With this 78-57 win, Illinois (8-1, 1-0) earned its first Big Ten opener victory since 2016. The victory also means Illinois now boasts a three-game win streak against Indiana (8-2, 0-1), which it hasn’t achieved since 2009.
During Illinois’ three good quarters, it forced Indiana to commit 20 turnovers and held the visitors to nearly 20 points under its season average. The Illini’s lead likely would have extended farther, but the fourth quarter was full of lost possessions, going cold from the 3-point line and a complete defensive lapse that allowed the Hoosiers 25 points.
“This was our best defensive performance so far this year in terms of attention to detail and guarding their two main guys,” said head coach Shauna Green. “Our team defense overall set the tone, and we executed offensively at a high level. It was a really good performance for 35 minutes.”
While all eight players contributed, three dictated the game from start to finish.
Parchment anchors Illinois on both ends
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Freshman forward Cearah Parchment played the fewest minutes of the starters due to early fouls, but her impact was still the highest. She logged her third straight double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. She collected four off the offensive glass. Although only one directly resulted in a basket, her effort opened the way to 14 second-chance points for Illinois.
More importantly, she played with the confidence she has built over recent games.
“The past few games I’ve built confidence because I’ve been making more shots overall, or getting more rebounds or steals,” Parchment said. “Whenever I impact the team most, I feel most confident.”
This confidence shows in both the box score and her on-court communication. Indiana’s motion offense meant constant switches and help from Illinois defenders. Parchment was a consistent voice calling out cuts and screens. This helped eat away at the shot clock and limited the Hoosiers’ possessions.
“We came into this game knowing that we were gonna stomp on their necks,” Parchment said. “We just locked in on defense, and it led to that win.”
Webber terrorized in transition
Junior guard Maddie Webber seems to have definitively emerged as the team’s sixth woman. Green subbed her in midway through the first quarter, and she immediately hit a jumper on Illinois’ next possession.
Her speed was a huge asset. There were at least two possessions where she got ahead of the defense on a fast break, and freshman guard Destiny Jackson hit her in transition for quick buckets.
“Maddie is such a spark coming off the bench,” said junior guard Gretchen Dolan on Webber’s game. “Coming off the bench is just more fuel on the fire. The last few games she’s been playing really well. Finding people and hitting her shots.”
Webber had her most efficient outing yet. She scored 16 points on 8 for 11 shooting. She hit all of her attempts in both the second and third quarters. Green was thrilled to see the strides Webber has made in her shot selection.
“Maddie’s taken such great, huge steps in her decision making and shot selection,” Green said. “That one (play) where she had that three in transition, but she didn’t take it, and she drove, I was ready to run out on the court and hug her because the first two weeks she was taking that. But it was such a smart play.”
Jackson’s defense won possessions
Jackson has proven game after game that she doesn’t need to be a high-volume shooter to be the team’s best point guard. She converted only two of her eight shots and yet had the team’s second-highest plus-minus (+23). Her low scoring only opened up opportunities for her to impact plays at the boards and get the ball to her teammates.
“She saved us at least three transition layups because of her ability and presence of mind to just go and get a steal,” Green said. “She’s not giving up ground and keeping people in front. She’s learning to be elusive, getting over screens. It’s been really fun to watch her progression.”
Jackson had three steals against Indiana and had at least two picks in each of her last four appearances. Her defense and playmaking are parts of her game that she discusses with pride and seems unbothered by her lack of scoring.
“I value every possession,” Jackson said after the win over Bellarmine. “Knowing every time I’m up here, I’m trying to do something good for my teammates and for the team in general.”
Illinois’s next contest will be its annual Braggin’ Rights game against Missouri (8-2) on Dec. 10 at Mizzou Arena.
