CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois started off its season with a 34-point victory over Detroit Mercy backed by a huge second-half turnaround to put away a game that stayed contested far longer than most expected.
The No. 23 Illini topped the Titans 84-50 Wednesday night at State Farm Center.
Illinois (1-0) has poised itself on doing a few things better than anyone else in the country: being efficient at the free throw line and taking care of the basketball. In each of the past four years under head coach Shauna
Green, the Illini have averaged the second-fewest turnovers per game in the Big Ten, under 13 per game.
The Illini had a sloppy start to Wednesday’s game, ending the first half with 15 turnovers, already surpassing their average per game last year. After the first 20 minutes, the Titans only trailed the Illini by 4.
Costly mistakes by the Illini kept Detroit Mercy in the game, with 12 of the Titans’ 32 first-half points resulting from Illinois turnovers. Of eight Illinois players who saw more than five minutes of action in the first half, only Jasmine Brown-Hagger went into the locker room with no turnovers.
Second Half Security
It’s clear that the Illini made sure that the second half wouldn’t be the same movie as the first. The orange and blue played with a far more controlled pace, ending the half with only three turnovers, five times fewer than the first half.
“Sometimes you need to see it and more importantly you need to feel it, and we felt it that first half, and credit to our team, they responded,” Green said after the win.
While it’s not uncommon for teams to struggle early in the season, it feels like the standard for this program under Green has been elevated, especially ahead of what could be a historic season. In what many are deeming a light non-conference schedule for the Illini, perhaps the first half of this game was the wakeup call they needed, and they certainly delivered.
A mark in the victory column
Without watching this game in its entirety, you would think the Illini completely dominated. Illinois ultimately notched its first win of the season, outscoring the Titans 48-18 in the second half.
Green’s squad will look to continue charging through their non-conference matches before they head into the gauntlet of Big Ten play.
Illinois hosts Southern on Saturday at 2 p.m.
