Suzy Merchant guides MSU women to win in return

EAST LANSING - Suzy Merchant was driving herself crazy Wednesday as she followed along at home with her team’s game at Purdue.

On Saturday, she was glad to be back in a coaching capacity.

The veteran Michigan State women’s basketball coach made her return to the sidelines Saturday during the Spartans’ 93-73 Big Ten victory over Nebraska.

Merchant was greeted with an ovation from the crowd as she made her first entrance back on the Breslin Center floor prior to the game starting.

“I appreciated that (ovation) and I would like to thank the fans,” Merchant said. “I wasn’t exactly sure what I’d feel and my heart was racing a little bit when I came back out there. It was good. It just feels like home (here) and I just genuinely appreciate people’s concern. Sometimes when something like that happens you don’t really realize all the people that really reached out and you impacted in some way. I guess I didn’t have to die for that to happen. Usually that’s attached to a funeral so I guess that was a positive thing. I just want to say thank you to all the fans. Just walking out there and getting that ovation really warmed my heart. That’s what makes Michigan State special.”

Merchant fainted on the sidelines during the Spartans’ Big Ten-opening victory over Illinois last Sunday, which led to her missing Wednesday's game. The 10th year Spartan coach said Saturday she was doing OK and found it difficult to be away from her team.

“It was really nice (to have her back),” MSU junior Lexi Gussert said. “I know when she came back after that loss (to Purdue), she just felt really bad and blamed herself for not being there and everything. It really wasn’t her fault. The coaches did a great job. We just didn’t execute. Having her back was nice. She’s the head to our monster.”

Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @brian_calloway.