Illinois falls in overtime, ends 12 game winning streak

It was another top 10 road matchup for Illinois. The Illini were looking for their 3rd straight weekend with a road victory against a top 10 team. Illinois met Michigan State. The Spartans came in on a two-game skid, and with their backs against the wall, were looking for a signature win to get back on schedule. That is what they did in an overtime thriller. Illinois dropped a game for the first time since the middle of December.

The start of the game showed it was going to be a physical contest. Two of the nation's best rebounding teams were going at it. Illinois was trying to slow the game down, and MSU wanted to get out and run. The Spartans were successful in doing so. Coen Carr got the crowd ignited with some dunks. It was a fun first half of basketball. Illinois lead 35-31. The Illini opened the second half strong and extended their lead to 9. Michigan State struck right back and from that point on it was close the whole way. Michigan State's defense was excellent. They were the first team to shut the water off for Keaton Wagler. The freshman had his worst game of the season with 2/16 shooting. It was known that MSU was going to do anything to slow him down, but even the good looks just did not fall. Jordan Scott was a pest all night. It wasn't just Wagler who struggled shooting. Illinois as a team shot 37% from the floor and 10-36 from 3. It will have to take a better shooting night to beat Michigan State in East Lansing. David Mirkovic was an exception to this. He was carrying the team in the second half and was playing point guard with Wagler's struggles. Mirkovic converted on a left-handed layup with 32 seconds to give Illinois the lead 69-68. One defensive stop was all Illinois needed to survive on the road. Kur Teng missed a three from the corner, but Jaxon Kohler was there to gather the rebound and kick it right back out to Teng for another open three. This time he splashed it. With 8 seconds left, Wagler had the ball in his hands and got a good look for the win and missed. Mirkovic got a hand on the ball and hit towards the backboard. Jake Davis, out of nowhere, got a rebound for himself and drew a foul on the putback. The junior calmly drilled two free throws to send the game into overtime. In a second half that never really felt like Illinois was going to win, they were able to extend the game for 5 minutes.

Jeremy Fears took over in overtime and the rest is history. Fears was great for Michigan State. He had 26 points and 15 assists. You can also throw one trip into that as he continues to build a reputation for being the dirtiest player in all of college basketball. Before the game, I said this was going to happen, so I am not surprised. I also said that antics aside, he is a really good player. Fears showed that tonight, but the antics were still there. He did a great job navigating screens and converting inside. Illinois' upcoming matchup against Wisconsin will have two guards who like to navigate their way into the paint and do similar things, so hopefully this helped Illinois prepare.

What this means:

Illinois had a chance to be in the driver's seat of the Big Ten but were not able to close it out. This would have been Michigan State's fourth conference loss, so I think this would have eliminated the Spartans from contention too. Now, Illinois will have to regroup and move onto the next opportunity that awaits.

Overall, the big picture outlook does not change. Illinois is 20-4 (11-2) and firmly on the two seed line. I would argue that Illinois' chances of earning a 1 seed are slim to none because of how strong the top teams in the country are. Other than that, a loss in the Breslin Center will not hurt the resume by any means. I think this loss, while painful now, could be looked back on as a great learning opportunity. Cliche? Sure, but I truly mean it. The Illini have not experienced a loss in a while and now they got to remember what it feels like. It's been a while since Illinois has missed so many looks in one game too. All of the Illini's goals are still ahead of them. I want to remind everyone that Kylan Boswell is still out. In a couple of weeks, the Illini will get their senior leader back on the court. Illinois can still compete for a conference title and earn a protected seed in the tournament. Illinois gets to come home for two straight games. Be sad now, but the great thing about Big Ten basketball is that you do not have to wait long for the next opportunity. Illinois plays Wisconsin on Tuesday night in the State Farm Center.