After failing to convert on multiple chances to tie the game, the No. 7 seed Spartans fell to No. 10 seed Illinois 71-69 in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament, marking their third straight appearance without a win.

"We got to be better fluidity in what we're doing, and that was a big focus for us this week. And then when the game lights are on, we have to be able to translate that," MSU head coach Robyn Fralick said. "We just make too many mistakes, … like silly travels, and we foul a 3-point shooter right before half, just things like that."

MSU's aggressive defense was on full display just seconds into the game, forcing turnovers from the Illini on each of their first four possessions. The Spartans finished the quarter with four steals while also forcing seven turnovers.

That pressure created easy MSU buckets early, helping them jump out to a 6-0 lead in the opening minutes.

The Spartans led for nearly the entire quarter until Illinois put together an 8-0 run in the final 1:15, taking a 20-17 lead into the second.

"Early in the game, I thought we really did a good job," Fralick said. "It didn't create a big enough gap when we were really playing some good basketball."

Though Illinois closed the first quarter with a spark, both teams were ice-cold to start the second, combining for just six points in the opening five minutes.

That offensive struggle became a familiar sight for MSU through the first half, as the Spartans shot just 37% from the field and failed to connect on a single 3-pointer. It was most glaring in the final 3:09 of the second quarter, when MSU went scoreless from the field.

"Another thing with that is the shots that we're taking," Blair said. "When we get easy shots than we're generally going to make them. So, I thought that they forced us into hard shots early. So that's something significant in the shots that we're taking."

Meanwhile, Illinois was efficient, shooting 50% from the field and from beyond the arc — yet only led 36-29 at halftime.

Despite the offensive disparity, two players carried their teams in the first half. For MSU, it was Blair. For Illinois, it was freshman forward Cearah Parchment. Blair finished the half with 14 points, Parchment with 15, both shooting an efficient 5-of-7 from the field.

Blair would go on to finish as the game's overall leading scorer with a career-high 30 points.

"Blair started going and getting really hot. So we tried a lot of things. We were sending people, and we were going to double her at times," Illinois head coach Shauna Green said. "But, man, she's good. She is really hard to guard."

The Spartans made strides out of halftime, outscoring Illinois in the third quarter and finally draining their first 3-pointer of the game at the 6:22 mark. The flashes were there, but the offense still sputtered, shooting just 38% in the quarter, and MSU still trailed 53-48 heading to the fourth.

Then the shots started falling.

MSU shot 60% from the field and 100% from 3 in the fourth quarter, and the Spartans' confidence was revived as they knocked down big shot after big shot.

"It's frustrating to see that your shots aren't falling, but you don't want to ever lose confidence," VanSlooten said. "Just keep shooting; eventually, one of them is going to go in. I think that's kind of what we did. We just stayed with it."

With 4:39 remaining and MSU down eight, Blair swished a 3-pointer to narrow the lead to five, despite shooting under 25% from deep on the season. Brown followed with 3:28 to go, draining a 3-pointer from the corner to cut the deficit to four.

But the lack of offense through the first three quarters proved too much to overcome. The Spartans came up just short, falling 71-69 after a hectic final 30 seconds.

The biggest question now looming over Fralick is her inability to win in the Big Ten Tournament. She remains winless through her first three seasons.

"I know we can play better. So that's on me to find a way to make that happen for the group," Fralick said. "That's something that we have to as a staff figure out how to get done."

Next up for MSU is the NCAA Tournament, but its fate won't be decided until Sunday, when the NCAA reveals the bracket and seedings. A No. 4 seed or better would secure home-court advantage in the opening rounds. Anything lower would require the Spartans to travel. After a tough stretch from early February to now, it's unclear whether the team is still worthy of that top-four seed.