. This time it was a two-RBI double to right field by Stephen Ballard. Bulldog reliever Grant Sides walked two Spartans and hit Seth Williams to again load the bases for MSU in the top of the sixth. Another walk by Sides, this time to Brandon Eckerle, brought in another Spartan run and made it a 6-4 game. A run-scoring single by Felt in the top of the ninth frame provided insurance, and Frymier's work in the bottom of the ninth, made it the final run of the game. "Bo's RBI in the ninth was big for us; he played very well tonight," Boss said. "Ryan's triple early in the game really gave us some important momentum as well." The Spartans had three players collect multiple hits Tuesday night as Felt, Roberts and Jones at had at least two hits.

Michigan State suspends G Allen indefinitely

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 22:04:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Chris Allen has been indefinitely suspended from the Michigan State basketball team and will miss at least the team's Big Ten tournament opener. Coach Tom Izzo told reporters Tuesday the guard was suspended for not meeting responsibilities to his teammates. Allen usually starts and is the fifth-leading scorer for the No. 11 Spartans, averaging 9.1 points per game. Michigan State (24-7) opens Big Ten tournament play on Friday in Indianapolis against the winner of Thursday's Minnesota-Penn State game. Allen's status for possible later Big Ten tournament games hasn't been decided.

Spartans can't hold off Seminoles

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 16:16:00 +0000

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Florida State captured a 7-0 blowout victory over Michigan State (7-12) without scoring more than two runs in any inning. Instead the Seminoles (23-2) scored in five different innings on their way to the win. The Seminoles scored two runs in the first, one run in the third, one run in the fourth, two runs in the sixth and one run in the seventh to get the win. In all of that the first was the big inning for Florida State. In the inning, Lauren Kramer gave up one run on a Shayla Jackson single. Later that inning, run came in when Robin Ahrberg flew out. Sarah Hamilton kept the Spartans off the board during her six innings of work. She struck out eight and allowed one walk and three hits. Carly Wynn had a good game at the plate for the Seminoles. She went 2-4, scored two runs and drove in one run. Wynn doubled in the fourth inning and singled in the sixth inning. Kramer took the loss for Michigan State. She went 6 2/3 innings, gave up five walks, struck out one, and allowed seven runs. Michigan State's next game is on Friday, March 12 against Florida International in Miami, Fla. in the Golden Panther Invite. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Confer bests Sullivan to lead Spartans past Huskies

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 16:14:00 +0000

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Neither Kelly Confer nor Tricia Sullivan could grab the upper hand for seven innings, but eventually Confer and Michigan State captured the 4-1 victory over Sullivan and Connecticut (2-7) at FAU Softball Stadium in the FAU Milken Classic on Tuesday. Sullivan was a workhorse in the circle for Connecticut. She pitched seven innings and allowed three earned runs, seven hits and one walk while striking out two. Connecticut was unable to make good contact against Confer. The Huskies managed two hits off of the senior pitcher. Confer allowed one earned run, one walk and struck out four during her seven innings of work. Lauren Kramer had a good game at the plate for the Spartans (7-11). She went 1-2, scored one run and drove in one run. Kramer homered in the sixth inning. Michigan State scored in three innings to claim the victory. The Spartans scored two runs in the third, one run in the fifth and one run in the sixth. In the third inning, Sullivan gave up one run on a Jayme O'Bryant single. Later that inning, run came in when Ali Grant singled. Then in the fifth inning, Sullivan gave up one run on a O'Bryant fly out. Connecticut took the lead in the second inning. The game was tied when Jessica Arremony came to the plate against Confer with one out and a runner on second. She doubled scoring Kathleen Brenneman from second. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Spartans' bats go quiet in loss

