Lansing Sun

Michigan State's women's basketball team achieved a decisive 86-68 victory over Illinois on Sunday, led by junior guard Theryn Hallock who scored a career-high 26 points. The win at the State Farm Center marked Michigan State's third consecutive victory, improving their record to 15-3 overall and 5-2 in Big Ten play.

Hallock surpassed her previous career high of 24 points set against Purdue last year, scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter alone. Junior forward Grace VanSlooten contributed significantly off the bench with 24 points, while graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault added 12 points. Graduate guard Jaddan Simmons had a balanced performance with seven points, seven rebounds, and six assists.

The game was notable for being the second time this season that Michigan State had two players score at least 20 points. A strong start saw the Spartans take an early lead thanks to a solid defense that forced multiple turnovers from Illinois. By halftime, MSU led by nine points with a score of 43-34.

In the third quarter, fouls began to accumulate for both teams but did not deter Michigan State from maintaining their advantage. Hallock dominated in the final period by scoring the first dozen Spartan points and ended up with most of MSU's fourth-quarter total.

The Spartans will next face Penn State at home on Wednesday evening as they aim to extend their winning streak further.