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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
CHICAGO (AP) -- It was over in an instant, a tangle of arms and
legs and bodies scrambling for the ball under the basket that's
seen dozens of times every game.
But when Andre Hutson's elbow collided with Cory Bradford's
nose, an ordinary collision suddenly became a turning point.
|  | | Michigan State's Morris Peterson goes over Illinois defender Sergio McClain driving to the basket. |
With Illinois' leading scorer temporarily knocked out,
the Illini unraveled and Michigan State (No. 4 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, No. 5 AP) cruised to a 76-61
victory in the Big Ten tournament championship game.
"We did make a little bit of a run and in games like this, so
close and so physical, one run can make the difference," Michigan
State coach Tom Izzo said. "I think today it did make the
difference."
Reeling from the sight of their team leader collapsing as he
tried to walk to the bench, the Illini (No. 25 AP) had four quick turnovers and
a fifth before halftime, and went three of eight from the field. Their
defense collapsed, too, as Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson led
the Spartans on a 20-8 run, taking a 35-27 halftime lead.
Bradford returned for the second half, his nose swollen, bruised
and likely broken, but it was too late. Hutson converted on a
three-point play and followed with a layup, and Peterson hit a
3-pointer to give Michigan State a 45-32 lead with 17:22 left.
Peterson finished with 14 points, four rebounds and three steals
and was named outstanding player of the tournament. Cleaves had 12
points and six assists. A.J. Granger led the Spartans with 17
points, and Hutson added 14.
Bradford went two of nine in the second half, finishing with 10
points on four of 15 shooting. Frank Williams led the Illini with 11
points and Cleotis Brown had 10.
The victory sealed a second straight No. 1 seed in the NCAA
Tournament for the Spartans (26-7), who were again sent to the
Midwest Region. Illinois (21-9) got a No. 4 seed in the East Region
and will play 13th-seeded Pennyslvania in the first round.
After the game, Peterson, Cleaves and Izzo climbed a ladder
together to cut down one of the United Center nets. Peterson cut
the last piece of the net and handed it to Cleaves, who put it
around Peterson's neck.
"These players, these seniors, have taken us so far," Izzo
said.
The Big Ten final was a rematch of last year's title game, which
Michigan State won 67-50. But that was a much different Illinois
team. Those Illini were the worst in the conference, weary from
knocking off three Top 25 teams in three days in the tournament.
These Illini had been playing perhaps as well as anyone in the
Big Ten. Since a 91-66 rout in East Lansing, Mich., on Jan. 30,
Illinois had won 10 of its last 11 games.
And for the first 13 minutes, the Illini gave Michigan State
everything it could handle. The Spartans turned the ball over six
times, with Brown taking the sixth miscue in for a dunk and a 16-15
lead with 8:16 left.
Then came the deflating collision. As they scrambled for a loose
ball under the Michigan State basket, Hutson elbowed Bradford and
he crumpled to the floor.
"I just got poked in the nose," Bradford said. "I fooled
around down there with their big guys and I got it broke."
After laying on the ground for a few minutes, he was helped to
his feet, but he managed to walk only a few steps before collapsing
again. The United Center went silent as he knelt on the floor, his
face buried in a towel, and the Illini watched their team leader in
shock.
Though Bradford got up and walked to the bench and then to the
locker room on his own, his teammates were stunned.
"We need his shooting out there all the time," center Brian
Cook said. "He's our best shooter and if he's not there, we miss
him."
When they retook the court, Lucas Johnson immediately turned the
ball over. Williams missed a layup, Sergio McClain had another
turnover, McClain's shot on the next possession was blocked and
then Brown missed a 10-foot jumper.
Three minutes after Bradford left, Damir Krupalija finally found
the basket on a layup.
"It was time for us to pick it up regardless whether he went
out or not," Cleaves said. "But when you have a guy like that
that goes out, you do want to pick it up a tad bit."
Illinois' frustration spilled over late in the second half, when
Johnson and Cleaves were called for a double technical with 1:35
left to play. With Johnson draped all over him and nowhere to go,
Cleaves called for a timeout.
He then pushed Johnson back, and Johnson shoved him. Williams
and Hutson moved toward them, and Izzo rushed at his bench, pushing
his players back so they wouldn't go on the court.
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ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
Illinois Clubhouse
Michigan State Clubhouse
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