Michigan State hosted another top-five rival over the weekend, and this time they emerged victorious. In an exciting matchup, the No. 10 Spartans defeated the No. 5 Illinois Fighting Illini, 85-82, in overtime, marking a crucial win for the team as they ended a two-game losing streak.
After the game, head coach Tom Izzo praised the intensity of the contest, stating, “It was a hell of a game. Physical, tough, hell of a game.” The Spartans displayed resilience against a formidable opponent, showcasing their determination to bounce back.
Jeremy Fears had a standout performance, scoring 11 of his game-high 26 points in the overtime period while also contributing 15 assists. He remarked, “Kind of taking what they were giving me a little, that midrange-ish area, some floaters, got some layups, got some pullups, trying to mix it up.”
Izzo highlighted the team”s defensive effort, especially in limiting Illinois” talented freshman Keaton Wagler, who managed to score 16 points but struggled, finishing with just two successful shots out of 16 attempts. “I thought we did what we had to do and that was contain Wagler,” Izzo noted.
Jaxon Kohler reflected on the importance of the win, saying, “We needed this because it”s time of year where this can make or break a season.” The victory not only boosted team morale but also had significant implications for their standing in the conference.
In discussing Fears” performance, Izzo expressed his satisfaction with the point guard”s attitude and his ability to learn from previous games, stating, “I thought his attitude and his performance and accepting what he didn”t do right was excellent.” This comment came after some controversy surrounding Fears” earlier performances.
Carson Cooper addressed the challenge posed by Illinois” length, which had disrupted their usual lob attempts. “I thought I was open and I thought we were making the right play but we had to make adjustments and we did that,” he said.
One of the highlights of the game was freshman Jordan Scott, who scored 10 points and played crucial defense on Wagler. Izzo praised his composure, declaring, “The guy doesn”t have a nervous bone in his body and yet he”s not cocky in any way, shape or form so he might be the perfect human being as a basketball player.”
Scott also shared a brief incident during the game where he suffered a cut above his eye, recalling, “I was coming off a handoff from Coop and then I think he might have clipped me.” Cooper admitted to the mishap, saying, “Yeah, it was me, it was me. I”ll give him credit, he wrapped me so hard that I tried to raise my arm up over the defender and I clobbered him.”
Fears also commented on a technical foul he received in a prior loss against Minnesota, emphasizing the need to focus on the game: “It was just a distraction that we didn”t need and just being able to come out here and get this win was special.”
In a moment of tension, Izzo recounted Illinois coach Brad Underwood asking for a review of a potential trip by Fears, which the officials ultimately ruled was not a foul, saying, “If he breathes on somebody now there”s going to be a call, thanks to what happened.” This highlighted the scrutiny players face during high-stakes games.
In the final moments, Teng missed an open three-pointer but managed to sink a crucial shot seconds later, bringing his team ahead by two before Illinois forced overtime. He reflected on the importance of confidence in his shooting, stating, “I missed the first one so I just wanted to make sure I made the second one, make sure I stayed confident.”
Despite an overall challenging shooting night, Izzo commended Teng”s late-game heroics, saying, “Today in our shootaround, he made 22 3s in a row and I said he is going to be lightning tonight and then he struggled early but found a way to get a big, big, big, big shot.”
Cam Ward, who had eight points and seven rebounds, discussed the grit he and Scott bring to the court, stating, “It”s just a DMV thing, it”s a different type of grit that we have and that”s what shows every game.” Izzo expressed his joy for Ward”s performance, affirming, “I think if anybody needed a game like this, it was him because he”s a good player and he”s going to be a really good player and he”s a really good kid.”