Mon, 8 Mar 2010 19:11:00 +0000

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Monday was a great day for Florida Atlantic's Kathryn Stauffer. She lifted the Florida Atlantic Owls to a 1-0 victory over the Michigan State Spartans (4-11) at FAU Softball Stadium in the FAU Milken Classic. Stauffer held Michigan State scoreless for seven innings. She allowed two hits, one walk and struck out seven. Stauffer was able to lead Florida Atlantic (11-9) to the win despite the Owls scoring just one run. Kirstin Austin had a good game at the plate for the Owls. She went 1-3, scored no runs and drove in one run. Austin singled in the third inning driving in the Owls' lone run. Kelly Confer took the loss for Michigan State. She went six innings, gave up one walk, struck out three, and allowed one run. The Spartans best chance to score was in the second inning. After Jessica Bracamonte singled, the Spartans were trailing by one when Jayme O'Bryant came to the plate against Stauffer with two outs and a runner on first, but she grounded out. The loss snapped Michigan State's three-game wining streak. It was Michigan State's first loss since March 6 against Florida State. Michigan State's next game is on Tuesday, March 9 against Connecticut in Boca Raton, Fla. in the FAU Milken Classic. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Michigan St. tops SE Missouri, falls to Miss. St.

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 23:02:00 +0000

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Tony Bucciferro picked up his first-career complete-game victory and pitched Michigan State to a 9-0 win over Southeast Missouri on Sunday in game one of a doubleheader. In game two, the Spartans fell to Mississippi State, 14-6, giving Michigan State a 2-2 record in the BankFirst Classic. Michigan State is now 6-4 on the season. "Tony was outstanding today," said MSU head coach Jake Boss. "He threw strikes, got ahead in the count and put guys away. Any time Southeast Missouri did threaten, he was very effective. He kept his pitch count low which allowed him to stay in the game." In game one, Bucciferro threw his best game of the season as he scattered nine hits over nine innings and struck out seven. He faced just three over the minimum through five before getting in a jam in the sixth. With the bases loaded though, Bucciferro was able to fan Blake Slattery to end the threat. It was the first complete-game shutout by a Spartan pitcher since Nolan Moody's no-hitter against Northwestern last season. The Spartan offense gave Bucciferro plenty of run support as they scored solo runs in the first, second and third innings. MSU added three more runs in the third with the help of consecutive run-scoring doubles by Chris Roberts and Torsten Boss to make it 6-0. MSU tacked on three more runs in the eighth, keyed by a two-run single from Bo Felt. Boss and center fielder Brandon Eckerle each finished game one 3-for-5 at the plate. The Spartans carried their momentum into game two with three first-inning runs as Jonathan Roof and Felt each picked up RBIs. The Bulldogs got one run back in the bottom of the first inning and then went on to score a total of seven over the next two innings and never looked back, scoring six more times over the course of the game for a 14-6 win. Kyle Corcoran, who started game two for the Green and White, was tagged with the loss. Spartan third baseman Andrew Carpenter recorded a hit in each game on Sunday and his team-high hitting streak now stands at seven games. "We swung the bat well in the first game today and started well in the second game, but got ourselves a bit too worked up," said Boss. "We'll learn and grow from this. The Spartans will take Monday off before returning to action on their spring trip on Tuesday when they take on Samford in Birmingham, Ala., at 7 p.m.

Late runs help Spartans rout Redhawks

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 17:28:00 +0000

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- The Michigan State Spartans finished off their 8-0 win over the Miami University Redhawks (5-6) in emphatic fashion on Sunday. The Spartans (6-10) scored four runs in the sixth inning. In the inning, Jessica Simpson gave up three runs on a Jessica Bracamonte triple. Later that inning, a run came in when Jayme O'Bryant grounded out. Lauren Kramer kept the Redhawks off the board during her six innings of work to pick up the win. She allowed four hits, no walks and struck out three. Simpson took the loss for Miami. She went four innings, gave up one walk, struck out none, and allowed four runs. The Redhawks best chance to score was in the second inning. After Sarah Billstrom singled and Jenna Mcgivney reached on a throwing error by shortstop Lindsey Hansen, the game was tied when Shannon Tillett came to the plate against Kramer with one out and runners on first and third, but she lined into double play. Melanie Bensema and O'Bryant helped lead the Spartans. They combined for two hits, four RBIs and two runs scored. Michigan State's next game is on Monday, March 8 against Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton, Fla. in the FAU Milken Classic. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Confer, Michigan State shut out Florida A&M

