Coming off three straight double-digit losses, the Illini aimed for a fast start to avoid a similar fate. 

About midway through the first quarter, the Illini weren’t intimidated by the undefeated Wolverines, and sophomore guard Jeanae Terry took charge — scoring six points early while Illinois held a 10-6 lead. But shooting struggles wiped away all the progress.

After a quick start to the first quarter fizzled out, the Illini shooting went cold, allowing the undefeated Wolverines to pull away with a steady 70-50 victory over the 2-6 Illini. The Illini finished three of 19 from behind the three-point line. 

“It’s not like these kids are trying to miss shots, but we gotta hit some threes to take the pressure off our inside game,” head coach Nancy Fahey said. 

After Michigan took a 17-14 lead after the first ten minutes of play, the Wolverines’ own offensive struggles were minor compared to Illinois’.

The Illini only mustered three points in the 2nd quarter and scored its only basket with 1:37 remaining before halftime. After 20 minutes of play, the Wolverines held a 28-17 lead.

“They went to the zone, and we didn’t respond very well with our actions,” Fahey said. “That quarter hurt us. Otherwise, I think it would’ve been a very interesting game.”

The struggles continued for some of the third quarter, but Terry and Rubin sparked the offense with success in the paint and from the free-throw line, while the perimeter game still struggled. Rubin’s impact was short-lived, as Wolverines held the Arizona State transfer to only five shots.

While the Illini made a run, the Wolverines found success in the paint as well, which neutralized the Illini comeback.

The fourth quarter turned out to be the Illini’s best offensive quarter, scoring more points than the entire first half. 

The Illini hit a couple of three-pointers, which opened up the paint for the Illini bigs. But the 2nd half offensive performance was not enough, as the Illini struggled to slow down the diverse Wolverine attack, as they were outscored every quarter.

While shooting was an issue again, Terry’s assertiveness and input on the offense continue to grow. Terry led the team in shots taken and points scored, finishing with 17 points on 16 shots, although seven turnovers were a problem.

“I knew I wanted to come out and stay aggressive,” Terry said. “I knew a couple games went by and I wasn’t.”

“We’ve been talking a lot to Jeanae about taking shots,” Fahey said. “She’s a natural facilitator; she really assists, but when she looks to score we are a better team. I thought she responded well today.”  

With the loss, Illini has now lost five games in a row, and the schedule doesn’t get any easier with ranked Michigan State and Northwestern teams on deck. 

In a season with Maryland head coach Brenda Freese claiming the conference having the most depth it’s had since she’s arrived at the Big Ten, victories will be tough to come by for a young Illini squad.

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