You may want to re-read the last paragraph of Lucas’ game preview for this game because that’s what the Spartans did tonight.

After a few days of internal debate, Tom Izzo decided to start Jeremy Fears after the Michigan State floor general’s style of play was questioned in the last two games. This probably didn’t come as a surprise given Izzo’s loyalty to his players. While Izzo said Fears had to “grow up” after the Minnesota game, he also vigorously defended the point guard’s character.

Freshman Jordan Scott got his second straight start for the Spartans while MSU was facing its first full game without Divine Ugochukwu, who was lost for the season with a foot injury suffered at Minnesota.

Offense was hard to come by in the early going for both teams but that would change. Fears missed his first two shots but got the scoring started with a fast break layup off an Illinois turnover. Scott, meanwhile went to the locker room with a cut on his forehead suffered in the early going. He would return a bit later with a bandage over his right eye.

Michigan State looked more to form in the first five minutes tonight, compared the last few games, as a Jaxon Kohler put back off MSU’s fifth offensive rebound, put the Spartans up 6-4. Illinois responded with a triple from Zvonimir Ivisic to lead 7-6 at the 14:52 mark.

A Coen Carr jumper gave the lead back to MSU but Carr went down hard under the Spartans’ offensive basket a couple possessions later. Illinois took advantage with an open three to go up 12-8. The Spartans responded with a seven point run highlighted by a monster jam from Cam Ward and then followed that with a three from Kohler.

MSU got a bit cold from there, however, while Illinois started to heat up. The Illini scored on three straight possessions to take a 25-19 lead with 7:52 left in the first half.

Kur Teng had an answer to get MSU back in it after the under eight break with a corner three and an elbow jumper to get the Spartans back within one. This would foreshadow a critical sequence from Teng late in the second half.

The three ball then hurt the Spartans defensively like it did at Minnesota as Ben Humrichous hit a couple from deep for Illinois to put the Illini back up by six. MSU, however, responded with threes of their own by Trey Fort and Kohler to even it up at 31.

Illinois went back up by a bucket with a put back layup and then Fears came under scrutiny for the third game in a row. Brad Underwood wanted a review where he thought Fears tripped an Illinois player. Fears was near the top of the key facing the MSU basket when the Illini player ran past as Fears appeared to slightly extend his left foot. Perhaps surprisingly, the review went MSU’s way and the Spartans could let out a brief exhale.

A Fears to Carr lob, after Carr outran the entire Illinois team, provided the highlight of the half, and gave the Spartans a 14-0 edge in fast break points, but the Spartans still found themselves down 39-35 at the break. This was despite MSU limiting Illinois’ Keaton Wagler, who went for over 40 points in a win at Purdue last month, to just two free throws, which came in the last minute of the first half.

The edge for Illinois came with one more three pointer – Illinois hit 5-17 in the first half while MSU was 4-13 – and at the free throw line. The Illini hit 6-7 charity shots while MSU was 3-4. Illinois also took advantage of more of their offensive rebounds with a 10-5 advantage in second chance points.

The second half started out somewhat poorly for MSU as Andrej Stojakovic and Wagler hit threes for Illinois and Scott picked up his third foul. Illinois built there lead to nine before MSU battled back with buckets in the key from Teng and Fears and a driving dunk from Carr. The Spartans cut the Illinois lead back to four, at 47-43, with 15:18 to go.

Michigan State continued the momentum coming out of the break with a runner from Fears and two free throws from Ward to tie it at 47. A Fears to Carr lob gave Coen his third dunk of the game and Spartans a 49-48 lead.

Illinois responded with a 6-0 mini-run, which included a four point play from Jake Davis but the Spartans battled back again. A Scott three tied it at 56 and gave the Spartans a 21-0 edge in fast break points. But Illinois got the next five before a Carson Cooper push shot in the paint cut the Illinois lead to 61-58 with just under seven minutes to go.

A Kohler three made it 63-61, Illinois, and then the Spartans had a chance to tie after a stop on defense. Michigan State couldn’t take advantage though as a clunky offensive possession led to a turn-around desperation fade away from Carr that wouldn’t go. A Stojakovic runner had Illinois back up four at the under four media timeout.

Down to the wire it continued. Fears drives on consecutive possessions led to two Illinois fouls – including the fourth on Tomislav Ivisic – and Fears hitting three of four at the line. Scott picked up his fourth personal on the other end, sending Wagler to the line where he hit two. Fears added a layup to get MSU within a point and then Carr rejected Wagler at the rim.

Kohler couldn’t connect on an open three but Scott drew a foul going for the offensive glass. Jordan hit both at the line and MSU led for the first time in over 11 minutes, 68-67.

The Spartans got another stop with 1:15 to go and called a timeout to set up a play. The result was mostly Fears dribbling around and settling for a long two that didn’t fall.

Illinois followed up MSU’s ineffective possession with a Mirkovic layup to go back up 69-68 with 30 seconds to go.

Back on the Spartans’ end, Teng got two open looks beyond the arc and nailed the second after an offensive rebound kick out from Kohler. MSU was up 71-69 with 8.5 seconds left and needed just one more stop.

Instead, it was Illinois creating second chance opportunities of their own. With players battling in the lane as the clock wound down, Fears was called for a foul, sending Davis to the line for Illinois. He calmly hit both with just one second left to tie it at 71.

The Spartans had one more chance in regulation. A Fears heave found Cooper near the three point line. Coop got one up and drew iron but it wouldn’t go, which gave us another five minutes of basketball.

Fears continued to surge the Spartans in overtime. He got the scoring started with a drive and, after the Spartans got a stop, Cooper added a free throw to make it 74-71.

Illinois came back with five in a row, however, to reclaim the lead. This was amidst a rough sequence for Scott and MSU. Jordan passed up an open three, instead trying to force a pass inside that was stolen by Illinois. On the other end, Scott got absolutely run over by Davis on a screen attempt and the referees chose to ignore it. Instead, they called a foul on Fears late in the possession which sent Wagler to the line and gave Illinois the five point lead.

It was all Fears from there though. He drew three fouls – one of them for an and-one – and went 6-6 from the line down the stretch. Jeremy’s last two free throws put MSU up 85-79 but Illinois make MSU work to the very last second.

Wagler hit a long three with six seconds to go and then MSU turned it over on the inbounds play. A last second triple from Illinois was off though and, after a rough couple of weeks, the Spartans came out of it with perhaps their best win of the season.

Fears finished with a game for the ages with 26 points, 15 assists, and went 12-13 from the free throw line. As a team, the Spartans were 20-23 from the stripe.

For their part, Illinois hit 20 of their 24 free throw attempts and only had four turnovers for the game. The Spartans, for the most part, were able to keep pace with eight turnovers and gave up only five points off of those giveaways.

In the end, the Spartans led for a total of just over nine minutes of game time but they had the lead when it mattered most – at the end of 45 minutes of excellent, hard-fought basketball by both teams.