The less-than-ideal weather led to lower turnout, but the energy for this weeknight matchup was still high. Illinois (7-1) looked composed from the start and posted its third 90-point game of the season. This gives the Illini a nice boost ahead of Saturday’s Big Ten opener.
Illinois’ easy 90-41 win over Bellarmine (2-8) wasn’t just for show. It gave players the chance to hone their fundamentals in a lower-stakes in-game environment. All 13 healthy Illini played at least five minutes.
“If you’re gonna be a great team, it takes every single person,” said head coach Shauna Green. “On all my championship teams, we had 14, 15 that were all bought in. Everyone is a key to that.”
Sophomore forward Irene Noya Catoira played a career-high 16 minutes and logged seven points. Graduate student forward Gisela Segura recorded her first Illinois points, as well.
Team contributions
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The whole team played the disruptive defense they’re known for, but junior guard Maddie Webber and freshman guard Destiny Jackson were key in pushing the ball in transition. Illinois scored 21 points off fast breaks — its most yet this season.
“Coach Green always says to use fitness as a weapon, and I know I can do that by pushing the ball up, getting it to my teammates, and they’re making plays,” Jackson said. “That pace definitely feels good to play at.”
Freshman forward Cearah Parchment’s off-ball movement was especially clean in the win. She made an impact everywhere and led Illinois with six offensive rebounds. By halftime, Parchment was the only Illini in double digits. Her efforts helped her team put up 28 second-chance points.
“Tonight, our goal was 14 (offensive rebounds), and we hit that goal in the first half. We might have had it in the first quarter,” Green said. “We killed that goal with 27.”
How it started
The Illini opened with a 12-0 run over the Knights. It lasted until the visitors finally got a lucky break at the stripe from a foul by junior guard Jasmine Brown-Hagger.
The Knights’ head coach showed frustration at her team’s lack of ball movement. She yelled at them to start shooting through contact to draw the foul. They started executing it and scored 13 points from the stripe.
The free-throw line and the 3-point line were the Knights’ saving graces. The Illini made it impossible for them to break into the paint, especially when redshirt sophomore center Lety Vasconcelos was in.
Illinois, however, could get whatever shot it wanted. Junior guard Gretchen Dolan hit two triples, and Parchment could finish from anywhere inside the arc. Webber and Jackson could push the ball up the floor, never allowing the Knights to reset. This brutal pace kicked off the game with the energy the Illini will need going forward.
But they struggled to keep that energy up as the game carried on. In both the third and fourth quarters, the Illini suffered some long scoring droughts, and that was before Green subbed out all of her starters. Green and her players alike have emphasized the importance of the third quarter. Their loss of momentum and missed easy shots were overly apparent, especially following such a strong opener.
Big moments for freshmen
Parchment is coming off a historic points-steals double-double that has only been accomplished by five other NCAA athletes this season. She followed up that performance with a 16 and 12, points-rebounds double-double. The freshman phenom led her team in points, total rebounds and offensive rebounds. She made all four of her free throw attempts and recorded three steals and three assists.
“Carrying over what I did from last game and just being active,” Parchment said of her performance. “This time it was rebounds. I’m just standing in the gap, really carrying defense to offense.”
Jackson is the type of point guard who doesn’t need to shoot much to be in control. She led Illinois in plus-minus (+41) in the win. Her keen eye on when to pass allowed her to flirt with a double-double, finishing with a team-leading seven assists.
Jackson’s laser-focused defense allowed her to stay in front of her target and pick off two players. Her finishing around the rim has steadily improved as well, which means she can score on some of the trickier layups she likes to take.
“I just go out there with the mindset that I’m gonna do whatever for my team to win,” Jackson said. “Whether that means me scoring or setting the tone on defense. Whatever it is on that given night, that’s what I’m gonna do.”
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