EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Jeremy Fears scored 26 points, including a tiebreaking three-point play with 1:47 left in overtime, and had 15 assists to help No. 10 Michigan State hold on for an 85-82 win over No. 5 Illinois on Saturday night.
With a chance to send the game to a second overtime, Illinois center Zvonimir Ivisic missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
The Spartans (20-4, 10-3 Big Ten) knocked the Fighting Illini (20-4, 11-2) out of first place in the Big Ten and ended their 12-game winning streak.
Illinois' David Mirkovic scored 18 points, Andrej Stojakovic had 17 points and Tomislav Ivisic fouled out with 2:22 left in overtime after scoring 12 points.
Illini freshman Keaton Wagler, who averaged 27-plus points the previous four games, missed 14 of 16 shots and scored 16.
Fears started and played more than 40 minutes after coach Tom Izzo debated whether to discipline the standout point guard with restricted playing time after his sportsmanship was called into question in two straight games.
Late in the first half, Fears was scrutinized again. Fighting Illini coach Brad Underwood asked officials to review whether Fears intentionally tripped David Mirkovic after stopping in front of him. Underwood lost the appeal.
Michigan State’s Kur Teng made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 8.5 seconds left in regulation and Jake Davis tied the game at 71-all with two free throws after getting fouled on a put-back attempt on the ensuing possession.
Illinois led 39-35 at halftime after six ties and nine lead changes and was ahead by nine points early in the second half.
Michigan State's Jaxon Kohler had 11 points and 16 rebounds while Jordan Scott and Teng scored 10 apiece.
Illinois: Hosts Wisconsin on Tuesday.
Michigan State: At Wisconsin on Friday.
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Exclusive film screening in San Mateo Read moreA LITTLE FELLOW: THE LEGACY OF A.P.GIANNINI
Yosemite Says said:
Something bad must be in the water when e-bike fans are willing to criticize common sense safety legislation for our kids's and grandkids'sake.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.