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 15:48:00 +0000

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- For seven innings, Kelly Confer and Amanda Reyes engaged in a tight pitchers' duel. In the end, it was Confer and Michigan State which managed to survive and emerge victorious. The Spartans mustered three hits and, thanks to Confer's stellar pitching, defeated the Rattlers 2-0 at FAU Stadium in the FAU Milken Classic on Sunday. Seven strikeouts helped Reyes move through the Spartans (5-10) lineup. She allowed one earned run on three hits and one walk over seven innings. Part of the reason Reyes pitched so well was her solid pitching with two outs. She allowed no hits in seven at bats. Confer kept the Rattlers (7-8) off the board during her seven innings of work. She allowed eight hits, no walks and struck out five. Jayme O'Bryant helped the Spartans take the lead for good in the seventh inning. After Jessica Bracamonte singled the game was tied when O'Bryant came to the plate against Reyes with one out and runners on second and third. She reached on a throwing error by shortstop Erika Garcia scoring Bracamonte from second and Lori Padilla from third, which gave the Spartans the lead for good. The Rattlers best chance to score was in the sixth inning. After Ash Shepherd reached on a throwing error by catcher Brett Williams the game was tied when Garcia came to the plate against Confer with two outs and a runner on second, but she flew out. Michigan State's next game is on Monday, March 8 against Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton, Fla. in the FAU Milken Classic. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Early deficit dooms Michigan State in 7-4 defeat

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 17:34:00 +0000

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The Mississippi State Bulldogs jumped on the Michigan State Spartans early on their way to a 7-4 victory on Saturday at Dudy Noble Field. The Bulldogs (6-3) scored three runs in the first inning. In the first, Kurt Wunderlich gave up one run on a Connor Powers groundout. Later that inning, runs came in when Jaron Shepherd and Jet Butler hit doubles. Chris Roberts drove in two Spartans (5-3) runners. He went 2-4 at the plate. Roberts homered in the second inning scoring Andrew Carpenter. Reliever Kendall Graveman earned the victory for Mississippi State. He allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings. The freshman pitcher struck out one, gave up two walks and surrendered five hits. Michigan State was unable to make good contact against Ben Bracewell. The Spartans managed no hits off of the freshman pitcher. Bracewell allowed no earned runs, no walks and struck out three during his one inning of work. Wunderlich took the loss for Michigan State. He went seven innings, gave up two walks, struck out five, and allowed five runs. Powers and Shepherd helped lead the Bulldogs. They combined for two hits, three runs batted in and four visits to home plate. Michigan State's next game is on Sunday, March 7 at Southeast Missouri State. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Kramer helps Michigan State beat E. Michigan

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 15:06:00 +0000

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- It wasn't her best effort, but Lauren Kramer was the key in the Michigan State Spartans's 3-0 victory over the Eastern Michigan Eagles (5-6) on Saturday at FAU Stadium in the FAU Milken Classic. Kramer kept the Eagles off the board during her seven innings of work. She struck out seven and allowed one walk and four hits. Lindsey Hansen drove in three Spartans (4-10) runners. She went 2-3 at the plate. Hansen doubled in the second inning scoring Kylene Hopkins, Heidi Purtzer and Jessica Bracamonte. Jamie Melchert took the loss for Eastern Michigan. She went six innings, gave up two walks, struck out three, and allowed three runs. The Eagles best chance to score was in the second inning. The game was tied when Nellie Coquillard came to the plate against Kramer with two outs and a runner on second, but she struck out. With the victory Michigan State snapped an eight game losing streak. The victory was the first for Michigan State since Feb. 19 against Wright State. Michigan State's next game is on Sunday, March 7 against Florida A&m in Boca Raton, Fla. in the FAU Milken Classic. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Florida State silences Michigan State, 3-1

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 15:03:00 +0000

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- An exceptional effort by Sarah Hamilton lifted the Florida State Seminoles to a 3-1 win over the Michigan State Spartans (3-10) on Saturday at FAU Stadium in the FAU Milken Classic. Fourteen strikeouts helped Hamilton get the win for Florida State (19-2). She allowed one earned run on two hits and one walk over seven innings. A key to Hamilton's strong performance was her solid pitching with runners on base. She allowed no hits in three at bats. Hamilton lost her no-hit bid in the seventh inning on a home run by Lindsey Hansen. The Seminoles held off the Spartans. Michigan State was unable to overcome a three-run fifth inning deficit. Florida State scored in two innings to claim the victory. The Seminoles scored two runs in the first and one run in the fourth. In the first, Kelly Confer gave up two runs on a Tory Haddad double. In the fourth, Confer gave up one run on a Tiffani Brown single. Confer took the loss for Michigan State. She went six innings, gave up three walks, struck out one, and allowed three runs. Michigan State is going through a rough part of the season. The Spartans have now lost eight games in a row. The Spartans last won on Feb. 19 against Wright State. Michigan State's next game is on Sunday, March 7 against Florida A&m in Boca Raton, Fla. in the FAU Milken Classic. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Iowa upsets Michigan State, advances to title game

