The Field Trip Day game was wild at State Farm Center Tuesday for Illinois’ (3-1) game against Murray State (2-2). With thousands of kids singing along to “Baby Shark” during warmups and shouting “FEIN!” at halftime, the atmosphere was nothing short of electric.
The crowd’s energy translated directly onto the court. Even head coach Shauna Green mentioned how it sparked the team.
“I thought our kids were really excited about it,” Green said. “I thought they came out and used that energy to fuel us.”
Six-seven chaos
Freshman guard Destiny Jackson came up clutch and gave the young fans what they wanted: a 67 score on the board.
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Right at the end of the third quarter, Jackson let the shot clock run a bit before making a move. She then passed the ball to sophomore forward Berry Wallace, who gave it right back to Jackson. Those extra seconds and Wallace’s assist set her up perfectly for a three-point shot to end the quarter.
Funnily enough, Jackson said this was all a coincidence, and it wasn’t her planning a crowd-favorite moment.
“I didn’t know the three was going to be for six seven,” Jackson said. “I (saw) three seconds on the clock, so I was like, ‘OK, I’ll just shoot it,’ and then it happened to be six seven.”
Jackson does wish that she were aware of all of the chaos she was about to create. She said she would have celebrated more if she knew. Even Green said she can’t take credit for the moment.
“I wish I could say I thought it through that much by calling a three,” Green said. “I called flip for Berry, not even knowing that.”
These two numbers are stirring quite the chaos in the sports world. With over 14,000 attendees today, most of whom were kids, the crowd was bound to go absolutely crazy after Jackson’s perfect bucket.
Putting pressure on Racers
“F—!” said Murray State head coach Rechelle Turner on the sideline. “I know they can hear me.”
Over 14,000 attendees filled State Farm Center today, most of whom were loud and eager children. It’s impressive that Turner was so confident in her team’s ability to hear her.
The Murray State coaches were visibly mad. Tensions were high halfway through the third quarter. One of the coaches for the Racers walked up to a ref following a foul.
The Illini, on the other hand, were cool, calm and collected. Part of this was the team’s ability to make smart decisions, going up against who was defending them.
“I think the biggest thing is just taking whatever the defense gives you,” Wallace said. “Just knowing, reading your defender every time.”
Wallace shared how an important piece of the game is knowing who is up to defend them and how to take what they give them as an advantage. Going beyond just knowing your defender, Wallace noted how the team was able to read the Racers’ defense and make smart decisions.
“I even heard them calling, ‘Go under, go under,’” Wallace said. “So just hearing that and being able to read it in the moment, it’s really big for us.”
Despite how much the Illinois defense has visibly improved since its first game, Green was unhappy with the fouling the team took part in.
“It’s something we really pride ourselves on, is defending without fouling,” Green said. “We’ve done that in the last couple games, but 21 free throws is way too many.”
The Illini had two of their players almost foul out today. Freshman forward Cearah Parchment and sophomore guard Aaliyah Guyton were on the brink of fouling out with four fouls each.
As the young defense continues to grow, learning to implement Green’s strategy of defending without fouling is crucial alongside Wallace’s ability to read their defenders.
Everyday women
“We always talk about everyday women,” Wallace said. “Just showing up every day and bringing our best, knowing that you never know who’s out there watching.”
Every day women is something the program uses to describe showing up each and every day, no matter what. Green shared how Wallace’s contributions embrace this core value.
“Berry’s done a great job of just being steady,” Green said. “ We talk about everyday women. She’s been that for us.”
Wallace’s commitment to the program and being a leader on the court has never been more evident. After Tuesday’s victory, she is 4 for 4 with 20-point games.
In Tuesday’s game alone, she recorded 38 minutes, 22 points and eight rebounds. Wallace continues to shine as the team’s leading scorer.
“I think it’s really encouraging to us as well, to have such a big crowd and so many girls that play basketball and just look up to us,” Wallace said. “I think it helps us keep going and just stay encouraged every day.”
Wallace knew that Tuesday’s crowd was extra special. Part of the crowd’s younger audience that looks up to the team is a small but important way Wallace and her teammates continue to keep going.
The Illini are back in action against the Florida State Seminoles (3-2) on Sunday at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center. Illinois gets a breather before its next matchup, but Florida State has an in-state opponent to face before taking on Illinois.
@lauram0131
