Illinois Basketball: Illini spring together late rally to stun Michigan State

The Illinois basketball team overcame a nine-point second half deficit to beat Michigan State for the third consecutive time.

Are the Illini back or did they ever leave? That’s the question that fans were asking themselves over the last week, as the team looked to be heading for rock bottom.

Within the last nine days or so, Illinois has railed around one another and played inspired basketball, as Friday night saw the Orange and Blue welcome Michigan State into the State Farm Center for the team’s annual “Orange Out” game, as the orange-clad crowd came out in droves.

The game felt like a heavyweight slugfest throughout. Behind an effortless performance from Dain Dainja and Matthew Mayer, who scored 20 points and 19 points, respectively, both Baylor transfers propelled the Illini to a 75-66 win after trailing by nine points with 12 minutes left in regulation.

The Illini struggled early on, however. They allowed A.J. Hoggard to get into a rhythm, as he scored several key baskets to extend the Spartans’ lead to as much as seven points late in the first half. This first half performance gave the visitors, who had won seven-straight games, a 37-33 lead entering the break. Hoggard led the Spartans with 20 points.

Illinois would play catch-up for much of the second half. Sencire Harris would then go down with an injury, and this seemed to light a fire underneath the Illini. A 32-16 scoring run ensued, capping off Illinois’ first three-game winning streak against the Spartans since a stretch of victories between 2003-2006, where the Illini saw themselves compete for a national title in that span. It was also the first time since March 2020 that an Illini player recorded six blocks, as Mayer matched that total in the victory.

Brad Underwood gave his guys credit for hanging in there after trailing for much of the game, as one of his assistants was called for a technical foul. Despite the headache, the Illini did not get overwhelmed and continued to play hard in the process. He also explained the added advantage of why transfers are vital for success.

"“They were both a part of winning at a really high level. Matt was a key player on a national championship team,” Underwood said."

The three-game winning streak improved Illinois’ record to 12-5 overall and 3-3 in the Big Ten, while the Spartans fell to 4-2 in conference play, leveling their overall record in the process.

What lies ahead for the Illinois basketball team as the schedule ramps up?

The Illini will seek their fourth-straight win and No. 13 out of their last 17 games when they travel to Minnesota to take on a Golden Gophers team still establishing their identity. Minnesota is coming off of a thrilling, yet controversial road upset over Ohio State, 70-67, on Thursday night.

Tip-off is scheduled for Monday night at 5 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.