CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Tom Izzo has his record. More importantly, Michigan State can add a big road win to its resume. The No. 11 Spartans rallied from a 16-point deficit in the first half for a 79-65 win against Illinois on Saturday night at a raucous State Farm Center. That gives Izzo his 354th Big Ten victory to break a tie with Bob Knight for the all-time record.
Michigan State (20-5, 11-3 Big Ten) closed the game on a 15-0 run while Illinois (17-9, 9-7) went ice cold down the stretch by going scoreless the final 8:29 and missing its last 19 field goals.
Jaxon Kohler hit four triples while scoring a career-high 23 and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Spartans, who rebounded from an upset loss at home to Indiana on Tuesday. Tre Holloman had 14 points, Jase Richardson 11 and Coen Carr 10 while Jaden Akins scored all eight of his points in the second half.
Kasparas Jakucionis and Morez Johnson both scored 17 while Will Riley had 13 for Illinois, which had a two-game winning streak snapped while being swept in the season series against the Spartans.
Illinois, which entered Saturday riding back-to-back wins for the first time in more than a month, landed the first punch of the game. The Fighting Illini made seven of their first 11 shots, including three straight 3-pointers – the last two by Jake Davis – for a 17-6 lead five minutes in, leading to an Izzo timeout.
Michigan State will return home to host No. 7 Purdue on Tuesday. The Boilermakers have dropped two straight in top 25 defeats at Michigan and at home against Wisconsin on Saturday.
