Michigan State Basketball: 3 takeaways from much-needed win at Illinois

1. MSU can’t put a complete game together on the road

It just didn’t seem like a game that was heading toward an Illinois comeback. The Illini cut the Michigan State lead to 12 in the second half, but the Spartans weathered the run and extended their advantage back to 17.

And then Illinois stormed back to take a lead with under five minutes left, shocking most of the Michigan State fanbase who thought the game was a lock.

Michigan State fought back and forth with the Illini but it was Xavier Tillman who put the finishing touches on the win when his fellow captain, Cassius Winston, was struggling. He dunked in the game-winning basket with six seconds left to give the Spartans a win on the road, a much-needed victory over a ranked team away from home.

This was sweet redemption for Tillman who had chances in the past to tie up games with easy put-backs, but missed them. This was the ultimate finish off a Cassius miss and an emphatic way to get Michigan State back on track.

But the Spartans still have to be thinking about that massive 20-point second-half lead that they let slip through their fingers. They still haven’t played an entire 40 minutes on the road.

If we see the same Michigan State from the first 28 minutes of this game put together complete performances moving forward, the Spartans may just win the Big Ten. But that’s a big if.