Preview: Illinois vs Michigan State Women's Basketball

Illinois vs. Michigan State Women's Basketball: TV Channel, Tip-Off Time, and How to Stream

• Who: Illinois Fighting Illini (20-10, 9-9 Big Ten) vs. Michigan State (22-7, 11-7 Big Ten)
• What: Big Ten Conference Tournament Matchup
• When: Thursday, March 5 at 5:30 p.m. CT
• Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
• TV/streaming: Big Ten Network
• Radio/audio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network (Champaign: WDWS 93.9 FM or 1400 AM); Fighting Illini Productions; Varsity Network App
• Last game: Illinois opened the Big Ten Tournament with a 82-70 victory over Wisconsin. The Spartans got a bye in the first round of the tournament, but ended their regular season with a loss to Ohio State at home.
• Series history: Illinois is 29-49 all time against Michigan State. The Illini dropped the last matchup 75-81 in East Lansing earlier this season.

What to know about Michigan State

The Spartans are exactly the kind of opponent that turns a second-round tournament game into a 40-minute grind. Michigan State is led by senior forward Grace VanSlooten, who averages 15.1 points per game and gives them a steady scoring base possession-to-possession. They come into Indianapolis with real resume muscle, sitting No. 18 in the final AP Top 25 heading into the postseason, and they earned that spot with week-to-week consistency rather than a couple of hot stretches. 

Just as telling: Michigan State didn’t lose outside of Big Ten play – its schedule page lists a 22-7 overall record and an 11-7 conference record, meaning the Spartans went 11-0 in nonconference games. To be fair, though, they were not tested outside of a mid december showdown against Ole Miss.

Illinois has already proven it can compete with this group. In the first meeting in early January, the Illini stayed within striking distance in an 81-75 loss, even as Michigan State made the key plays down the stretch. To flip the result this time, Illinois will need to finish cleaner late – valuing possessions, getting stops without fouling and turning good stretches into a full closing push.