Spartans clobber Illini, sit alone atop Big Ten

Lucas' 20 paces MSU in 73-63 victory

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To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best.

The MSU men’s basketball team made a strong case as the Big Ten’s top dog Saturday, knocking off the last team standing in its way of perching atop of the Big Ten standings outright, hammering Illinois 73-63 on Saturday afternoon in front of an inspired capacity crowd at Breslin Center.

The No. 7 Spartans (15-3 overall, 5-0 Big Ten) have now taken down the second-, third- and fourth-place teams in the conference during a crucial two-week stretch that included wins against Wisconsin, Minnesota and the Fighting Illini.

“It does beat the hell out of the alternative,” said MSU head coach Tom Izzo, who’s Spartans have now won seven of the last eight meetings against Illinois. “And I guess you could say destiny is in our own hands. Unfortunately, there are 13 games left.”

Saturday’s catalyst was junior guard Kalin Lucas, who effectively put the Spartans on his back in the second half in an effort that put the game out of reach by the second media timeout of the second half.

Lucas finished with 20 points while sophomore forward Delvon Roe had a season-high 15 points before fouling out with 6:13 to play.

The game began at a speedy pace for a contest pitting two of the best field goal percentage defenses in the Big Ten, as Illinois (12-6, 4-1) scurried to an 8-2 advantage.

Lucas, off to another quiet start, didn’t convert a field goal until the 4:23 mark of the first half, when he hit a short jumper in the corner to ignite a previously subdued crowd and give the Spartans their first lead of the game, 25-24. It was the game’s lone lead change.

“That’s something I’ve got to do,” said Lucas, who scored in double figures for the 29th straight game. ”That’s something coach expects of me and the team expects of me. I didn’t start out good but my team stuck with me and I just went from there.”

The Spartans went on an 11-0 run that featured scoring from four different players, highlighted by six points from Roe. A 49 percent career free throw shooter, Roe was 7-for-7 from the charity stripe in the first half alone.

A 7-0 run to start the second half that, again, featured scoring from four different players put the game out of reach for the Illini.

“We just didn’t play very well,” Illinois head coach Bruce Weber said. “Obviously, the two stretches at the end of the half and the start of the second half was the difference in the game. You can’t let a good team like that have runs like that.”

A technical foul called on Illinois’ Brandon Paul at the 14:06 mark only furthered the Illinois bleeding as the Spartans used it to create a four-point swing. Lucas knocked down both technical free throws and drew a foul on the ensuing possession, also sending Illinois’ Mike Tisdale to the bench with four fouls.

The junior center, who averaged 21.5 points per game in the Illini’s last two wins, scored just two points in Saturday’s game, attempting one field goal and pulling down one rebound.

For the final 12 minutes, the Spartans coasted, as their lead teetered in the teens. It was a statement victory in front of a sold-out crowd of 14,759 which included past and future Spartan athletes — for the MSU basketball program’s annual reunion weekend and designated game for a variety of sports’ recruits.

“If we can finish this home stretch out good, I think we can have a lot of confidence going onto the road,” sophomore forward Draymond Green said. “Starting out 5-0 is big. Some people still have ground to make up on us but if we keep doing what we’re doing, I think we can still keep the lead in the conference on people.”

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