Three takes from Michigan State basketball's huge win over Illinois

Michigan State basketball just played an absolute thriller in front of a sold out Breslin Center crowd, going to overtime against No. 5 Illinois, and pulling out a massive victory, 85-82.

The game did not come without ups and downs, ebbs and flows that both benefited and caused adversity, but in the end, it was the Spartans that prevailed.

This win for MSU comes at a massive time for the Spartans, who have gone through the ringer over the past few games, needing a victory. The top five win is a massive resume booster for the Spartans, heading into peak bracketology time.

But before looking ahead, it is time to look back, and takeaway some key things that came out of this game before heading to Wisconsin next Friday.

Here are three takeaways from the Spartans win:

Grit

This team has just absolutely gone through it over the last couple of weeks, having to grind out a couple of wins before dropping a pair of tough conference games. With a three-game losing streak staring them straight in the face, MSU went toe-to-toe against one of college basketball's best teams.

The Spartans trailed by nine in the second half, they were trailing late in the game, they had to go to overtime after a win slipped away, and they prevailed every single time. Grit is a term used by the Detroit Lions, but it could be applied here, because the Spartans were the epitome of grit tonight.

Jeremy Fears bounce back

No matter how bad the week has been for Michigan State, it was even worse for Jeremy Fears, who has taken a lot of torment this week. Instead of failing, he prevailed.

Fears was a star, proving that he could be worthy of being an All-American scoring 26 points and adding 15 assists, willing his team to victory.

Being able to bounce back in this way, it was a magical performance for the leader of the MSU basketball team.

Cam Ward

There has been some give and take with Cam Ward this season, but on this Saturday night, he needed to step into a massive role and he thrived. If Ward can give this effort on a nightly basis, he will be massive for the Spartans down the stretch of this season.

Ward adds a dimension of athleticism to this team, and he can be an asset to this team if he continues this offensive fire power.

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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Three takes from Michigan State basketball's huge win over Illinois