Although the Illini enter Thursday’s home game against Michigan State with a 3-4 record in Big Ten play, all four of their losses have been by a combined 12 points. The team has been unable to close out its games in the final minutes and will look to do so against a Spartan team they beat at home last season.

“We need a win. We need to play like it’s our last game,” junior forward Chelsea Gordon said. “I think it just comes down to us, it doesn’t matter who we play. I think every game we beat ourselves. Once we get it together as a team, I know we will be absolutely fine.”

After losing tough games in the final minutes against Iowa, Ohio State, Indiana and Penn State, head coach Jolette Law emphasized the team’s need to pick up a win.

“I don’t like moral losses. I don’t understand it,” Law said after Monday’s loss to Iowa.

The Illini will have their hands full when then play Michigan State, the only Big Ten team to beat conference leader Ohio State this season. The Spartans are led by 6-foot-9 sophomore Allyssa DeHaan, who is averaging 15.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.4. blocks per game. DeHaan’s team leads the league in blocks, but has dropped four of its last five games.

Law said it is going to come down to executing in the final minutes – when her team needs to play to win instead of playing not to lose.

“We probably know every opponent better than we know ourselves,” Law said. “We must finish games; finish close ones. We can’t trade baskets. It’s going to come down to getting that extra stop.”

Gordon agrees the team has a lot of talent and will be able to outplay Michigan State and the rest of the Big Ten. If the team comes together and applies pressure defense in the final minutes, things will fall into place.

“I know the rest of this Big Ten season we can win every game as long as we get it together within the dynamics of our team,” Gordon said.

“Once we buy in and we get tired of losing, there is no one that is going to stop us.”