With under three minutes left, the Illini (21-5, 11-4) held a three-point lead over the Nebraska Cornhuskers (17-9, 8-7). That was until senior guard Adalia McKenzie weaved through two defenders, missed her layup, got her own miss and put it back up.
She hit the deck hard, but the ball bounced in, and the whistle blew for a foul. The crowd erupted, and Illinois, with a six-point lead, didn’t look back for the rest of the game.
“It is absolutely the fuel that drives us,” said head coach Shauna Green on McKenzie’s energy.
Illinois finished the game’s last minutes strong and beat Nebraska 77-68. Its winning streak, now up to eight, is the longest in Big Ten program history.
Big-time players make big-time plays
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
McKenzie was the physical embodiment of energy against Nebraska. She played hard defense and very rarely let a defender get by. She was aggressive on offense, too, and drove quickly to the rim numerous times.
Throughout the game, McKenzie made multiple big plays on offense. Then, in the blink of an eye, she would be back on defense, breaking up a pass or flying in to force a jump ball. Her effort was the biggest element in the win.
“On defense, you got to do what you got to do,” said McKenzie. “I just want to be the best I can be on defense and give all that I can.”
In the last minute of the fourth quarter, she did it again. She inbounded the ball, which bounced off freshman forward Berry Wallace’s hands. McKenzie was there in a flash, grabbing the ball and doing what she does best: driving to the rim. She sank the layup and drew the foul to put the Illini up by nine.
Often described as the X factor of the team, McKenzie is always full of energy. Recently, it’s been more than that. She has been arguably the best player for the Illini over the past few games.
Against Penn State (10-16, 1-14), McKenzie scored a game-high 19 points along with eight rebounds. Her scoring ability was a huge influence in the fourth quarter, where Illinois made a comeback to win. Similarly, in the game against Wisconsin (12-14, 3-12), she was again the game’s leading scorer with 18 points. McKenzie, again, added eight rebounds to her effort.
All-around team effort
While McKenzie led the team in points, she wasn’t the only one who thrived. Fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic scored 19 points in the victory. She came alive when it mattered most, answering Nebraska’s buckets with her own to keep them at bay. She also grabbed 11 rebounds, giving the forward her 51st career double-double. Bostic is now two shy of tying the school record.
Wallace was on fire off the bench. She shot 3-4 from beyond the arc, a team-best. Wallace looked confident, driving to the rim and finding her shot. She was also solid on the defensive effort, standing strong against the player in front of her.
Not a small opponent
Despite the loss, Nebraska’s senior forward, Alexis Markowski, was dominant. She scored a game-high 28 points, most coming in the paint. She has a flat, hook-shot type layup that bounced off the glass and went in almost every time.
Markowski was a wrecking ball down low, getting by anyone who defended her. She did all that in just 30 minutes, being subbed in and out consistently. Also, she succeeded from the charity stripe. She got to the line 11 times and converted nine of her shots.
The streak continues
With the win, Illinois’ winning streak grows to eight games. Illinois hasn’t lost a game since losing to No. 22 Michigan State (19-5, 9-4). It took down No. 17 Maryland (19-6, 9-5) on the road, the first time it had ever beaten Maryland. The winning streak has pushed the Illini from the bottom half of the Big Ten standings to No. 4.
During the impressive streak, Illinois has seen almost every starting player make an impact. Fifth-year guard Genesis Bryant continued her dominant season, scoring and assisting well. Wallace has made a name for herself, scoring double digits in almost all eight games.
However, the impressive win streak is in jeopardy as the Illini travel to play two of the best teams in the country.
West Coast trip
Illinois will head west to face No. 1 UCLA (23-1, 11-1) and No. 6 USC (22-2, 12-1) on Thursday and Sunday, respectively. It’s the first time the team will travel to the West Coast under Green. The trip will likely become much more frequent with the addition of some Pac-12 teams to the Big Ten this offseason.
Injury woes return
Sophomore guard Jasmine Brown-Hagger limped off the court early in the second quarter. She didn’t return for the rest of the half. When the third quarter rolled around, she was nowhere to be seen.
Without Brown-Hagger, the only other guard who gets any meaningful playing time is sophomore Cori Allen. With all the injuries already, another guard being out could be detrimental to the Illini’s postseason push.
“Cori is gonna be big,” said Green. “We really don’t have any other guards, so Cori will have to play more.”
@ben_some16
