Spartans' Strong Rebounding Led to Clutch Road Win

The Michigan State Spartans left Champaign with a major road win over the Illinois Fighting Illini on Saturday. The biggest key to victory was the Spartans' ability to outrebound the No. 1 rebounding team in the Big Ten.

Feb 15, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Tomislav Ivisic (13) and teammate Ben Humrichous (3) wrestle with Michigan State Spartans forward Jaxon Kohler (0) for the ball during the second half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

The No. 11 Michigan State Spartans (20-5, 11-3) found a way to mount a glorious comeback over the Illinois Fighting Illini (17-9, 9-7) on the road Saturday. They sealed Coach Tom Izzo's record-setting 354th conference win by outrebounding the best Big Ten team in that category.

The Spartans outscored Illinois 42-24 in the second half after four points at the break. The biggest reason for their clutch win was Michigan State's ability to out-rebound the Illini by five. They also pulled down 14 offensive rebounds which led to five more shots from the field.

Illinois came into the game as the No. 1 team in overall rebounding, grabbing 44.3 boards per game and the most offensive rebounds per game (13.5). The Spartans held them to just 12 while also taking any added opportunities to extend their lead in the second half.

Rebounding may not be a direct way to score points, but when the Spartans earned 14 offensive rebounds, it led to 18 second-chance points, which completely changed the game. It allowed them to shoot 68 total shots, giving them less pressure to make a basket on every second-half possession.

Spartan junior forward Jaxon Kohler had a phenomenal night, earning another double-double with a team-high and career-high 23 points and 10 rebounds. He pulled down six of the team's offensive rebounds and was an absolute force on both ends of the floor.

I thought they [Illinois] missed some good 3s, but I thought we got some big-time offensive rebounds, and that was the difference in the game," Izzo said postgame.

On the road, in a hostile environment, with your Big Ten title hopes on the line, the Spartans were simply more physical. Rebounding is all about effort and making the extra play to fight for the basketball and get your team an extra possession. Guys like Kohler did just that on Saturday.

The Spartans will return home for one of the biggest games of their season, battling the Purdue Boilermakers (19-7, 11-4) on Tuesday night at the Breslin Center. Purdue is the fourth-worst rebounding team in the Big Ten, giving Michigan State an opportunity to have a leg up in that aspect.

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