With its 51-41 defeat of the Fighting Illini, the team became the first ever to start a season with a 19-2 record.

The No. 8 Spartans (19-2 overall, 7-1 Big Ten), led by senior guard Drew Neitzel’s 15 points, held the visitors to 30 percent shooting. Mike Tisdale and Calvin Brock each had seven points for the Illini (10-12, 2-7).

MSU hurried to a 12-3 lead to start the game and — thanks to some furious interior and perimeter defense — held the Fighting Illini to one field goal in nearly the first 12 minutes of play.

But right when it looked as if Illinois wouldn’t be able to keep up, a string of MSU turnovers and Illini 3-point baskets led to a 15-2 run and suddenly the Spartans were playing from behind. MSU trailed at halftime 24-20 – only the fourth time this season they’ve gone into the break without a lead.

“When we got knocked in the mouth and I didn’t think we responded very well,” MSU head coach Tom Izzo said. “That’s definitely the toughest team we played. I expected that but I’m not sure my freshman did. We looked a little intimidated to me. I reminded them of the ‘Players Play, Tough Players Win’ that this program was built on and I’m not sure that was executed very well tonight.”

It wasn’t until the Spartans got nine straight points from Neitzel — three free throws, a jump shot and two lay-ins — that they regain the lead around the 15-minute mark in the second half.

“He started coming off screens harder,” Izzo said. “Earlier, a little
grabbing here and there really threw us off. We weren’t coming off
(screens) as sharp and, in the second half, he start looking for them
a little more.”

As the second half continued, the game appeared to become more physical. MSU went 12-for-14 from the charity stripe in the final 8:16 of the contest.

For the other side, the Illini shot a dismal 7-for-19 from the free throw line.

“I could have wrote the script ahead of time,” Illinois head coach Bruce
Weber said. “I wish it wasn’t the same story but it’s been like that all year for us. You talk about it at halftime — playing loose and free and having confidence and the same habits and mistakes seem to come up in the second half. I wish I had some kind of cure to change it.”

The Spartans travel to Penn State at 8 p.m. Saturday.