New bike p polo team seeks to bring bikers together FEATURES, PA P PAGE AG GE E6
One year later, E.L. reviews City Manager George Lahanas
Recap: MSU teams compete during Spring Break
CAMPUS+CITY, PAGE 5
SPORTS, PAGE 8
JUSTIN WAN/THE STATE NEWS
Fisheries and wildlife junior Dan Ryan.
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STILL PRETTY BIG
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Despite no Big Ten title, Spartans beat Wildcats, look to NCAA
By Josh Mansour Mansou13@msu.edu THE STATE NEWS ■■
JULIA NAGY/THE STATE NEWS
Purdue forward Drey Mingo grabs a rebound against junior guard Klarissa Bell during the Big Ten Tournament championship game at Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill. The Spartans lost to the Boilermakers, 64-47.
In tournament’s final, women’s basketball loses to Purdue, 62-47 Stephen Brooks brook198@msu.edu THE STATE NEWS ■■
Hoffman Estates, Ill. – The MSU women’s basketball team exorcised their demons against Michigan and topMSU 47 seeded Penn PU 62 State on Friday and Saturday in the Big Ten Tournament, but ran out of gas on Sunday against No. 3-seed Purdue, losing 62-47 in the championship game. MSU, the No. 4-seed playing in its second-ever appearance in the finals, fought through an awful start resulting in just 14 first-half points to cut Purdue’s lead to nine with 5:53 remaining in the game. The Spartans were outscored 16-10 the rest of the way, however, allowing the Boilermakers to claim back-toback tournament titles. “I’m very proud of them,” head coach Suzy Merchant said. “It’s just disappointing that, that wasn’t the team that showed up here the last two days, and it was frustrating. … And it was disappointing, but I give Purdue a lot of credit.” The Boilermakers got off to a perfect start — literally — making their first field goals and going 4-for-4 from the foul line to build an early 20-8 lead. Purdue (24-8 overall) didn’t miss a shot in the first 8:20 of play. Purdue forward Drey Mingo — who has terrorized MSU this season averaging 20.6 points against the Spartans — started 6-for-6 from the floor and finished with a season-high 24 points en route to being named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
“… that wasn’t the team that showed up here the last two days, and it was frustrating.” Suzy Merchant, head coach
“I thought Drey Mingo was amazing, absolutely amazing,” Merchant said. For MSU (24-8), its start was the polar opposite. The Spartans shot just 21.9 percent from the field in the first half and scored only six points in the final 15:49. After trailing by 23 at one point, MSU went into the break losing 33-14. No MSU player had more than four points in the first half. “We weren’t playing our basketball,” senior guard Jasmine Thomas said. “I mean … (it) started on the defensive end, and that’s not where our focus was. So in the locker room we kind of talked about locking down defensively and slowing down offensively.” Thomas was named to the alltournament team after finishing with 15 points against the Boilermakers, while sophomore guard Kiana Johnson added 11 points to highlight a dismal offensive outing. The second half began with a 23-13 run for MSU to pull within nine points, and momentum had finally swung in favor of the Spartans after the sluggish start at Sears Centre Arena. Purdue’s Courtney Moses then See WOMEN’S on page 2 X
For a video recap and a gallery of the tournament, visit statenews.com/multimedia.
The temptation was there even before the opening tip. If MSU could beat Northwestern MSU 71 and get some help NW 61 from their in-state rivals, the Spartans could clinch their fourth Big Ten title in five years. But Tom Izzo said days before the game that, for him, Friday night would be about two things: rooting for MSU and celebrating Derrick Nix in his final game on the Breslin Center court. A few minutes after the game was underway, Izzo’s goals were all that was left; another Big Ten championship would not be coming to East Lansing. Instead, the No. 10 MSU men’s basketball team (24-7 overall, 13-5 Big Ten) found itself locked in a tight one with the scrappy Wildcats (1318, 4-14) to close out the regular season, ultimately hanging on for a 71-61 victory, sending Nix off the floor to chants of “Thank you, Derrick.” And in a Senior Day ceremony after the game, the Spartans’ head coach took the opportunity to make his message emphatically clear once more. “I want everybody in this building to understand one thing: you’ve got yourself a blue-collar coach that’s never been given anything,” Izzo said, his voice cracking with emotion. “And I don’t want anything from anybody else. “I don’t want to get anything through the back door. I’m a ‘bust-it-right-throughthe-front-door’ kind of guy and that’s the way we are. That’s the way you are. So don’t feel bad, because maybe a banner won’t be hanging this year, but memories will.” Nix capped off his home career with 10 points, four rebounds and a career-high tying six assists, while junior guard Keith Appling led four Spartan scorers in doublefigures with 16 points. MSU improved to 18-3 this season when Appling scores 10 points or more. The Spartans opened the scoring when Appling found Gary Harris early for a onehanded fast break dunk, two of the freshman guard’s 12
JUSTIN WAN/THE STATE NEWS
Junior guard Keith Appling grips the rim after throwing down a dunk Sunday at Breslin Center. Appling had 16 points during the Spartan’s 71-61 victory against Northwestern.