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 18:19:00 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS -- Kachine Alexander had 14 points and 10 rebounds, helping Iowa beat Michigan State (No. 23 ESPN/USA Today, No. 25 AP) 59-54 in the Big Ten tournament semifinals on Saturday. Kamille Wahlin added 13 points, and Jaime Printy and Trisha Nesbitt each scored 10 for the third-seeded Hawkeyes (19-12), who advanced to play No. 10 Ohio State or Wisconsin in Sunday's championship game. Iowa last reached the tournament final nine years ago and won titles in 1997 and 2001. Aisha Jefferson had 23 points for No. 2 seed Michigan State (22-9), which had its seven-game winning streak snapped. The Spartans were seeking their first finals berth since winning the tournament in 2005. Iowa, which trailed 26-25 at halftime, opened a five-point lead twice in the second half, but the Hawkeyes failed to capitalize on numerous opportunities to open a bigger advantage. Iowa went scoreless for more than four minutes after taking a 42-37 lead midway through the half, allowing Michigan State to reel off seven straight points for a 44-42 edge. The teams traded the lead over the next few minutes before the Hawkeyes took control for good. With the score tied at 52, Wahlin came off a screen and nailed a wide-open 3-pointer with 1 minute remaining. Kalisha Keane missed a 3 on the Spartans' ensuing possession, and Alexander hit a pair of free throws after missing a shot and chasing down her own rebound. Michigan State cut it to 57-54 on Lykendra Johnson's layup with 12 seconds left, but Alexander hit two more free throws to seal the victory. In a sloppy first half, which saw each team commit 14 turnovers, Iowa led by as many as seven points and the Spartans' biggest lead was two. The Hawkeyes opened a 17-11 advantage on Nesbitt's 3-pointer with 8 minutes left, but Michigan State scored the next seven points to take its first lead since 3-2. Keane's jumper gave the Spartans a one-point halftime edge. Michigan State center Allyssa DeHaan, who didn't play in the second half of the team's quarterfinal win over Michigan due to back spasms, came off the bench and finished with two points, two rebounds and one block. The 6-foot-9 senior and reigning conference Defensive Player of the Year is the NCAA Division I career leader in blocks.

Felt saves Spartans with 1 out left

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 16:53:00 +0000

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The Southeast Missouri State Redhawks had the Michigan State Spartans down to their final out, but Bo Felt came through with a fly out to drive home the winning run in Michigan State's 8-7 victory in 11 innings on Friday at Dudy Noble Field. After Brandon Eckerle singled, Jonathan Roof walked and Jeff Holm singled, the game was tied when Felt came to the plate against Michael Adamson with one out and the bases loaded. He flew out scoring Eckerle from third, which gave the Spartans the lead for good. Michigan State (5-2) and Southeast Missouri State (4-4) played 11 innings. The two teams combined to have four pitchers pitch in the game. Southeast Missouri State gave themselves a chance to bring it home in the tenth when Blake Slattery brought in a run on a sacrifice fly. Michigan State then answered in the bottom of the inning, tieing the ballgame on a groundout from Carpenter, scoring Holm. Kurtis Frymier got the victory in relief for Michigan State. The senior pitcher pitched four innings and allowed two runs. Adamson took the loss for Southeast Missouri State. He went 3 1/3 innings, gave up three walks, struck out none, and allowed two runs. Michigan State's next game is on Saturday, March 6 at Mississippi St. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Spartans advance to Saturday's semifinals

