EAST LANSING (AP) — Aaron Henry scored 20 points and Joshua Langford had 15 points and a career-high 16 rebounds to lead Michigan State to an 81-72 win over No. 5 Illinois.
The Spartans earned a desperately needed quality win to bolster their chances of playing in 23 straight NCAA Tournaments.
The Fighting Illini had won a Big Ten-best seven straight games, putting them in contention for a No. 1 seed in college basketball's showcase that starts next month.
Trent Frazier scored 22 points for Illinois, whose star players weren't as productive as usual against a suddenly stingy defense.
