No. 22 Illinois women’s basketball (4-0) continued its annual Field Trip Day dominance. The team beat Le Moyne (0-5) 94-25, holding the opponents to just two points in the second quarter. The win was the fourth-biggest margin of victory in team history.
Special occasion
Today’s game was the annual Field Trip Day at State Farm Center. Thousands of students from local grade schools, middle schools and high schools packed the arena. The official attendance number was 13,486, the third largest in the team’s history.
“I mean, it’s super fun, just the atmosphere,” said fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic. “There’s very few games in college that any athlete gets to play with an atmosphere like that. So, we just love it (and) embrace it.”
The local students brought the energy, staying on their feet for most of the game; it was mind-numbingly loud throughout. Under head coach Shauna Green, Illinois is 3-0 on Field Trip Day. They’ve scored 100, 103 and 94 in those three games.
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Offensive explosion
The Illini spread the ball well throughout the game and tallied 15 assists in the first half. They had four players in double-figures for the third time this season. Bostic led the scoring with 25 points, the fourth different leading scorer in as many games.
The Illini were efficient for the second game in a row and shot almost 58% from the floor. After a rough shooting performance against Marquette, Illinois has been lights out. The team shot 55% against EIU and 57% against Le Moyne today.
“Sometimes the ball doesn’t go in, and sometimes it does,” Green said. “We continue to worry about the process and look at, OK, what shots are we taking or how are we getting those shots.”
Sophomore guard Gretchen Dolan was once again a big part of the Illini win. She scored a career-high 15 points on 6-11 shooting and added seven assists and five rebounds. After being thrust into the starting lineup last game, Dolan fit seamlessly back into the bench role.
“I think I just let the game come to me today,” Dolan said. “I think we were just finding each other really well, and that feeds off of each other with us running the court.”
With this win, Illinois has only played without a lead for 45 seconds. Outside of the Marquette game, they have never trailed at any point in a game. Dominant offense and defense have led to an undefeated start for Illinois.
No score zone
Defense was a strong suit for Illinois, something that is becoming a constant in their games. The Illini held the Dolphins to just nine points in the first half. Le Moyne went almost 15 minutes without scoring a field goal, finally getting a tip in the last minutes of the second quarter. The home team also guarded well outside the arc, holding Le Moyne to two three-pointers on 21 attempts.
“Obviously, I’ll hold them to nine points in the first half,” Green said. “Our defense was on point.”
Everyone helped out on defense, playing tough in the paint and perimeter. As a team, the Illini had 11 steals, a season-high. Every player but two had at least one steal. The team never surrendered more than 11 points in a quarter. They played tough defense and made the Dolphins take bad shots late in the shot clock.
Bostic once again played lockdown defense in the paint. The Indiana native held Le Moyne’s leading scorer to just six points. Last game, she held the OVC Player of the Year to just two points.
Injury update
Fifth-year guard Genesis Bryant went down at the end of the first quarter. Green and trainers went over to help her, and after a minute, she was carried to the bench. She eventually limped back into the locker room and didn’t return to the court for the rest of the game.
“I don’t know much,” Green said. “I think she’ll be OK. It wasn’t worth putting her back in there today.”
Looking ahead
Illinois will take on Oregon State (1-3) at State Farm Center on Friday, Nov. 22. Opening tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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