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 12:10:00 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -Kalisha Keane scored 11 points to help No. 25 Michigan State beat Michigan 61-50 Friday in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals. Lykendra Johnson, Aisha Jefferson and Jasmine Thomas added 10 points apiece for the Spartans (22-8), who advanced to play the Iowa-Penn State winner. Michigan State's center, 6-foot-9 Allyssa DeHaan, injured her back in the first half and did not return. That didn't stop the Spartans from winning their seventh straight game and their seventh straight in the series. Michigan State won all three meetings this season. DeHaan played just eight minutes, and finished with two points, two rebounds and two blocks. Michigan State still outrebounded Michigan 41-29. Krista Phillips led Michigan (17-13) with 12 points, and Carmen Reynolds added 10 for the Wolverines, who had won two straight. Michigan State shot 50 percent in the second half while holding Michigan to 25 percent shooting. Michigan State took a seven-point lead in the early minutes of the second half, but the 6-foot-6 Phillips took advantage of DeHaan's absence by scoring four straight points to pull Michigan to within 36-33. Michigan State responded with a 10-4 run, and a jumper by Jefferson gave the Spartans a 46-37 edge with 10:24 to play. Michigan State led by at least five points the rest of the way. Michigan ran out to a 10-3 lead before the Spartans rallied. Jefferson got a friendly bounce on a 3-pointer to tie the score at 16 with 8:10 left in the first half. The Spartans finally took a 25-23 lead on a layup by Brittney Thomas. Jasmine Thomas drained a jumper with 7 seconds left in the first half to give Michigan State a 32-29 lead at the break. Michigan State didn't shoot much better than Michigan, but the Spartans scored 14 second-chance points on 17 offensive rebounds.

No. 11 Michigan State squeaks by Penn State

TIM MARTIN — Thu, 4 Mar 2010 20:36:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State still has a shot at sharing the Big Ten title. Barely. The Spartans (No. 12 ESPN/USA Today, No. 11 AP) survived an upset scare from Penn State on Thursday night, pulling out a 67-65 victory in front of a nervous crowd at Breslin Center. The Spartans let a 10-point, second-half lead slip away before holding off the Nittany Lions. "Somehow, thanks to a couple of guys, we found a way to win the game," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "But I'm not happy with the way we played." Raymar Morgan, who finished with 16 points, hit two free throws with 12 seconds left to give Michigan State (23-7, 13-4) a 66-62 lead. Chris Babb hit a 3-pointer for Penn State (11-18, 3-14) to cut the lead to 66-65. Michigan State's Kalin Lucas made one of two foul shots for a 67-65 lead with 5 seconds remaining. Penn State's Talor Battle couldn't get a shot off before the buzzer. The loss, in many ways, summed up the season for the Nittany Lions. "It's been a very tough year for us, and this is kind of how the games have gone, what you saw this evening," Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. "But our kids have fought and played hard and continued to execute." Battle and Babb led Penn State with 16 points each. Michigan State can earn a share of the Big Ten title for the second consecutive season with a victory against Michigan on Sunday. Ohio State (No. 7 ESPN/USA Today, No. 6 AP) already has clinched a share of the championship, and Purdue (No. 6 ESPN/USA Today, No. 7 AP) can share it with a victory over Penn State on Saturday. Penn State refused to fold despite trailing by 10 points midway through the second half. The Nittany Lions took a 62-60 lead with 2:32 remaining on two free throws by Babb. "We just let that 10-point lead dissolve in a matter of ... it seemed like seconds," Izzo said. "Maybe it was minutes." A dunk by Michigan State's Draymond Green, who finished with 14 points and nine rebounds on his 20th birthday, tied the game at 62. Morgan hit two free throws with 1:24 left to give Michigan State a 64-62 lead. David Jackson missed a 3-pointer that could have given Penn State the lead with 52 seconds remaining. "We score on that play and it's a different game," DeChellis said. A mad scramble and a Penn State foul put Morgan back on the line to secure the victory. "It's that time of year when you have to step up," Morgan said. "But they [Penn State] wouldn't quit. They made some big shots." Michigan State had lost its previous two home games to Purdue and Ohio State, in large part because of sluggish starts. The Spartans avoided a rare three-game skid at home. Entering Thursday's game, Penn State had won three of its last four Big Ten games after losing 12 straight to start the conference season. The Nittany Lions have improved with Battle helping to get other players involved in the scoring. Depth was a huge advantage for Michigan State with the Spartans' bench outscoring Penn State's 26-1. Michigan State outrebounded Penn State 39-26.

