After trailing by 13 points in the first five minutes of play, the Spartans showed their resilience for the rest of the game en route to a thrilling 68-65 victory.

It wasn't until 14:28 left in the second half that MSU (12-8 overall, 4-4 Big Ten) took its first lead of the game. From there on out, the teams exchanged leads but the Spartans outlasted Illinois (15-4, 5-3).

Freshman forward Paul Davis and sophomore forward Alan Anderson led the Spartans with 15 points apiece and Davis chipped in a game-high eight rebounds. Sophomore guard Kelvin Torbert added 11.

For more on Spartan basketball please read Monday's edition of The State News.