It was a week from Hell for Michigan State basketball (on a lot of levels) but they battled through it for a massive top 10 victory on Saturday night.
Michigan State rallied in the second half and knocked off No. 5 Illinois on Saturday night in an overtime thriller, 85-82. Jeremy Fears Jr. was the center of attention on social media after being called out for perceived dirty plays, but in the end he came through with a stunning performance in the win over the Fighting Illini.
Michigan State avoided a dreadful start for the first time in their last four games, but still found themselves trailing at halftime. It was a back-and-forth opening frame, with Illinois ultimately coming out with a 39-35 lead at the break.
Illinois came out of halftime and built on its lead, growing the margin to nine points. But, Michigan State was able to fight back and finally take the lead back late in the half. Down one, Kur Teng drilled a three-pointer to give Michigan State a two-point lead with nine seconds to go. However, Illinois tied it up on a pair of free throws in the final second to force overtime.
In overtime, Michigan State got off to a fast start but the Illini responded to gain a two-point lead. From then, Michigan State went on a 9-1 run to pull away and secure the needed win.
Fears ended the game leading the Spartans with 26 points and 15 assists, playing 43 of the 45 minutes. The Spartans also got double-digit point totals from Jaxon Kohler (11 points), Teng (10 points) and Jordan Scott (10 points).
With the win, Michigan State snaps a two-game losing streak and improves to 20-4 overall and 10-3 in Big Ten play. The Spartans win over Illinois snapped their 12-game winning streak.
Michigan State will now be off for nearly a week with their next game coming at Wisconsin on Friday. That matchup between the Spartans and Badgers will tip off at 8 p.m. ET and will be televised on nationally on FOX.
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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Michigan State basketball beats No. 5 Illinois in thrilling OT victory
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