Sports Shorts

FSU women’s basketball team loses tough exhibition battle to Oakland

The FSU women’s basketball team kicked off the 2011-12 season with an exhibition game against Division I Oakland University. The Bulldogs gave the Grizzlies all they could handle in the 80-75 setback which featured 15 lead changes. Sophomore guard Sarah Deshone led FSU with 18 points and six assists. Junior guard Tricia Principe and sophomore forward Nikki Arner both had 14 points for the Bulldogs. FSU outrebounded OU 34-30. The Bulldogs tallied 16 assists, seven steals and a pair of blocked shots. FSU played a total of 11 different Bulldogs in the contest, including three true freshmen. FSU will host Calvin College for its final exhibition game Nov. 8. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Wink Arena.

FSU men’s basketball team falls to MSU in exhibition contest

 The FSU men’s basketball team travelled to East Lansing to start the 2011-12 campaign and were bested by the Spartans by a final score of 85-58. The Bulldogs trailed MSU by only 9 points at halftime, but the Spartans made a final push to put the game out of reach in the late stages of the second half. FSU senior forward Jerrell Sanders and junior forward Daniel Sutherlin led the Bulldogs as they scored 14 points each. MSU outrebounded FSU with a 45-29 count. The Bulldogs recorded 14 assists, 7 steals and two blocked shots. FSU will return to action in an exhibition game against Grace Bible College on Nov. 2 at Wink Arena.

FSU hockey players received CCHA Honors

Freshman goaltender CJ Motte was awarded Goaltender of the Week, and senior Chad Billins earned CCHA Defensemen of the Week recently. Billins received this recognition twice last season. At voting time, Motte held a 3-0-0 record and had allowed only a single goal for the season. The Bulldogs will travel to Bowling Green State University for a two-game series starting Nov. 4. FSU will try and bounce back from its disappointing losses in Ann Arbor to the University of Michigan.

FSU basketball teams upgrade outfits

The FSU men’s and women’s basketball teams sported new uniforms designed by Nike in the recent exhibition games. The new uniforms display the official FSU colors: crimson and gold. The Bulldogs will don the new uniforms for away games while continuing to wear the traditional white jerseys for home games. According to FSU athletic director Perk Weisenburger, the new uniforms “more closely represent our true school colors.” The basketball teams are the first athletic programs to represent FSU’s university-approved color scheme. Other programs are expected to follow in the coming years. n