Illini Take Down Michigan State, 75-66

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Published on January 16 2023 5:57 am
Last Updated on January 16 2023 5:57 am

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Big second-half performances from Dain Dainja and Matthew Mayer propelled Illinois to victory on Friday night, with the Illini taking down Michigan State, 75-66, at State Farm Center. Illinois outscored the Spartans by 13 points in the second half, while three Illini finished in double figures.

Dainja scored 12 of his team-high 20 points in the second half, while Mayer recorded 14 of his 19 points in the final 20 minutes of action.

The Illini defense was a significant factor once again, recording 10 blocks and four steals. Mayer led the way with a career-high six blocks, while Jayden Epps grabbed a team-high two steals. Illinois also held Michigan State without a 3-pointer, as the Spartans went 0-for-7 from beyond the arc.

Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 17 points in the victory, his 14th double-figure scoring performance this season. Jayden Epps added seven points off the bench and tallied a career-high five assists, and Coleman Hawkins registered nine points and eight rebounds.

Illinois also took care of the basketball, recording a season-low five turnovers.

Shannon took control on the offensive end, scoring 15 of the Illini's 19 points through the opening 10 minutes of first-half action. Shannon got shots to fall from all over the floor, finding the basket in the paint and from beyond the arc. The Illini led by as many as five points in the opening half, but the Spartans ultimately took a 37-33 advantage into the break.

Mayer asserted himself on the defensive end of the court, making four blocks in the first half, the most he has registered in a game this season. Illinois recorded seven blocks and two steals in the opening 20 minutes of play.

Down by nine with 14 minutes to play, the Illini offense slowly started clawing its way back. Four straight points from Hawkins cut the Illinois deficit to five, and that spark was the start of a big Illini run.

Illinois used a 10-0 run to turn what was once a nine-point deficit into a five-point advantage with under eight minutes to play. Mayer was a big reason behind that stretch, scoring eight points during the momentum-swinging run to bring the State Farm Center crowd to its feet.

Michigan State responded and tied the game at 60 with under six minutes to play before a 5-0 Illinois run, which included a Hawkins triple and a Dainja second-chance layup, put the hosts ahead by five with four minutes to play.

Dainja continued his strong second-half showing by hitting a jumper to bring him up to 20 points. The Illini then thwarted the Spartan comeback bid by closing the game with an 8-2 run, giving Illinois its third consecutive Big Ten win.

Now 3-3 in conference play and 12-5 overall, Illinois travels to Minneapolis to take on Minnesota on Monday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT.