By: Anne Marie Krappmann

By: Anne Marie Krappmann

By: Anne Marie Krappmann

By: Anne Marie Krappmann

   EAST LANSING, Mich.  The University of Illinois women''s basketball team has some company at the top of the Big Ten Conference.

   The 17th-ranked Illini, storming back for the second consecutive game, scored 30 points in the final 13 minutes but lost to No. 19 Michigan State 78-75 on Sunday before a record crowd at the Breslin Center.

   The Spartans evened the season series at 1-1 and created a three-way tie for first place in the Big Ten with one week left in the regular season. Illinois, Michigan State and Purdue are 11-3, the Boilermakers beating Wisconsin 62-43 on Sunday.

   Each team has two regular season games left. Illinois is at home Friday against Wisconsin and next Sunday against Purdue at the Assembly Hall.

   Win both and the Illini are guaranteed their first Big Ten title. First they must regroup from their first loss in eight games.

   "This was a classic example of digging yourself in a 10-foot hole and only bringing a 9-foot ladder," UI coach Theresa Grentz said.

   Michigan State went on a 21-3 first-half run and led 51-33 at halftime. It marked the second consecutive slow start for the Illini, who fell behind by 16 points in Friday''s 84-81 win at Ohio State.

   "I thought we could have come out a little more aggressive in the first half," UI junior Ashley Berggren said. "We allowed them to run, we allowed them to work their transition game and that''s what hurt us."

   The Illini had a chance to tie, but Berggren''s three-pointer from the corner fell short with less than 10 seconds remaining.

   "The play wasn''t designed for me," Berggren said. "I just had to throw it up there and hope for the best."

   Alicia Sheeler led the Illini, 19-5 overall, with 17 points and eight rebounds.

   "That was a great college women''s basketball game," Michigan State coach Karen Langeland said. "Illinois is such a good team, they come at you with so many different weapons.

   "They can hurt you inside, they''re a good three-point shooting team and they penetrate to the basket well."

   The UI''s stay alone in first place didn''t last the weekend. While the Illini won Friday, the Spartans lost at Purdue.

   "I was a little concerned about bouncing back after a tough loss Friday night," Langeland said. "Our players were disappointed and frustrated with that loss and to only have one day in between and to come back and play a game like this is a tremendous credit to them and to the type of people they are."

   Illinois, which trailed by 17 early in the second half at Ohio State, again showed late spark. The Illini outscored the Spartans 42-27 after the break.

   "I thought my team in the second half played a very valiant, very courageous second half," Grentz said. "We just didn''t win the ballgame."

   Illinois trailed 72-71 with 3:32 remaining when Cheri Euler scored on a layup. Kristin Rasmussen, who had a team-high 16 points and five rebounds, added two free throws.

   Euler tallied 12 points.

   "It was a hard-played ballgame, but there is some more work that we need to do, which is always good at this time of the year," Grentz said. "You don''t want to peak just yet."

   Four starters scored in double figures for the Illini. Berggren had 15 points, Tauja Catchings 13 and Nicole Vasey 10.

   Freshman Casey Leonhardt added nine points and five rebounds off the bench.

   "I was pleased with Casey, particularly in the second half," Grentz said. "I thought she went back and really gathered herself. She made some key baskets, got some key rebounds.

   "I''m not so sure about some of the fouls, though."

   Leonhardt had four fouls, Michigan State outscoring the Illini 13-8 at the free throw line.

   The crowd of 7,633 was the largest to see a women''s game at Michigan State, which honored its seniors.

   "You have to remember something," Grentz said. "We''re very young. There was one time when I had one junior and four freshmen on the floor against a team that graduates a class of five seniors.

   "So it will be a long time before I have five seniors in a class."