Illinois Falls to Michigan In Men's Basketball

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Published on February 12 2024 5:49 am
Last Updated on February 12 2024 5:50 am

EAST LANSING, Mich. – No. 10 Illinois led by as many as eight in the second half but could not hang on in an 88-80 road loss to Michigan State at the Breslin Center on Saturday afternoon.

The loss dropped the second-place Fighting Illini to 8-4 in conference play with four away games and four home contests left in the regular season.

Terrence Shannon Jr. finished with a game-high 28 points, his team-leading ninth outing with at least 20 points. After totaling a team-high 16 first-half points, Shannon did not slow down in the final frame with a team-most 12 points after the break. He also totaled seven rebounds and one assist while going 12-for-13 from the free-throw line.

Coleman Hawkins reached double figures for the second game in a row, recording 14 points. Knocking down two 3-pointers, his 11th game with multiple treys, Hawkins also grabbed three boards, dished out a season-high seven assists, and made a team-high two steals. 

Marcus Domask tallied 12 points, his 14th consecutive game in double figures. He also amassed four rebounds and two assists, and his team-best two blocks equaled his season-high mark.

Luke Goode hit two 3-pointers en route to a six-point, seven-rebound performance before fouling out late in the game. Justin Harmon registered seven points off the bench.

Ty Rodgers notched eight points and two boards in his return to his home state.

The tightly contested game featured 15 ties and 16 lead changes. The Illini led, 33-25, with just under six minutes to play in the first half before MSU went on a 14-2 run to take a 39-35 lead with two minutes left before the break. The Spartans held a 44-41 advantage at the half, but the Illini used a 12-2 run of their own to turn a 62-60 deficit into a 72-64 lead at the 7:38 mark of the second half. Illinois' offense hit just one more field goal in the contest, Justin Harmon's layup with 22 seconds to play, as MSU closed the game on a 24-8 run to seal the win and snap the Illini's three-game Big Ten win streak.

No. 10 Illinois (17-6, 8-4 B1G) returns to State Farm Center on Tuesday night, when the Illini square off with the Michigan Wolverines. Tuesday's tipoff from Champaign is slated for 6 p.m. CT and will be available to stream on Peacock.