CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — After two heartbreaking losses to Oregon and USC, the Illini have fired back with statement wins in their last two games.
Tuesday night’s win over Rutgers marks back-to-back games in which the Illini have beaten their opponent by more than 20 points. The orange and blue dominated the Scarlet Knights for all 40 minutes, taking the victory 76-56.
The Illini got off to a bit of a slow start; Berry Wallace and Cearah Parchment were only 2-of-7 in the first quarter, but that wouldn’t last
long.
Wallace and Parchment destroyed Rutgers in the remaining quarters. Parchment, along with 6-foot-7 Lety Vasconcelos, completely dwarfed Rutgers’ front court, allowing the Illini to not only take the edge in rebounds but also set up an efficient fastbreak.
With Destiny Jackson running the point and Maddie Webber coming off the bench, the Illini ran in transition.
At the end of the half, with the Illini already in a comfortable position, Webber added on to the lead. With four seconds remaining, Parchment grabbed a board and flung a pass up to midcourt, where Webber caught it right in front of the scorers’ table.
In that position, most players would have settled for a low percentage pull-up shot; however, Webber, with an insane game presence, decided to drive with the ball, using every single second that remained on the clock to get an uncontested layup. It was plays like that that ultimately sealed the deal for the Illini.
“[Webber’s] just a huge spark, and she has just a motor that never stops,” said head coach Shauna Green.
As the orange and blue push towards March, it’s high IQ and hustle plays that matter, and Webber will be a main part of that. Webber wasn’t the only Illini hustling tonight, though. Steals were a main factor, with Jackson and Parchment seeming to be pesky on defense all night.
At the start of the third quarter, Jackson showed her motor. Defending at the top of the Key, Jackson stole the ball and ran as hard as she ever had to get the transition layup.
“We were getting a lot of steals tonight, which was good, and we were just pushing on them,” Parchment said.
The main story all season long, though, has been Wallace and Parchment, and that dynamic duo is setting up to be not only an important one this season, but for the future as well.
“I think I’ve just seen her grow a lot in her leadership on the court. I think she always sets up to the moment and she does a great job just taking whatever the defense gives her,” Wallace said.
If you’re the Illini, these last two wins over Wisconsin and Rutgers were must-wins. Especially with the season that’s been full of ups and downs, any win, no matter the opponent, is huge for this lockroom. Even with off-days that are soon to be a rarity, with the way this team continues to grow, it doesn’t seem like much of a problem.
“We have a day off tomorrow, but then we’ll just get back to work,” Parchment said.
There were so many moments this season that could’ve made the Illini quit — Gretchen Dolan’s injury, crushing losses to USC and Oregon, and inexperience up and down the lineup.
But Illinois just seems to keep persevering.
“I think our kids, for being young kids, really stayed locked in through some of those times of adversity,” Green said.
Moments that Mattered
High basketball IQ from Webber.
Chemistry wins ball games.
You know, Parchment can grab boards, but her deep ball has really improved throughout the season.
Stat Stuffers
- Berry Wallace (ILL) – 21 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist
- Cearah Parchment (ILL) – 20 points, 10 rebounds, 4 steals
- Destiny Jackson (ILL) – 4 points, 8 assists
- Faith Blackstone (RU) – 13 points, 4 rebounds
What’s Next?
It’s about that time, folks. The Illini only have three remaining regular season games, and just one of them is at home.
The Illini will travel to Northwestern to face them on Sunday. The Illini took down the Wildcats at State Farm Center only a month ago. From there a big time matchup awaits when the Illini will face the Iowa Hawkeyes in Iowa City next Thursday.