Spartans snap Boilermakers' streak

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 15:16:00 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- One game into Purdue's season without Robbie Hummel, things already have changed significantly for the worst. The junior forward tore the ACL in his right knee earlier in the week and will miss the rest of the season. Without its No. 2 scorer and rebounder, third-ranked Purdue produced its lowest point total of the season in a 53-44 loss to No. 14 Michigan State on Sunday. The loss snapped the Boilermakers' 10-game winning streak, and came while their other two stars -- E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson -- combined to go 7 for 27 from the field. "It's no secret we go through three guys," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "A lot of games this year, two of those three guys would score well offensively and allow that other guy to have an off night. Now it's a little bit different. Now you have that traditional one-two punch and both of those guys have to be productive in the scoring column." Opportunity knocked for Purdue (24-4, 12-4 Big Ten) a day after No. 1 Kansas lost to Oklahoma State and No. 2 Kentucky lost to Tennessee. Now, the Boilermakers' shot at a No. 1 ranking is gone, their chance at a top seed in the NCAA tournament took a hit, and they fell a half game behind Ohio State in the conference race. "As soon as Rob went down, our backs went up against the wall," Purdue guard Chris Kramer said. "We can't expect him to be there anymore. We still control our own destiny. Everything we did wrong is fixable." Raymar Morgan had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Draymond Green added 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Spartans (22-7, 12-4), who avenged a 76-64 loss to the Boilermakers on Feb. 9 in East Lansing, Mich. The win brought Michigan State even with Purdue in the Big Ten standings, a half game behind the Buckeyes for the conference lead. Coach Tom Izzo refused to make too big a deal about it, instead focusing on the Spartans' 23 turnovers and 40 percent shooting. "We're going to enjoy it until we get home on the plane," Izzo said. "And then we've got to figure out that we've got some work to do here. Michigan State's got to get better, still, too. "We're going to start working immediately on that and make sure we don't think we conquered the world because we won a game on the road against a really good team." Both coaches acknowledged that Purdue missed Hummel, but Painter said one player couldn't account for Michigan State's 46-20 rebounding edge. "I think Michigan State overpowered us a lot of times on the glass," Painter said. "I don't think that has to do with one position or one slot." Moore scored 12 points, and Johnson and Kramer added 11 for Purdue. The Boilermakers shot poorly early, but stayed in the game at the free-throw line. Michigan State led 22-16 before Purdue temporarily found its offensive rhythm. A steal and dunk by Kramer cut Michigan State's lead to 22-21, and a 3-pointer by Keaton Grant tied the score at 24 with 3:45 left in the first half. Michigan State's Derrick Nix was called for a technical foul after he missed a dunk, then caught the ball while still hanging on the rim and dunked it in with his right hand. Moore made the technical free throws to give Purdue a 26-24 lead. The Boilermakers led 28-26 at halftime, despite shooting 32 percent and getting a combined 2-for-13 shooting effort from Moore and Johnson. Michigan State held Purdue to one basket during a 16-6 run that gave the Spartans a 42-34 lead with 11 minutes left. Purdue had a chance to creep back into the game in the final minutes, but couldn't get a rebound. Green posted up against Kramer, missed, but tipped the ball twice before finally scoring to make it 50-44 with 1:20 to play. Moore missed a 3-pointer, then Lucas found Morgan for a lob near the basket. Morgan made the layup, was fouled and converted the 3-point play to put the game out of reach. Purdue now will focus on playing rival Indiana on Wednesday. The Boilermakers will close at Penn State on Saturday. Two wins would give Purdue at least a share of the conference title. Izzo said Purdue is still a very good team, but clearly different without Hummel. "Late in the game, when they need a basket, that's Hummel time," Izzo said. "And in fairness, he wasn't there."

