Michigan State basketball has claimed another Big Ten championship. With an 81-61 win over Illinois on Tuesday, the Spartans clinched at least a share of the Big Ten title for the 2017-18 season.
Michigan State clinches share of Big Ten crown with win over Illinois
Sparty reigns supreme in the Big Ten once again.
Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
It was also Michigan State’s 11th straight victory as they have not lost a game since Jan. 13, where the Spartans lost to their hated rival, the Michigan Wolverines 82-72.
With the victory on Tuesday night, the Spartans have a one-game lead over No. 16 Ohio State, who defeated Rutgers, 79-52 at home. The Buckeyes can earn their share of the Big Ten crown if they defeat Indiana on Friday night and Michigan State falls to Wisconsin.
As of right now, that scenario seems highly unlikely because Wisconsin lost to the Spartans by 16 points earlier this season and have played bad basketball this entire season.
Therefore, it looks like the Buckeyes will be battling for seed position against No. 9 Purdue, who is only sitting a half-game back of Ohio State for the second spot in the Big Ten.
Tuesday night’s game got close for Michigan State as they only had a 38-35 lead over the Fighting Illini at the half. However, good teams know how to put their opponents away and the Spartans did that in the second half, outscoring Illinois 43-26 en route to a victory on senior night.
Sophomores Joshua Langford and potential NBA lottery pick, Miles Bridges led Michigan State in scoring with 19 and 16 points respectively. The duo also torched Illinois from the three-point range as Langford shot 3-of-4 from distance, while Bridges was 4-of-7.
Then, off the bench, forward Jaren Jackson Jr. added eight points, five blocks, and four rebounds. The Illini didn’t have an answer for the potential top-five pick, who showcased a variety of skills on national TV.
Michigan State has one game left on the regular season slate, before they head into Big Ten tournament play.
Right now, one would think that they are the odds-on favorite to win the conference tournament. Currently, they are a No. 1 seed and will have a double-bye, meaning they will not be playing until the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tourney.
If the Spartans can handle their business in the conference tournament, then they should set themselves up with a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
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