More online … To see a video recap of the game, visit statenews.com/multimedia tomorrow afternoon.
points. But the Wildcats quickly responded with five consecutive points to take their first lead of the game. It would be the only lead Northwestern would hold for the remainder of the half, as a 3-pointer from Appling ignited a 17-2 run to put MSU ahead by double-figures, 19-7, midway through the half. MSU spent the rest of the period in front by a comfortable margin, as the lead swelled to as many as 13 points, before a late rally from the Wildcats cut the Spartans’ lead to seven, 33-26,
K ATIE STIEFEL/THE STATE NEWS
Senior center Derrick Nix kisses his mother, Darlis Nix, after being honored on Senior Night following the game against Northwestern on Sunday at Breslin Center. Nix scored 10 points against the Wildcats.
See MEN’S on page 2 X
CRIME
CAMPUS
New developments in stabbing case of MSU student
Union post office loses business
By Isabella Shaya shayaisa@msu.edu THE STATE NEWS ■■
About two weeks since the MSU community fi rst heard about the death of two fellow Spartans, new information has been obtained about the fatal stabbing of nutritional sciences senior Andrew Singler. When primary suspect Connor McCowan , 18, an Okemos resident, entered Singler’s residence in the early hours of Feb. 23, he was there as a visitor, said Meridian Township police Sgt. Andrew McCready in a court hearing Feb. 25. Singler was dating McCow-
a n ’s s i s t e r, according t o a c ou r t document. “There had been an argument between (McCowan’s s i s t e r) a n d McCowan Andrew Singler earlier in the evening,” McCready said during the validation hearing to determine if a warrant should be issued for McCowan. “Mr. McCowan took exception to that.” A f ter t he a ltercat ion, McCowan ran to anot her location in Meridian Township and told his father he
McCowan faces life in prison on open murder charges, which allows the jury to decide the degree of murder had stabbed Singler. The two then returned to the crime scene, only to leave after fi nding police vehicles surrounding the apartment, according to the document. Singler’s roommate took him to the hospital and told police he was in the residence when the confrontation occurred. See COURT on page 2 X
By Robert Bondy bondyrob@msu.edu THE STATE NEWS ■■
Since the Union reopened at the end of the fall semester, the on-campus post office has lost more than half of its business as many students don’t realize it’s there. “I had no idea there was a post office,” human development and family studies freshman Al Gregor said. “I’m guessing (it’s) the desk next to the Sparty’s (Convenience Stores).” Gregor is right. But with many students unfamiliar with the post office since the Union’s reopening, the total business
has been cut in half. At the old location, the post office would average $800 to $1,000 in profit per day, with the new numbers clocking in at $300 on a good day, Post Office Student Supervisor Devon Edgerton said. As part of the Union’s reconstruction, the only official post office on campus was moved from its old location to be conjoined with the Welcome Center — the green desk next to Sparty’s. But as Gregor said, students are unaware of the new location and sometimes stumble into the old location where Biggby Coffee is located, Edgerton said. “I think it’s definitely because
people don’t know that we exist, or that they were used to going to the old post office,” Edgerton said. While the new location has been the major reason behind lower profits, Edgerton also pointed to not being able to accept credit or debit cards as another cause to the loss of business. “Another thing that affects our business is that we only accept cash and checks, but that’s obviously been a big thing that we’re working on,” she said. “Luckily, the Union has an ATM.” See MAIL on page 2 X