EAST LANSING, MI (Chambana Today) – No. 12 Michigan State narrowly defeated No. 19 Illinois, holding on for an 80-78 victory Sunday at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.
The Spartans extended their win streak to 11 games and maintained their unbeaten record in conference play, while the Illini proved they deserved to be ranked in the top 20. Illinois outrebounded one of the most physical teams in the country (41-40) and limited Michigan State to just eight fastbreak points. The Illini also managed to hold the Spartans’ leading scorer, Jaden Akins, to eight points on 3-for-10 shooting.
However, the Illini’s struggles from the free-throw line (17-for-27) and beyond the arc (5-for-24) proved costly, especially in the game’s critical moments. Guard Kasparas Jakucionis fouled out with over six minutes left.
Freshman forward Will Riley scored a game-high 19 points, including a 16-point run in the first half that kept Illinois in the game. Trailing 76-74 with under two minutes to play, Illinois closed the gap thanks to clutch plays by Kylan Boswell and Morez Johnson Jr. Boswell’s downhill layup with 57 seconds left brought Illinois within one at 77-76, but missed free throws down the stretch and a critical turnover on Boswell’s drive and dish to Tomislav Ivisic ultimately sealed their fate. Illinois had one last chance when Boswell’s intentionally missed free throw was recovered for a putback attempt, but he stepped out of bounds before the shot, handing the ball—and the game—to the Spartans.
Despite the loss, Illinois showcased its potential as a rising contender in the Big Ten.