Illinois (7-2, 0-1) has faced three ranked opponents so far: No. 19 Florida State (9-2), No. 14 Kentucky (7-1) and now No. 12 Ohio State (8-0, 1-0). The Illini have lost two out of their three ranked matchups after falling to the Buckeyes.
Important returners
Six-foot-one freshman forward Berry Wallace made her much-awaited return to the court after breaking her hand during Illinois’ opening game against Florida State. In the second quarter, she finally sank her first collegiate points to push the Illini back in step with the Buckeyes 25-25.
While it took her a few quarters to get comfortable, the freshman knocked down eight points. Despite low scoring, she moved the ball efficiently and stood her ground on defense.
The freshman appeared hesitant from the floor, often dishing the ball to a teammate versus shooting it herself. However, Wallace’s impact will only get stronger once she settles back into play post-injury.
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Junior forward Cotie McMahon is back for the Buckeyes after a four-game absence. She aided the Buckeyes to a solid game from the jump. McMahon and senior guard/forward Taylor Thierry were dangerous from the top. More than once, McMahon turned a drive toward the basket into a dish to Thierry out wide.
The starting forward racked up 25 points, five rebounds, three assists and one block. The Illini struggled to keep her contained. Despite standing at 6 feet tall, McMahon needed little room to maneuver through tight defenses or line up a shot.
Buckeyes put their foot on the gas early, Illini struggle to keep up
The high press forced Illinois to get the ball into its offensive half quickly. Even beyond the press, Ohio State’s aggressive pace threw Illinois off. In the first half, the Illini had 11 turnovers, and the Buckeyes converted them into 17 points. Their shots were getting stuffed, and players were getting double-teamed.
In the past two Ohio State matchups under Illinois head coach Shauna Green, turnovers were the nail in the coffin. The Buckeyes are extremely effective at laying on pressure and keeping the game pace high to throw off their opponents. They forced 19 turnovers from the Illini and scored 30 points from them. This starkly contrasts Ohio State’s 14 turnovers, resulting in 18 points for their opponent.
Entering the half, Ohio State led Illinois 40-26, shutting Illinois out 15-1 for almost six minutes. At that time, only a single converted free throw by senior guard Adalia McKenzie was allowed by Ohio State. Illinois struggled to make anything of its possessions, allowing Ohio State to rack up points easily.
2nd half adjustments
Coming out of the locker room, Illinois played with renewed energy. The team stopped trying to slow the game down and focused on quick passing down the court. Playing quickly in the transition areas and getting around defenders showed clear improvement.
One major adjustment from the Illini was their ability to maneuver around defenders. In the first quarter, many players held the ball too long or failed to shoot over McMahon or 6-foot-3 graduate student forward Ajae Petty. After the half, fifth-year guard Makira Cook and sophomore guard Jasmine Brown-Hagger drove under those taller Buckeye defenders or angled their bodies mid-air to prevent a stuff.
Fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic pushed out baseline drives, forcing poor shots from Petty. The team continued to grab rebounds with ease. The Illini grabbed 42 rebounds ahead of the Buckeyes’ 32. However, the turnovers stifled any hope of a comeback.
But the turnovers were not the only category Ohio State bested Illinois at. The Buckeyes blocked nine shots and picked the ball nine times. The Illini only had two team blocks and two steals.
Winning the ball and changing the direction of play quickly was where Ohio State thrived. This offset the team’s poorer rebounding efforts, which allowed them to fast-break without letting Illinois shoot.
Beyond the arc
Thierry was a pinpoint shooter in the opening quarters. She already had 1,000+ career points coming into this Illinois matchup and tacked on 14 more by the buzzer. The Ohio native was on fire from deep, going 2-3 early on. She was just as effective at charging down the lane and muscling her way to the basket, shooting 71%.
As a team, the Buckeyes have accrued a respectable 35.3% three-point average. The Illini came into the game shooting 26.4% from far. Ohio State attempted almost twice as many triples as Illinois but were less accurate: 29% vs. 42%.
Illinois struggled to shut down the shots from deep. Ohio State had a quick pace on both offense and defense. Its constant movement made it hard to lock down key players, so Thierry and McMahon used this confusion to their advantage.
Fifth-year guard Genesis Bryant had some late-game luck, drilling three long-range shots in the fourth quarter. She shot 4-7 on deep shots, but this did little to overcome the lead the Buckeyes had already established.
Foul trouble
Three players fouled out in this high-action game: two Illini and one Buckeye. Bryant and Petty were in foul trouble all of the fourth quarter, but both narrowly avoided being sent to the bench.
Losing senior forward Brynn Shoup-Hill was an especially tough blow for the Illini as they attempted to claw their way back. With three minutes to go, the game was now a single-digit difference. Shoup-Hill had been the team’s second-leading rebounder behind Bostic. McKenzie returned to the floor, but the guard was already having a quiet night, banking only five points. Her presence had little impact in turning the tide of the game since the lead was already controlled by Ohio State.
Moving on
While a loss was unfortunate for Illinois, it provides some insight into what the rest of its season will be like. The Big Ten conference already has nine teams in the AP Top 25, with Minnesota and Oregon receiving votes. Going forward, the Illini will need to focus on getting an early lead and matching the pace of their opponent.
