Photo: Dale Young ~ Dale Young
EAST LANSING ~ Michigan State delivered one of its grittiest performances of the season, outlasting No. 5 Illinois 85-82 in an overtime thriller at the Breslin Center. The Spartans, coming off a stretch of inconsistent play, rediscovered their defensive identity by holding the Illini to 36% shooting and 27% from 3-point range. Sophomore guard Jeremy Fears Jr. set the tone with 26 points and 15 assists, while Michigan State controlled the glass 48-38—an emphasis head coach Tom Izzo called essential.
Freshmen forwards Jordan Scott and Cam Ward became unlikely anchors in the upset. Scott, playing through stitches above his eye, delivered key defensive stops on Illinois freshman standout Keaton Wagler, whom Izzo has called a potential Big Ten Player of the Year. Izzo praised Scott’s poise, saying, “Some guys get nervous, some guys get excited, he does not have a nervous bone in his body.” Ward added eight points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes, including a pivotal overtime putback and two clutch free throws in his return from a wrist injury.
SOCIAL MEDIA
(CONTINUED) Michigan State’s late-game execution also depended on contributions from its supporting cast. Senior forward Jaxon Kohler hauled in 16 rebounds, fueling the team’s most rugged interior effort of the season. Sophomore guard Kur Teng, cold early, buried a second-chance 3-pointer after a Kohler offensive board, one Izzo said he loved because “he didn’t even think twice about it. He shot it again.” Those moments underscored a collective confidence the team has continued to build through recent struggles.
After the game, Izzo stressed that the win was progress, not a turning point. “Are we over a hump? Hell no,” he said, noting how tight the game remained despite Michigan State outperforming Illinois statistically. Still, the performance carried emotional weight for a team seeking rhythm and for a coach energized by the Breslin Center crowd. “I’m the luckiest human being on the planet to have fans like we have, it makes a big, big difference,” Izzo said.
The Spartans travel to Wisconsin on Friday night.
