The No. 23 Illinois women’s basketball team (3-0) continued its season-opening homestand against the Eastern Illinois Panthers (0-3) tonight. Strong defense and efficient offense set the tone early for the Illini, who ran up their lead to as much as 50 points in the fourth quarter. They finished the game with a 47-point lead and an 84-37 win.
Their defense was the star of the show, but the offense was just as good. The Illini hit five three-pointers in the first half. Their season total for three-pointers made was four coming into the game. Sophomore guard Jasmine Brown-Hagger led the team with 23 points.
“For me, it’s just bringing what the team needs in the moment,” Brown-Hagger said. “I was just taking what was given to me.”
The good
Illinois has been stretched thin in the front court due to injuries. Junior forward Shay Bollin, freshman forward Berry Wallace and sophomore center Lety Vasconcelos were all out tonight. Fifth-year guard Makira Cook, a usual starter, was ruled out before the game.
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Despite all the injuries, the entire Illinois team stepped up. Brown-Hagger had her best performance of the young season, finishing 10-15 from the field. Sixteen of her points came in the fourth quarter.
“I just felt like this was going to be kind of her night,” said head coach Shauna Green about Brown-Hagger. “You could see her confidence tonight. She got a lot of shots off, but she was very efficient.”
In her first-ever start, sophomore guard Gretchen Dolan looked right at home. She played confidently on both ends. On offense, she started hot, scoring 13 points, six of which came in the first half. The New York native looked just as sharp on defense. She had a block and a steal in the opening quarter.
Despite losing their second-highest scorer, the team made up for it by spreading the scoring. The Illini had four players in double-figures, and two others scored nine points.
The great
After making only four three-pointers all season, the Illini ended the first half with five. They were much improved, making three’s at a 47% clip. Their previous best on the season was an unimpressive 18%. They finished the game with nine threes on 19 attempts.
“I was really happy that we took 19 threes,” Green said. “We shot the ball really well, so I think we did take good shots, and we learned from the last two games.”
Their three-point shooting wasn’t the only thing that improved. They shot 55% from the floor overall, a big turnaround after an ugly shooting performance against Marquette. Combined with their defense, their efficiency led the Illini to dominate the Panthers.
Brown-Hagger stepped her game up and looked far more comfortable in tonight’s matchup, pulling up from all over the court. She shot an efficient 66.6% from the floor and 3-5 from three. After a slow shooting start for the Illinois native, she picked it up, proving a reliable option on the offensive end.
To add to the scoring, freshman center Hayven Smith and freshman guard Mia Zenere scored their first collegiate points. Zenere’s came on a breakaway layup in the fourth, and Smith’s came from a tough bucket under the basket.
The fantastic
Simply put, the defense was on another planet. They forced 16 turnovers and limited EIU to only two three-pointers. They forced four shot-clock violations through the first three quarters. As a team, they had four blocks and six steals.
The Illini defense held EIU to seven, eight, 10 and 12 points each quarter, respectively. After giving up a lot of fourth-quarter points in their first two games, holding the Panthers to only 12 was a big win.
Perhaps the most impressive stat from Illinois’ win is how they played Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year senior forward Macy McGlone. McGlone, who was averaging 25.5 points this season entering the game, was held to only two by the Illini defense.
“Just having that mindset to not let her score,” said fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic. “I did not want her to get over 10 points tonight; that was my goal for her, and I did a pretty good job with that.”
Bostic played tough defense under the basket. She held McGlone to only four shot attempts. Bostic was physical, fighting with her opponent all game. She found just as much success against McGlone on offense as she did on defense, scoring 11 points.
One of Illinois’ toughest defenders, senior forward Brynn Shoup-Hill, played another great game. She had two blocks and played vigorous defense no matter who was in front of her. Senior guard Adalia McKenzie played firm defense as always. She guarded multiple different players throughout the game. Her defensive mindset leads the team, encouraging the other players to play well.
Next up
The Illini will take on Le Moyne on Nov. 18 at home. The game is at 11 a.m. to celebrate the annual tradition of Field Trip Day, where thousands of grade-school kids are expected to be in attendance.
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