(Photo: Rick Danzl, Associated Press)
Champaign, Ill. — At one point in the first half on Tuesday night as another ball sailed out of bounds, Tom Izzo turned on his heels, looked up to the rafters at the State Farm Center and let out a big sigh.
He was busy watching his team virtually give a game away as No. 9 Michigan State turned the ball over 24 times — 17 in the first half — to lead to its third straight loss, this time falling 79-74 to an Illinois team that won just its fourth conference game of the season.