Berry Wallace Shines as No. 25 Illinois Fends Off Northwestern in McKeown’s Final Trip to Champaign
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Before tipoff, Northwestern head coach Joe McKeown received a warm sendoff from Illinois in recognition of his final visit to State Farm Center after nearly two decades at the helm in Evanston. But once the game started, the Illini made it clear they weren’t in the mood for a parting gift.
Behind a career-high 29 points from sophomore Berry Wallace, No. 25 Illinois held off a gritty Northwestern comeback to secure a 74-71 win, extending their dominance over their in-state rivals to seven straight games under head coach Shauna Green.
Wallace was the engine all afternoon, scoring in every quarter, but it was her poise down the stretch that stood out. With Illinois clinging to a 71-70 lead and Northwestern threatening to complete a 15-point comeback, Wallace knocked down a critical bucket with 1:53 remaining - her final points of the game, but arguably the biggest.
Northwestern had chances late. Grace Sullivan, who led the Wildcats with 21 points and 9 rebounds, had a look to tie it at 73 with 10 seconds left, but her jumper came up short.
Illinois freshman Cearah Parchment secured the rebound - her 11th of the game - and calmly knocked down one of two free throws to push the lead to three. That capped a double-double performance for the Ontario native, her fifth of the season.
The Wildcats still had one last shot. Caroline Lau launched a three in the final seconds to try to force overtime, but it missed the mark, sealing the Illini’s 15th win of the season and keeping them above .500 in Big Ten play at 5-3.
“I’m really proud of how we played down the stretch,” Green said postgame. “We’ve shown that we can get stops when we need them, but we’ve got to make sure we continue to string possessions together and have a sustained competitive stamina. Otherwise, these games are going to be tight.”
Tight is right. Northwestern didn’t go quietly.
After trailing by double digits for most of the second half, the Wildcats chipped away possession by possession, fueled by Sullivan’s scoring and some timely stops. But Illinois kept answering, thanks in large part to Wallace’s steady hand and the team’s relentless effort on the glass.
Wallace, who’s been a consistent scoring threat all season, delivered her 11th 20-point game of the year and sixth in conference play. She also added nine rebounds, four of them on the offensive end. Alongside Parchment, the duo accounted for half of Illinois’ 18 offensive rebounds - just shy of the 20-board goal Green set for her team.
“We set a goal of getting 20 (offensive boards). We almost got it with 18, so that’s huge,” Green said.
Illinois also got a strong performance from freshman guard Aaliyah Guyton, who stepped into the starting lineup for the first time this season in place of the injured Gretchen Dolan. Guyton didn’t flinch, matching her season high with 13 points and giving the Illini another scoring option in a high-pressure game. Dolan, a key scoring threat for Illinois, was sidelined with a knee injury and is considered day-to-day.
The win also carried a bit of historical weight. Before Green took over in 2022, Illinois had dropped 14 straight to Northwestern. But since her arrival - and with the program’s steady rise - the Illini have flipped the script, now unbeaten in seven straight against the Wildcats.
McKeown, who coached Green as an assistant during the 2015-16 season, is in his 19th and final year leading Northwestern. While his farewell tour continues, Illinois was determined not to let his last trip to Champaign end in celebration.
With the win, the Illini improve to 15-4 overall and now look ahead to a tough road matchup next Saturday against No. 24 Nebraska.
Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. CT on BTN.
For now, Illinois can take a breath - and a well-earned one at that. They held their ground, dug in when it mattered most, and leaned on their rising star in Wallace to finish the job.