After a big win over No. 14 Maryland (19-5, 9-4), Illinois (19-5, 9-4) did not cool down. It beat Northwestern (8-14, 1-10) at home and dominated Wisconsin (11-13, 2-11) on the road. Some players contributed to the lopsided results, while others struggled to get things going.
*Kendall Bostic (A): Fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic was a big help against the Wildcats and the Badgers. She performed well on both ends of the court, especially against Wisconsin.
Guarding junior forward Serah Williams is no easy task, but Bostic didn’t blink an eye. The primary defender on Williams, she held the dangerous post player to just 14 points. Williams shot 3-11 and missed shots she normally hits with ease. Bostic was active on the defensive end, blocking two shots and stealing the ball three times.
Her offense was as solid as ever. She scored 15 points in both games and shot an efficient 59.1% from everywhere on the floor. She played facilitator as well, getting six assists against Northwestern. Her consistent play has helped Illinois past the injury woes and raised its ceiling. Even against much taller players, she continues to dominate on both ends.
*Brynn Shoup-Hill (B-): Senior forward Brynn Shoup-Hill hasn’t had the big numbers or flashy plays. What she has done, though, is make the hustle plays. The forward was all over the court for the Illini, doing whatever needed to be done.
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Against Northwestern, she scored six points and played well on defense. Then, against Wisconsin, she had one of the best games of her season. Shoup-Hill tied her season-high with 11 points and made three of her five attempts from beyond the arc. She made her biggest impact under the rim, grabbing six rebounds, five of which were offensive. Two of Shoup-Hill’s offensive rebounds led directly to points for the Illini.
Against one of the tougher post players in the country, Brynn Shoup-Hill fought to keep possessions alive. Hustle plays like that don’t show up on box scores, but they are the difference between good and great teams.
*Adalia McKenzie (B): After a lackluster offensive performance against Northwestern, senior guard Adalia McKenzie stepped up against Wisconsin. She scored 18 points, grabbed eight rebounds and had six assists.
She got things going early, hitting the first three-pointer of the game, giving Illinois a 7-2 lead. It started a 17-2 run in favor of the Illini. She hit another from beyond the arc late in the second quarter.
Scoring wasn’t her only contribution to this game. Similar to Shoup-Hill, McKenzie had plenty of hustle plays. One that stood out was an offensive rebound in which she slipped through a cluster of Wisconsin players on the baseline. She somehow came away with the ball, extending the possession for Illinois.
*Jasmine Brown-Hagger (D+): Sophomore guard Jasmine Brown-Hagger had a rough couple of games. She scored nine points in both games. She was efficient, shooting 3-5 and 4-8 against Northwestern and Wisconsin, respectively.
However, she ran into serious foul trouble. She fouled out against the Wildcats, picking up her fifth foul with less than three minutes left in the game. She had similar trouble against Wisconsin, picking up four fouls. Despite starting both games, Brown-Hagger didn’t have much of an impact. She’s proved in past games this season that she can play well, but these two games were not her best showing.
*Genesis Bryant (A): Fifth-year guard Genesis Bryant continues to be stellar for the Illini. She has settled into the point guard position, and her effort against Northwestern and Wisconsin was impressive.
Bryant’s 20 points against the Wildcats led the team. Her ability to drive to the rim is effortless. She either sinks the layup or draws the foul practically every time.
As a facilitator, she finds passing lanes everywhere, getting the ball to everyone. Her ability to do so opens up the offense and allows Illinois to take better shots. Bryant had seven assists and four assists against Wisconsin and Northwestern, respectively.
Late in the third quarter against Wisconsin, the guard went down. She was holding her knee and could not get off the floor. She was carried off and didn’t return to action. There hasn’t been any official word, but losing Bryant would be detrimental to an impressive season.
Berry Wallace (B): Freshman forward Berry Wallace has blossomed into a threat from three-point range. She hit two from beyond the arc against Northwestern and three against Wisconsin.
Her offense has been improving each game. She scored double-digits in both games and has been confident in her shot. She has also been aggressive, driving to the rim when she has a lane. Wallace has solidified herself as the sixth-woman, and her effort on offense has helped Illinois tremendously on its six-game win streak.
Cori Allen (D-): Sophomore guard Cori Allen has played limited minutes for most of the season. She played nine minutes against Northwestern and 10 against Wisconsin but didn’t score in either game. She only recorded one rebound and one steal, both against the Wildcats.
With a very short bench rotation, Allen has a big opportunity to improve her play and earn more minutes. However, she hasn’t done much for either cause. She does keep up with the game well, making sure she’s on her assignment on defense. Besides that, she has been very cold over the past few games.
The freshmen (D): Freshman center Hayven Smith played a total of four minutes across the two games. Freshman guard Mia Zenere and freshman forward Irene Noya Catoira both played two minutes against Wisconsin. None of them did much in their very limited minutes. Despite the lack of production, any time on the court in a real game is good for the freshmen. They all will likely play bigger roles next year, and getting some experience is good for their development.
@ben_some16
