Despite losing the opening tip, Illinois (11-2, 1-1) controlled this game from the first quarter on. Oregon (9-4, 0-2) put up a good fight and outscored Illinois in the second quarter but could not overcome the deficit, resulting in another home-court victory for Illinois.
Dolan returns, Cook remains sidelined
Sophomore guard Gretchen Dolan returned from a five-game absence to aid Illinois to a strong continuation of Big Ten play. She played an aggressive 24 minutes, picking up two fouls in the first five. She adjusted as play continued but racked up two more, staying just shy of fouling out.
Dolan went 3-4 on three-pointers against Oregon. She converted all but one of Illinois’ long-range shots, with fifth-year guard Genesis Bryant putting up the other.
Fifth-year guard Makira Cook remained sidelined with a day-to-day injury designation. Cook boasts the team’s fourth-best scoring average with 11.9 points per game and has 29 assists across her eight games. Without their point guard, the Illini are under pressure to fill in her sizable gap.
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Comparing starting 5 performances
Fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic continued her dominant streak. She recorded her fifth consecutive double-double, bumping her to nine double-doubles in 13 games and 43 total over her Illinois career.
Despite being impressive, this marked Bostic’s lowest double-double performance of the season, with just 10 rebounds and 10 points. It had been five games since she had scored fewer than 14 points. Even with the lower stats, her defensive coverage under the basket was on point.
The Ducks scored 32 points in the paint but only managed 10 second-chance points. They tried to start strong by dumping balls inside for easy layups, but the Illini forwards adjusted and forced the Ducks to fight for short-range shot attempts. While the Ducks still needed to fight in the middle, they cut down on open, easy shots.
Illinois’ bright spot was Bryant. She put in a near-season-best performance with 23 points and a season-best in rebounds and free throws made. She grabbed seven rebounds and shot 16-17 from the stripe. From the jump, Bryant played with aggression and fire. She dribbled through a crowded key and drew critical fouls at the end to secure the game for the Illini.
On the other end, the Ducks’ starting forwards had off performances. Their tallest player, senior center Phillipina Kyei, played only nine minutes and scored no points with only three attempts made. Her sole contribution was securing three rebounds. Kyei was projected to be the stopping force for Bostic, but her performance was lacking.
Junior forward Amina Muhammad had a slightly better outing. She played 23 minutes, went 3-9 from the floor and grabbed five boards. Then, she fouled out with 30 seconds left to play. Oregon was down one basket, 57-59, and her height would have been useful.
Of the starters, graduate student guard Deja Kelly played how Oregon needed. She contributed 14 points, one assist and three rebounds. She also shot 4-5 from the charity stripe, aiding her team’s free throw performance.
Solid rotations off the bench
Due to Illinois’ injury struggles, it had a shallower bench than Oregon. This left the Illini more tired and required much stronger performances from their substitutes.
Dolan proved to be the star player off the bench for the Illini. She scored 13 points, sank almost all of Illinois’ three-pointers, grabbed five rebounds and recorded one steal. Only three Illini came off the bench in this contest. Freshman forward Berry Wallace and sophomore guard Cori Allen joined Dolan, but the latter accounted for all of the Illini’s bench points.
On the other hand, Oregon subbed in six different players across the 40-minute game, and four of them scored. Its most efficient bench player was their highest scorer, redshirt junior guard Nani Falatea.
Falatea achieved a season-high 17 points against Illinois. She clinched a buzzer-beating three to cut her team’s deficit to one going into halftime. The guard also grabbed four rebounds and recorded a block and a steal in this matchup.
Falatea fought through Illinois’ defense easily. She would post up from far and then drive to the basket, blowing through double teams. Her 54% conversion rate highlights her efficiency with this strategy.
Illini’s free throw performance locked in the win
The Ducks and the Illini went shot for shot in the fourth quarter. Oregon regained the lead at the eight-minute mark for the first time since the first quarter. The opponents then traded quick field goal attempts to buy their respective teams some security in the final minutes.
However, Illinois dominated Oregon in free throw attempts throughout the game. Oregon had 17 fewer free throw attempts but managed a similar conversion percentage: 76.2% for Oregon and 78.9% for Illinois.
In the end, the Illini put another win in the record book by drawing fouls and being efficient at the line.
