FINAL: MSU 81, Illinois 72, Spartans upset No. 5 Illini in David vs. Goliath win Juniors Gabe Brown and Marcus Bingham Jr. celebrate a Bingham dunk and and-one opportunity against Illinois on Feb. 23, 2021. The Spartans beat the Fighting Illini, who were second in the conference, 81-72. — Photo by Devin Anderson-Torrez | The State News Michigan State men’s basketball looked like a team playing for their life Tuesday night, and in a scrappy 81-72 victory over No. 5 Illinois (16-6, 12-4 Big Ten), they proved to still be hanging onto a lifeline. In a performance defined by an electric start that they never came down from, MSU (12-9, 6-9 Big Ten) claimed a stunning upset over the second-place team in the Big Ten. The Spartans picked up right where they left off against Indiana, claiming a season-high in field goal percentage in Big Ten matchups as they shot 54.2% in the game.