Michigan State drills West Virginia, 17-5

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 20:18:00 +0000

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Michigan State jumped out to an early lead on West Virginia in capturing a 17-5 victory on Sunday at Progress Energy Park in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge. The Spartans (4-2) put the game away with 12 runs in the first three innings. In the first inning, Chase Pickering gave up one run on a Jonathan Roof single. Later that inning, one more run came in on Jeff Holm's fly out, one run scored on Bo Felt's single and two runs scored on Torsten Boss's single. Then in the third inning, Pickering gave up one run on a John Martinez single. Later that inning, one more run came in on Eli Boike's single, one run scored on Brandon Eckerle's single, one run scored on Felt's walk, one run scored when Ryan Jones hit into a fielder's choice and one run scored on Andrew Carpenter's single. The Mountaineers (1-5) weren't able to score a run off of Kurt Wunderlich during his seven innings on the mound. He struck out six and allowed one walk and four hits. Pickering took the loss for West Virginia. He went three innings, gave up two walks, struck out three, and allowed 12 runs. The Spartans pummeled Mountaineers pitching as five hitters combined for 15 hits, 10 runs batted in and 10 visits to home plate to help lead Michigan State to victory. The Mountaineers tried to get back into the game with an explosive eighth. They scored five runs. In the inning, reliever Kyle Corcoran gave up one run on a Michael Knight single. Later that inning, Jedd Gyorko came home on a wild pitch, one run scored on Kevin Griffin's single and two runs scored on Justin McDavid's triple. Michigan State's next game is on Friday, March 5 at Southeast Missouri St. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Cal State Northridge breezes by Michigan St.

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:29:00 +0000

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. -- Hannah Fraijo hoisted the Cal-State Northridge Matadors to a 6-1 win over the Michigan State Spartans (3-8) on Sunday at Matador Diamond. Seven strikeouts helped Fraijo get the win for Cal-State Northridge (4-9). She allowed no earned runs on five hits and no walks over seven innings. The Spartans were hurt by a number of miscues in the field. Michigan State committed four errors which led to two runs for Cal-State Northridge. The Spartans were hurt by errors by left fielder Brett Williams, first baseman Heidi Purtzer and shortstop Lindsey Hansen in the first which eventually lead to Lauren Olivas and Alexandria Alvarado scoring. Tracy Allen drove in two Matadors runners. Allen singled in the second inning scoring Jaclyn Rymer and Olivas. Shelby Wise lasted just 1 1/3 innings in the circle for the Spartans before being replaced. She allowed six hits and six runs. Michigan State brought out the artillery in the sixth inning. After Jenny Ramsaier reached on a fielding error by shortstop Karla Chaparro, the Spartans were trailing by six when Hansen came to the plate against Fraijo with two outs and a runner on third. She doubled scoring Ramsaier from third. Michigan State is going through a rough part of the season. The Spartans have now lost six games in a row. The Spartans last won on Feb. 19 against Wright State. Michigan State's next game is on Saturday, March 06 against Florida State in Boca Raton, Fla. in the FAU Milken Classic. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Michigan State beats Minnesota on Senior Day

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:14:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State women's basketball team concluded the 2009-10 regular season on a high note, beating Minnesota, 70-50, Sunday at the Breslin Center. The Spartans (21-8, 12-6), who finished second in the Big Ten and have won 10 of their last 11 games, honored their four seniors - Lauren Aitch, Allyssa DeHaan, Aisha Jefferson, Mandy Piechowski - in a post-game ceremony on the floor. DeHaan led the Spartans with 13 points, while Aitch, sophomore Lykendra Johnson and freshman Jasmine Thomas each added 12 points in the win. MSU, the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament, will face the winner of Michigan and Northwestern on Friday at 11:30 a.m. ET at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. The game was tight early on with the Spartans holding a slim 11-10 lead with 11:45 to go in the first half. MSU picked up its defensive pressure, holding the Golden Gophers scoreless for the next 7:25, to open up a 24-10 lead. Minnesota would get within 11 at 27-17, but the Spartans closed with the final five points off the half to take a 33-17 lead into the break. The MSU advantage swelled to 19 early in the second half, but Minnesota used a 10-2 run to close within 11 (40-29) with 14:13 remaining. However, that would be as close as the Gophers would get, as the Spartans followed with a 9-2 run to regain momentum. With 5:12 to go, head coach Suzy Merchant made substitutions to allow all four seniors to play together for the first time this season. The group played just over two minutes together before a mass substitution allowed them to be recognized. One-by-one each senior kissed the block "S" in the middle of the Breslin Center floor and made their way to the bench for the last time. MSU saw its two walk-ons - Tracy Nogle and Jasmine Holmes - score in the final minutes, as the Spartans posted the 20-point victory. The Spartans forced 26 Minnesota turnovers, a season-high for the Gophers, while committing only 13 of their own. Junior Cetera Washington tied her career high with a game-high nine rebounds, while classmate Kalisha Keane set a new career mark with six steals.