Illinois (11-1) crushed Jackson State (2-8) 86-43 on Friday night at State Farm Center. With various lineups throughout the game, each player had their moments during the game that led the Illini to victory. 

On top of that, Friday’s win made head coach Shauna Green the third-winningest coach in program history.

“I love that everyone was able to get in the game,” Green said. “We had five in double figures, almost six. That’s what a true team looks like.”

Sophomore guard Aaliyah Guyton was one of those five. Guyton had her best game of the season with 13 points and led the team in scoring.

With such a successful game, there were two key factors that led the Illini to their victory. However, even with success, the Illini found themselves struggling in two areas as well.

Early scoring drive

Unlike its previous game against North Texas, Illinois came in hot. In the first quarter alone, the Illini scored 25 points while limiting the Tigers to 5. Early scoring from freshman forward Cearah Parchment and freshman guard Destiny Jackson allowed the Illini to find an early and comfortable lead. 

Illinois’ impressive scoring drive followed them into the second quarter. Once again, it limited Jackson State to only 5 points while scoring 22. A duo of junior guards, Jasmine Brown-Hagger and Maddie Webber, led the Illini in scoring during the second quarter.

Brown-Hagger erupted and scored 7 points in her seven minutes on the court. Webber, on the other hand, scored 4 points in the quarter. Both guards ended the first quarter with 0 points and made a comeback in the second quarter. 

Sophomore forward Berry Wallace and junior guard Gretchen Dolan once again proved themselves as reliable offensive players. Both Wallace and Dolan scored 12 points during the contest. 

Alternating point guards 

For the majority of the season, Jackson served as the main point guard. While she was still the starting point guard Friday night, Guyton played her fair share of minutes as point guard. 

The alternating point guards were a key factor in tonight’s game, as the Illini showed more versatility and depth in their roster. Guyton’s game tonight also marked her return after sitting out the past couple of games. Guyton’s return takes off some of the pressure from Jackson. 

Jackson and Guyton played for 21 and 20 minutes, respectively, and made the most of their time. Green utilized Jackson more during the first half of the game. In the first two quarters, Jackson scored 9 points and had four assists. In the second half, Jackson went scoreless but was able to pick up three assists and two steals. 

Guyton, on the other hand, scored 2 points in the first half and 11 in the second. Guyton erupted after halftime, playing some of her best minutes as an Illini. The sophomore ended the game with five rebounds and two assists in addition to her 13 points. 

As conference play looms near, it is important that Green knows she can confidently play either Jackson or Guyton as a point guard.  

Lack of 3-point shots made

Despite an incredible win, the Illini also had their fair share of mistakes. Arguably, their biggest downfall was the lack of points from beyond the arc. At the end of the first half, Illinois was 1 for 10 on its 3-point shots. 

Six Illini attempted at least one 3-point shot during the first half. Parchment was the only one who made one in the half.

The Illini clearly learned from their mistakes in the first two quarters and only attempted one 3-point shot, which they missed, in the third quarter.

After the Illini shot 64.7% from three against the Mean Green, their performance Friday night from beyond the arc was a letdown. 

Halfway through the fourth quarter, Webber gave Illinois its second 3-point shot of the evening. Webber ended up going 2 for 2 on her 3-point shots during the fourth quarter. Sophomore guard Mia Zenere joined Wallace, Dolan, Brown-Hagger and Guyton in being 100% unsuccessful with 3-point shots. Wallace had the worst 3-point shot record, going 0 for 4. 

Slower offense, slower defense

Like many games this season, the Illini let themselves get messy after a large lead. Whatever magic the Illini had in the first 20 minutes was not present during the third quarter. 

“Obviously, the third quarter, these guys know, it wasn’t up to standard,” Green said.

After scoring 47 points and holding Jackson State to 10 points in the first half, Illinois played like a different team after halftime. The third quarter was all about Jackson State. 

The Tigers scored a whopping 20 points in 10 minutes, whereas the Illini scored only 13.

“Love our response though in the fourth and got back, locked in and only gave up 13,” Green said. “But overall, just a great team performance.”

While things improved slightly in the fourth quarter, the Illini still looked very different from the team that was up 47-10 at halftime. 

Comparing the first and second halves, Jackson State dominated the second half. Illinois outscored Jackson State just 39-33 after halftime. The difference in scoring between the two halves shows that the Illini need to learn to maintain consistency before conference play gets in full swing. 

Illinois’ next contest is against Purdue (7-4, 0-1) at Mackey Arena on Dec. 28 at 11 a.m. CDT.

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