Illinois (21-8, 11-7) dropped its last regular season game, falling apart in the final minutes against Michigan (20-9, 11-7). It was an unfortunate loss, but the Illini kept a lead for most of the game. Some players had a key role in maintaining that lead, while others stayed in the shadows. 

*Kendall Bostic (A): Fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic showed out one last time for Illinois fans who showed up on Sunday. The Kokomo, Indiana native was nearly unstoppable, making 10 of 12 shots from the floor for a game-high 24 points.

Bostic was confident on offense all game. She took good shots from everywhere on the court and got visibly excited, celebrating after drawing a foul and holding up her hand in a three after a deep three-pointer.

Her scoring was impressive, but it wasn’t the only part of her play that impacted the game. In the fourth quarter, Michigan began to pressure Illinois on the inbound. This immediately led to two turnovers. 

After that, Bostic got the ball off the inbound and quickly passed it up to another player streaking up the court. It rendered the full-court press ineffective and allowed the Illini to get the ball up the court fast. 

*Genesis Bryant (B+): Like Bostic, fifth-year guard Genesis Bryant had an impressive showing at home. She scored 15 points and dished out six assists. Bryant took on the role of point guard this season with a passion. She led the offense, calling out plays and teammates and ensuring everything was correct. 

Leadership is a skill that Bryant developed during her time at Illinois. It’s night and day when comparing her first season to her last. She showed confidence on the court against Michigan, commanding the offense with ease. 

“When I first got here, I didn’t really talk much as far as on the court and being a vocal leader,” Bryant said. “But over these two years, especially this year, kind of forced me to have to do it, and I’m thankful for that.”

*Adalia McKenzie (B-): Throughout the game, senior guard Adalia McKenzie brought the energy. Midway through the second quarter, with the game tied at 15, McKenzie fought through her defender, made the layup and drew a foul. 

She was fired up, and so was the crowd. After a slow scoring start for both teams, McKenzie’s and-one play brought some buzz back into the arena. 

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for McKenzie, though. She coughed up the ball seven times, her highest total this season. Late in the fourth quarter, McKenzie had the ball taken by junior guard Brooke Quarles Daniels. Michigan got an open look from three on the other end and buried it, taking a 67-65 lead. 

The senior is prone to turning the ball over here and there, but so many in such a close game were detrimental to a comeback push for the Illini. 

*Brynn Shoup-Hill (C): Another player celebrating her last home game, senior forward Brynn Shoup-Hill, had less of an impact than her fellow seniors. She didn’t score until the third quarter when she made two jump shots. Those would end up being her only points of the game. 

Usually a big factor when crashing the glass, Shoup-Hill only grabbed four rebounds. Her overall impact on the game was close to nothing. She didn’t see the ball much, which could be the effect of sophomore guard Jasmine Brown-Hagger returning to action. 

Jasmine Brown-Hagger (C): After being out for almost two weeks, Brown-Hagger was cleared to play in the season finale. She scored just seven points and missed multiple layups. 

However, she did make her presence felt in the third quarter. She hit two catch-and-shoot corner threes, both from the same spot. They were a big part of Illinois keeping its lead going into the final frame. 

“I was really happy with how she played overall for not practicing,” said head coach Shauna Green.

*Berry Wallace (C): In the third start of her young career, freshman forward Berry Wallace had a quiet game. She scored seven points and made just one of her four three-point attempts. 

She was solid on defense but let her defender get by her a few times, including once late in the game. Freshman guard Mila Holloway drove by her and sunk a layup to bring Michigan within two. 

Wallace continues to get aggressive, finding more shots than just the three-pointer. She has gotten better at driving to the rim and getting around her defender in the past few games. One of Wallace’s layups against Michigan was a nicely executed reverse layup, driving down the baseline and getting past her defender to the rim. 

@ben_some16

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