De’Myla Brown, Adalia McKenzie lead second half performance in 78-66 win over Butler
Guard Adalia McKenzie prepares to shoot a free-throw during the game against Florida State on Dec. 2. The Illini win against Butler 78-66 and are 5-5 overall.
December 12, 2021
After a low scoring first half, Adalia McKenzie and De’Myla Brown came in clutch in the third quarter to help Illinois secure a 78-66 win over Butler.
McKenzie ended the day with 23 points, which included scoring 11 points in the third quarter. Right behind her was Brown scoring 16 points, which included a 10-point run, which at one point was an 8-0 on her run in the third quarter.
After a slow start, the Illini started a 10-0 run with the help of McKenzie to extend the lead to 15-6 with just over two minutes to go.
Butler broke the run with a 3-pointer from Tenley Dowell, leading to a 6-0 run. The quarter ended with a last minute drive from Sara Anastasieska giving the ball to Geovana Lopes, who got a jumper at the buzzer.
In the second quarter, Butler put the pressure on Illinois and started it off with a 3-pointer from Kendall Wingler to shorten the scoreline to just two points behind. The game was tight for a couple as the Bulldogs tried to fight for the lead.
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Right when Butler pulled the lead, it was short lived as a jumper from Jada Peebles set off a 10-0 run to finish the half. The Illini gained some momentum with the help of McKenzie’s aggressiveness and energy on the court.
Going into halftime, Illinois’ offensive burst at the end and pushed them into a 31-24 lead.
Come the third quarter, both teams turned it up a notch and improved from the first half performance. Illinois scored a total of 27 points with Butler right behind at 24, both equaling the points they scored in the first half combined.
Butler started off the half strong with a 3-point field goal from Wingler. Then, Illinois got into some foul trouble, putting the Butler at the free throw line. A jumper from Sydney Jaynes then tied the Bulldogs to the Illini once again 37-37 with just under six and half minutes to go in the third quarter.
From then on, McKenzie and Brown took charge scoring a combined 17 points and breaking the tie. Brown hit back-to-back 3-pointers, which boosted the energy on the court and helped the Illini find the momentum they needed to push for the win.
Going into the last 10 minutes of the game, Illinois was up 58-48. With balanced scoring, they found the rhythm on court with Nye hitting a three and finding Kendall Bostic for a layup in a transition.
The Illini finished the game with a 78-66 win over Butler going 5-5 on the season and have week until they travel on the road again for Southern Illinois.
@AngelleCortes
