Champaign, Ill. – Michigan State held its own after allowing the Illini to fight back in the second half to earn at least a share of the 2008-09 Big Ten Championship.
The title is coach Tom Izzo's fifth, and the Spartans' first since 2001. But, the game may have been more special to senior Travis Walton.
Walton is the only senior on the team who hasn't won a Big Ten Tournament Championship, or reached the final four. If the Spartans don't reach one of those marks this year, Walton would be the only senior to play for Tom Izzo in the last seven years and not reach either goal.
However, his first goal was to win a Big Ten championship and have a banner in the rafters. Now he's helped that goal become a reality.
Sophomore – and possible Big Ten Player of the Year – Kalin Lucas led Michigan State with 18 points, and Walton added 8 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals.
Raymar Morgan scored 14 in 22 minutes, the most the Junior has played since Jan. 17 against Illinois, playing 31 minutes.
Morgan has missed 4 games and played only 64 minutes in the last 9 games as he was recovering from walking pneumonia. Morgan's performance is a good sign for Izzo's crew as they head towards the Big Ten and NCAA tournament where they will likely by a No. 2 seed.
The Spartans have two contests remaining but will focus first on their Mar. 3 contest at Indiana before finishing the regular season at home against (16) Purdue.
If Michigan State wins out they will outright claim the Big Ten championship.
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