CHAMPAIGN — Michigan State coach Tom Izzo stood near one sideline at the State Farm Center on Saturday night, chatting with a TV reporter about earning Big Ten Conference win No. 354.
His Spartans’ 79-65 victory over Illinois officially made Izzo the all-time leader in Big Ten wins, pushing him past Indiana’s Bob Knight.
Near the opposite sideline, as disappointed fans filed out, Illinois staff worked to flip around the jersey banner of former Illini All-American Terrence Shannon Jr. Illinois honored Shannon, the team’s single-season scoring leader with 736 points, with a ceremony at halftime.
The Shannon event started with a highlights montage and a congratulatory video message from coach Brad Underwood. But when Shannon pulled on a string to unveil his banner for the State Farm Center rafters, it was upside down.
A promising night for Illinois went upside down from there too.
The Illini led by as many as 16 points in the first half, riling up a raucous crowd. But their energy — and their shooting — fizzled in the second half. Illinois went the final 8 minutes, 29 seconds without a basket, missing their final 19 shots.
The Illini at one point missed three straight 3-pointers on one possession. Underwood said his players took some good outside looks late, but he lamented that they backed off from trying to make plays inside.
“The succession of those (outside shots) was probably the thing that bothered me, and that’s where we have to help this young group grow,” Underwood said. “We’ve got to understand that we’ve got to get the ball downhill. … No excuses. I have to continue to hammer these guys about finding the paint.”
Illinois led 65-64 when Ben Humrichous made its last basket with 8:29 to play.
Illinois guard Kasparas Jakučionis and forward Morez Johnson Jr. each had 17 points and five rebounds. But Jakučionis missed six shots in Illinois’ final scoreless stretch. That included a layup that was originally called goaltending by Michigan State before it was overturned upon review.
Photos: No. 11 Michigan State 79, Illinois 65
“We didn’t drive the ball as good as we did in the first half in the last 10 minutes,” Jakučionis said. “Starting with me, I took some very bad shots without touching the paint, without creating anything, without creating for others, and I think that led us to the loss.
“Mentally we have to come back. Today, after a few bad shot selections, we should try to start driving the ball more, try to find the next action and not settling for the shot again and again and again.”
The Illini lost to Michigan State 80-78 in the teams’ first meeting Jan. 19, when Jakučionis was held to three points in eight minutes because of foul trouble.
This time, the Illini came out on fire, pulling ahead 17-6 on back-to-back Jake Davis 3-pointers just more than five minutes in. The Illini lengthened the lead to 31-15 with a 12-2 run, highlighted by Jakučionis’ beautiful drive and free throw to complete a three-point play and Will Riley’s 3-pointer.
But Michigan State fought its way back into the game with a 13-0 run late in the first half, fueled by seven points from Jaxon Kohler and six from Coen Carr. The Illini committed seven first-half turnovers, which led to 14 Michigan State points.
Kohler had a game-high 23 points and 10 rebounds and three other players scored in double figures as the Spartans bounced back from a disappointing loss earlier in the week.
Izzo had a chance to move past Knight on Tuesday, but Michigan State lost at home to Indiana 71-67. The Illini instead became the footnote to history four days later.
Izzo said after the game that he had a lot of respect for Knight as a coach and “if I can be in the same breath with him on that (in conference wins), that’s cool for me.”
“He won three championships, I’d turn that in for the record any day that I could turn it in,” Izzo said. “But what I am proud of is I tell each team each year, there’s something they have to leave here with that’s different than everybody else. And this team will get (to) tell their grandkids they were on the team (that broke the record).”
Underwood, who counts Izzo as a friend, congratulated the 30th-year Michigan State coach in his opening postgame statement and later spoke of his admiration for Izzo’s mission to help his players grow and his ability to inspire passion for his program in those people.
“It stinks, now I have to listen to his (butt) every time I talk to him at 2 o’clock in the morning,” Underwood joked of watching Izzo reach the milestone against the Illini. “You knew you were going to get their best after their game the other night.
“He’s one of the great guys, and I’m truly happy for him. I just wish it happened last week and not tonight.”
Illinois’ collapse — and the Shannon banner mishap — put a damper on what had started as a festive night in Champaign.
Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman addressed reporters after the game. He said the Illini apologized to Shannon and his mother, who was with him on the floor when the banner was unveiled, adding “we stole that moment from Terrence.” Whitman also apologized to fans.
“Obviously a really regrettable moment,” Whitman said. “It’s a shame that it happened that way. Of course I didn’t hang the jersey, but I’m ultimately responsible for everything that happens in this building. And ultimately that means that was on me tonight.”
Underwood still expressed appreciation for the moment for Shannon, who now plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“He’s from Chicago. He grew up watching this,” Underwood said. “To be up there with so few others, there’s not enough adjectives, there’s not enough words for how proud I am. It’s been an incredible week seeing two guys (along with Kofi Cockburn) who deserve to have that. I am honored to be a small part of their journey.”
