CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In an in-state rivalry matinee where Illinois State hoped to pull off an upset, Illinois was just too much.
Despite the Redbirds sticking around for more than three quarters Sunday afternoon
at State Farm Center, the Illini knocked off ISU, 75-65.
The game was close throughout, especially late into the second half as every time the Illini tried to pull away the Redbirds were right there to answer back, including making it a two-point game with under five minutes left to play.
Winning close games such as these are often difficult for young teams like the Illini, who started three underclassmen Sunday.
Illinois head coach Shauna Green was proud of her squad for pulling through.
“For a young team to be able to respond and make one play at a time, one by one, not get caught up in the moment, just be present in the moment,” Green said. “I think that was a huge learning and growth point that we’re going to go back to, and we’re going to really try to carry that with us.”
The Illini’s defense was also massive for their victory Sunday. Everyone contributed meaningfully on the defensive end, with players such as Maddie Webber and Destiny Jackson with multiple key deflections. As a team Illinois had nine steals, with Jackson contributing four of them.
“You saw her make those slides and they just ran right into her and she’s so quick,” Green said. “I thought tonight was her best defensive effort.”
For only a freshmen, Jackson was really impressive through the entire game. She played 35 minutes as the primary ball handler for the Illini and was able to tally eight points, five rebounds, and two assists. What makes this even more impressive for her age is she did all of this without turning the ball over once.
Jackson’s mentioned speed is one of the reasons that Illinois was able to push the pace so well on offense. They got to their shots quickly, almost always within the first half of the shot clock, and they were constantly attacking from the free throw line area, whether that be a mid-range jumper or an easy pass down low for a layup.
“We’ve been working it and I think it’s also just the more comfortable they get with each other, right?” Green said. “The more comfortable they get in the system, we’ll get better and better.”
Jackson wasn’t the only Illini who was active in the stat sheet as the duo of sophomore Berry Wallace and junior Gretchen Dolan was on full display.
In the first half it was all Wallace as she had 14 points on perfect 6-of-6 shooting.
Once the third quarter started, it was all Dolan who had 10 of her 18 points in that stanza.
To close it out Green trusted Dolan and Wallace to get the job done. Wallace was clearly the go-to player in the clutch as she found the ball in her hands almost every possession and, after a helpful 6-of-9 from the free throw line, finished the game with 22 points on 70% from the field.
“They were great down the stretch, they were huge,” Green said. “They put us on their back.”
Moments that Mattered
Dolan refuses the screen with a tough drive.
Jasmine Brown-Hagger with the reverse lay off the nice find from Dolan.
Great team play ends with a Cearah Parchment bucket.
Stat stuffers
- Illinois out-rebounded ISU 33-24 including 9-4 on the offensive glass.
- Freshman Cearah Parchment tallied a near double-double with nine points and nine rebounds.
- Illinois shot 47% from the field.
- Illinois shot 27% from beyond the arc.
What’s next?
The Illini have a long rest before a long road trip to Corvallis, Oregon to match up with the Oregon State Beavers on Friday night.
Both teams are currently undefeated and tip-off is set to begin at 8 p.m. on ESPN+.
