Illini’s Slow Starts Becoming a Costly Trend After Loss to USC
CHAMPAIGN - If Illinois needs a spark to open games, Cearah Parchment may have hit on something when she joked they should start every game pretending they’re already down 20. Head coach Shauna Green didn’t laugh that one off - she agreed, and not lightly.
That sense of urgency? It’s exactly what the Illini are missing when the ball tips. And it cost them again Sunday in front of a packed house at State Farm Center, where Illinois fell 70-62 to USC in front of the program’s first sellout crowd in nearly 26 years.
“We gotta be more consistent,” Green said postgame. “That’s the biggest word for us right now - consistency.
We have to fight like we’re down 10 when that ball’s tipped. When we play desperate, we’re really good.”
But desperation came too late.
For the second straight game, Illinois couldn’t shake off a sluggish start. USC came out swinging, controlling the tempo from the opening possession and setting the tone on both ends of the floor.
The Trojans’ defense, which already averages six blocks per game, swatted eight shots on the night - five of those in the first half - as Illinois struggled to find rhythm early. The Illini shot just 30% (9-for-30) before halftime and finished the game at 39%, including a rough 2-for-14 from beyond the arc.
USC’s length and activity in the paint were game-changers. Jazzy Davidson and Kennedy Smith combined for 18 first-quarter points, and Illinois had no answer. The Illini trailed 23-11 after one and never fully recovered.
It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that things got interesting - and loud.
Down by as many as 19 early in the final frame, Illinois finally found its energy. Destiny Jackson and Parchment, both freshmen, led a furious rally that brought the crowd to its feet.
Jackson, who finished with 17 points and eight assists, scored eight in the fourth and dished out four assists in the frame. Parchment added 16 points and 12 rebounds, including eight in the fourth quarter alone.
Together, they helped trim the deficit to just six with just over two minutes left.
But the comeback ran out of time - and gas. Once again, Illinois was left wondering what might’ve been had they shown up from the jump.
This isn’t new. The Illini have dropped games against Nebraska, Michigan State, and Oregon in recent weeks - all marked by similar slow starts.
The difference this time? Those games were on the road.
Sunday was in front of a raucous home crowd, and the opportunity to deliver a signature win slipped away.
“I know it’s something that we’re going to fix in the locker room,” Jackson said. “It’s something that’s going to change moving forward.”
But the question lingers: why does this keep happening, especially against high-level (Quad One) opponents?
“If I knew that, I’d be smiling a lot more,” Green admitted. “We’re still learning.
Last year’s team, I could kind of tell - I knew when things felt right. This group, I’ve got to figure it out.”
Green pointed to urgency, defensive lapses, and mental mistakes as the kind of things Illinois can control. And she took the responsibility squarely.
“That’s on me,” she said. “I have to get these guys to come out and play more disciplined and focused from the start.”
The numbers from the first quarter tell the story: 5-for-17 shooting, four turnovers, and a USC team that smelled blood. Illinois’ young core - so often the engine of this team - looked every bit their age early on. And with veteran Gretchen Dolan unavailable, the Illini lacked someone to steady the ship.
Meanwhile, USC’s stars delivered. Smith posted 20 points, seven rebounds, and a career-high six blocks.
Davidson was even better, finishing with a career-high 27 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. They were in control from start to finish - at least until Illinois made it interesting late.
To their credit, Illinois didn’t fold. That fourth-quarter push showed what this team is capable of when it plays with urgency. But it also highlighted the issue: they’ve been playing their best ball when they’re already in a hole.
USC’s Smith acknowledged the late surge: “Their pressure - they really turned it up. I think they startled us in the third and fourth quarter.”
Still, moral victories don’t show up in the standings. And Parchment wasn’t in the mood to look for silver linings.
“We did it to ourselves,” she said. “Defensively, offensively - it’s really just on us at the end of the day.”
Veteran contributions were hit-or-miss. Berry Wallace scored 10 points but went just 4-for-17 from the field.
Maddie Webber added eight on 4-for-11 shooting. In contrast, it was the freshmen - again - who led the charge.
And that brings us to the bigger picture. This is the most basketball many of these players have ever played. Parchment and Jackson are still learning on the fly, and Green hinted that shorter practices might be the key to keeping their legs fresh down the stretch.
“We’re gonna work hard,” Green said, “but I think we have to try to get these practices low on time so that we have our legs.”
USC forced Illinois to play faster than they wanted, and the Illini responded with sloppy execution. With back-to-back losses now on the books, Illinois - projected as a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament before Sunday - needs to regroup quickly. The next two games, both at home against Wisconsin and Rutgers, are critical opportunities to get back on track.
“We just have to learn and then apply,” Green said. “That’s the missing piece right now - consistency in execution.
They know the mistakes we’re making. Now it’s about applying it when the lights come on.”
The Illini have shown they can fight. Now it’s time to start games the way they finish them.