EAST LANSING — Xavier Tillman grabbed his right knee and grimaced.
Carrying No. 8 Michigan State basketball on his shoulders for nearly 30 minutes began to take a toll, a combination of cramping and tendinitis sending the junior forward to the bench.
Just in time for Cassius Winston to finish what Tillman started.
Tillman set a career high with 16 rebounds and added 19 points to lead the Spartans to a 74-58 victory over Minnesota on Thursday, their eighth straight victory. The 6-foot-8 junior forward finished 9 of 14 shooting, two points shy of equaling his career scoring output.