Evanston, Ill. - A Shooting Showcase
The Illinois Fighting Illini rolled into Welsh-Ryan Arena with a mission: to sweep their in-state rivals, the Northwestern Wildcats. Mission accomplished, and in spectacular fashion, as they cruised to a commanding 92-65 victory, boosting their season record to 19-8.
The game began with a flurry of fouls, a scenario that played right into the Illini's hands given their stellar 81.52% free throw shooting, the best in the conference. But it was their prowess from beyond the arc that truly stole the show.
Sunday afternoon turned into a three-point spectacle, with Illinois turning the court into their personal shooting gallery. At one point, they were hitting an astounding 90% from downtown, finishing with a remarkable 12-of-18, or 67%. It was a shooting clinic from start to finish.
Efficiency was the name of the game for the Illini. With four of their five starters scoring 17 or more points, it was clear they were firing on all cylinders.
Freshmen Cearah Parchment and Destiny Jackson led the charge, each scoring 19 points, with Jackson setting a new career high. Jasmine Brown-Hagger added a season-high 18 points, going 6-for-11 from the field.
Berry Wallace was her usual dominant self, hitting 4-of-6 from three-point range to contribute 17 points.
Off the bench, Maddie Webber chipped in with 13 points, shooting an impressive 5-of-7 from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. This collective effort made it nearly impossible for Northwestern to keep pace.
While performances like this aren't an everyday occurrence, head coach Shauna Green will be thrilled with the balanced scoring across her lineup. This kind of depth is exactly what the Illini need as they gear up for March.
The Illini are hitting their stride at just the right time, showing that even a young squad can make waves in the postseason. Wallace driving to the basket and Jackson lighting it up from outside were common sights throughout the game.
Stat Highlights:
- Illinois shot 67% from three-point range.
- They hit 83% of their free throws.
- Outscored Northwestern 27-6 in fastbreak points.
Up Next:
Illinois wraps up their regular-season road trip against the Iowa Hawkeyes on Thursday. Catch the action at 8 p.m. on Big Ten Network.