Illinois women’s basketball (10-11) travels home Thursday after a tough loss to Purdue on Monday. The Illini made quite the fourth-quarter comeback before ultimately falling in overtime. They now set their sights on the Northwestern Wildcats (8-14), a rival they handled by a score of 93-52 back in January.
Head coach Shauna Green continues to preach consistency going into this one, especially as it pertains to the team’s leading scorers: senior guards Genesis Bryant and Makira Cook.
“We’re not built to have both of those guys not shoot the ball at that level,” Green said. “We need them to score it. We’ve talked to them about trying to manufacture points, get to the free-throw line more when your shots not falling … We’ve just got to continue to keep them confident, keep them shooting ‘em.”
Monday was a quiet night for the aforementioned Bryant and Cook as they finished with a combined 23 points on 7-34 from the field. Junior guard Adalia McKenzie had 15 points and five assists but exploded for a career-high 17 rebounds. Twelve of those 17 rebounds came on the offensive glass, a place where McKenzie has given the Illini an extra boost all season with her hustle and athleticism. Fifth-year center Camille Hobby and freshman guard Gretchen Dolan finished with five points apiece.
The story of the night for Illinois was senior forward Kendall Bostic. The Indiana native put up one of the best performances of her career. Bostic stuffed the box score finishing with 24 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks. She also went 2-2 from the three-point line, which has been a bonus for the Illini as she has continued to get heavy time at power forward.
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Green had heavy praise for the continued development of Bostic down the stretch and throughout her time at Illinois.
“I think she’s (Bostic) really thriving at the four spot,” Green said. “She’s just so confident in her shot right now … She’s making a lot of them in practice, so I’m confident in her shooting those as well … She’s playing at a really high level.”
Northwestern could have added confidence coming into this game after its win over Wisconsin last Sunday — a win that marked the team’s first since Jan. 10. The Wildcats are a threat to get hot at any time, shooting 36.2% from downtown, a mark good for No. 29 in the country. Junior forward Caileigh Walsh has emerged as the go-to scorer for Northwestern, as she averages 12.8 points per game. Surrounding Walsh are five players who shoot at least 37% from three.
Fans can see Illinois take on Northwestern at the State Farm Center on Thursday night or tune in to Big Ten Network. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
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