This game had a slow opening, with both teams struggling to score for the opening three minutes. Then, No. 19 Illinois’ (6-0) senior guard Adalia McKenzie charged down the center and sank a layup. After that, Illinois was unstoppable against Maryland Eastern Shore (4-3).
Star of the day
Fifth-year guard Genesis Bryant was on fire against the Hawks. This game marked her best three-point performance all season at 80% from long range. She led many plays at the top of the key and controlled the pace comfortably. Bryant knew when to speed it up in transition or settle and run down the clock. She finished with 27 points and was the kind of leader Illinois needed in this game.
Illinois’ top defender on Tuesday was fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic. She grabbed 11 boards and made two critical blocks in the paint. Bostic was similarly impactful on the offensive end. She scored 12 points and made three assists.
Bostic was excellent at splitting the Hawks’ defense and working the ball around the perimeter. She has taken more three-pointers this season than in years past but did not try anything from beyond the arc this game. In the second quarter, Bostic took five shots and sunk four. Leading the team on scoring runs, this foundation allowed Illinois to lead at halftime by 17.
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With five minutes left, the fifth-year suffered a hit to the throat that took her out of the game. Despite the early exit, Bostic had already left her mark on the game as the Illini cruised to victory.
Finally, fifth-year guard Makira Cook had another strong performance. She finished with 15 points, shot 5-9 from the floor and sank two of her four three-point attempts. She was fierce on defense and stopped UMES from breaking inside the paint several times.
Outscoring the opponent
The Hawks’ graduate students, guard Zamara Haynes and forward Mahogany Lester, were their stars of the game. Combined, the two scored 34 of the team’s 55 points. Lester scored 14, and Haynes had 20.
This put Lester far ahead of her typical points per game (7.4) and was a season-high. In addition to her points, Lester grabbed six rebounds and dished out two assists.
Haynes came into this game scoring 16.8 points per game. It was her second consecutive game breaking the 20-point threshold. Haynes was a hard player to lock down, even for solid defenders like Bostic and senior forward Brynn Shoup-Hill.
Despite both successful performances, Illinois was the significantly better offensive team. It could break through the UMES defense and get into better shooting positions. They were also able to get players to shoot unguarded on multiple occasions by passing cross-court and using Bostic or Shoup-Hill’s central positioning to feed back outside.
Additionally, the Illini shot 33% from beyond the arc, an improved number from its 29.3% average coming into Nashville. This is much better than the Hawks’ 16% three-point performance, down from its 22.9% average.
Lockdown paint defending
Illinois played a 2-3 zone defense with Bostic holding down the paint. The zone forced the Hawks to play over the Illini defenders. UMES had a lot of difficulties breaking through Illinois’ tight ranks. Bostic and Shoup-Hill were large parts of that.
Bostic was a brick wall when defending the paint. She controlled her teammates to stop any runs she saw. If UMES did break through, she forced it to shoot high or kick it out again.
Shoup-Hill was also impactful on defense. Even though she had no blocks or steals, her presence was enough to scare Hawks away from the net. Coupled with Bostic, the two bigs forced many turnovers and off-target shots.
Post-game reflection
The Hawks played a respectable game and fought until the final whistle. However, they let the Illini solidify an 18-point lead at the end of the first quarter. They couldn’t overcome such a scoring disparity, only able to cut it down to 17 in the second and third quarters.
Illinois kept a steady pace and used every player’s best skills to its advantage. Because of the thin roster, younger players got some playing time and adjusted quickly to the pressure. With a thinning roster, Illinois will need these rookies to be ready to hop in and keep the pace of play up. Establishing a larger scoring lead early on allowed them to overcome that pressure in the beginning and then play comfortably, defending their advantage for the rest of the contest.
