Michigan State Snaps Skid, Takes Down Illinois in OT Thriller
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EAST LANSING, Mich. --- Michigan State needed it, and it got it.
The 10th-ranked Spartans took down No. 5 Illinois, 85-82 in overtime, on Saturday night in an absolute thriller. This snaps a mild, two-game skid for MSU, gives it a huge resume victory, and keeps itself alive in the Big Ten title race.
Point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. led the way for Michigan State, dropping 26 points and 15 assists. He seemed to have the ball the whole time later on in the second half and overtime and never showed any fatigue, despite playing 42 minutes.
This moves MSU to 20-4 overall and 10-3 during Big Ten play. The Spartans' next game is at Wisconsin on Friday.
First Half
The first 20 minutes were tightly contested. Neither team got to enjoy a lead larger than six points, as both teams seemed to go bucket for bucket for most of the first half.
What made the difference early on is that Illinois' spacing was better. The Fighting Illini didn't shoot it very well in the first half, but their ability to stretch out the Spartans' defense opened up some opportunities on second chances and inside the arc.
Illinois ended up leading for about 11 minutes in the first half. Michigan State was ahead for about four and a half minutes. Jaxon Kohler led the team with eight points to go with five rebounds. Jeremy Fears Jr. dished out eight assists. Fears also got reviewed for a trip again, but the refs seemed to rule it was accidental/incidental and did not call anything on him.
At the break, it was the Fighting Illini ahead with a 39-35 lead after going on a little 6-2 spurt to end the half. MSU was playing OK, but not good enough to expect to win at this point in the game.
Second Half
Michigan State as going to need some energy to start the second half. It didn't get it at first, as Illinois scored the half's first five points to go up by nine. MSU was quickly able to get some of that momentum back, though, cutting it back to a four-point deficit by the first media timeout.
A few minutes after that, the Spartans were able to tie it up after a 2-for-2 trip at the line for Cam Ward, who had been struggling at the line all season. Shortly after that, MSU took the lead on an alley-oop from Fears to Coen Carr.
Michigan State couldn't build anything, though. It seemed like every time it tied it up or took the lead, Illinois would find a couple of needed buckets and take a one- to- two-possession lead again. The Fighting Illini ended up coming out of the final media timeout with a four-point advantage.
This is the part where MSU had been outplayed multiple times by other top teams that its played. Some free throws from Fears on separate trips cut the deficit to one with 2:42 remaining. Scott then hit two at the line to give the Spartans a lead with 1:49 to go.
Both teams got some stops, but then Illinois got its turn with the ball in the final minute. David Mirkovic never gave it up, taking it to the room and using a nice hook shot to put the Illini ahead with 32.5 seconds left.
In came Kur Teng. He missed on his first shot, but Kohler got the offensive rebound and the ball made its way back out to the perimeter. Teng made good on his second chance, sticking the three with 8.6 seconds to go to give MSU a two-point lead. Illinois had its last gasp, and in the frenzy on the offensive glass, Jake Davis was fouled on a putback with one second left and got two shots. He made both, sending the game to overtime.
Overtime
The additional period started off well for MSU. Fears took one to the rack, and then Carson Cooper put one up on the line to extend the lead to three. Illinois tied it right back up on a three for Tomislav Ivisic, though. The Illini then forced a turnover, and Wagler gave them the lead with two at the line with 2:42 left.
Fears came through for the Spartans again, getting fouled and tying it at the line. Michigan State's defense came through for a stop, and then Fears --- again --- got his defender to foul him, converting a three-point play. After another stop, Fears missed, but Cam Ward came flying in for a putback and extended the lead to five.
Illinois went back to its star, Wagler. He drew a foul, hit the first free throw of the double bonus, but then missed the second that would have made it a three-point game. Fears then did what he does best, baiting another foul --- he hit both to make it a six-point advantage.
That was too much for the Fighting Illini to overcome.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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