Illinois (12-1, 2-0) got away with an 83-73 victory against Purdue (8-5, 0-2) Sunday afternoon. With a heavily inconsistent performance from the Illini, they managed to walk away victorious. Sunday’s win also is the first time the Illini started 2-0 in the Big Ten since the 2007-08 season. 

With its performance all over the place, here is a quarter-by-quarter breakdown and who stood out for Illinois against Purdue.

Quarter 1: B-

The Illini started off the contest on a fiery streak. One of the key ways Illinois took advantage of Purdue’s mistakes was scoring points off of Purdue’s turnovers. About halfway through the first, the Illini scored 7 of their 17 points off of the Boilermakers’ four turnovers. 

However, in true Illinois fashion, even when it has a comfortable lead, it let Purdue get within one possession. Being able to maintain a consistent strong lead is something that the Illini keep trying to work towards. However, they haven’t been able to fully maintain these early consistent leads. Despite that, the Illini managed to end the first quarter 28-18. 

Key player: Maddie Webber

Junior guard Maddie Webber was the standout player for the Illini during their first quarter. She scored 11 of the team’s 28 points and went 3 for 4 from beyond the arc. 

Webber’s 3-point shooting allowed the Illini to get points fast and push them into a 10-point lead in the first 10 minutes. Even though Webber slowed down the remainder of the game, her strong start gave Illinois early momentum. In such a close game, Webber’s performance in the first 10 minutes gave the Illini points they needed to win 30 minutes later.

Quarter 2: D

The second quarter was downright messy for Illinois. It didn’t score for over the first two minutes of the quarter, and its rebounding went down while its turnovers only kept getting higher. Head coach Shauna Green was clearly disappointed and frustrated on the sidelines and getting more rebounds and minimizing turnovers are two factors she’s mentioned numerous times in the past. 

Purdue, on the other hand, maintained a more cohesive playing style and played consistently on the court. Part of this is because the Boilermakers had a shorter break than the Illini, giving them more exposure on the court. 

With just over four minutes to go, junior guard Gretchen Dolan stopped Purdue’s 8-0 scoring streak and gave Illinois its next two points. However, Dolan did not spark any momentum on the team since less than a minute later, the Boilermakers took the lead for the first time. 

Illinois barely managed to end the quarter in the lead. Purdue’s defense was on fire this quarter and limited Illinois to 12 points. Thanks to freshman forward Cearah Parchment’s two free throws during the last minute, the Illini got a 40-38 lead going into halftime. 

Key player: Cearah Parchment

While no one player stood out more than others during the second quarter, Parchment’s points at the free-throw line gave the Illini the extra points they needed. In the last three minutes, Parchment had 3 points from the free-throw line and 2 points from the paint, making her the highest scorer for the Illini during that quarter. 

During Sunday’s contest, she scored a total of 14 points and had eight rebounds. Parchment has proved herself as a consistent player and shows improvements each game. Parchment is the kind of player that when she makes mistakes on the court, she fixes it.

Quarter 3: B+

The 20-minute break for halftime was crucial for the Illini. They bounced back stronger and played with more energy and passion to propel them back into a comfortable lead. Dolan and freshman guard Destiny Jackson spearheaded the Illini’s fast-paced playing style during the third quarter. Both of them found opportunities to make the most of their time on the court and found gaps in Purdue’s defense to score points. 

There were a few instances where the Boilermakers got within two possessions. This time around the Illini maintained their lead and kept it growing. With Purdue’s consistent playing style, Illinois learned what it needed to do to keep it from passing in the lead. The Illini ended the quarter ahead 67-53, their largest lead of the contest.

Key player: Berry Wallace

Sophomore forward Berry Wallace ended the third quarter with a beautiful buzzer beater three. Wallace made all of her shots from the paint and from the 3-point line. Despite missing a free throw early on, Wallace bounced back stronger and knew what she had to do to be successful. 

While Wallace didn’t have any rebounds or assists, the manner in which she played and made smart decisions is what made her the key player for the Illini in the third quarter.

Quarter 4: C+

In similar fashion to the second quarter, the Illini slowed down and took almost two minutes to score any points. Meanwhile, Purdue found opportunities in the paint to score 8 points in the first three minutes. 

While the Illini didn’t get as messy and slow in comparison to the second quarter, it was definitely a slower performance than the third quarter. After Wallace’s electric end to the third quarter, all of the energy the players had after was not evident in the fourth quarter. 

The Boilermaker’s momentum kept growing with six straight buckets in the first half of the fourth quarter. Purdue sophomore forward Kendall Puryear managed to outscore the entire Illini roster during the majority of the fourth quarter. Purdue and the crowd at Mackey Arena made it harder for Illinois to fall back into the groove it set in the third quarter.

Illinois took advantage of the last several minutes of the game and tried to make as many buckets as possible. Dolan and Jackson led the team in points and Parchment and Wallace complimented those two with rebounds. 

Despite so much up and down, Illinois pulled it together and ended the contest 83-73.

Key player: Gretchen Dolan

Dolan continued to prove herself as one of the leading players on the team for Illinois. After a quieter first half, Dolan exploded after halftime. Not only that, but she was making accurate and smart shots in the paint and was consistent with free throws. 

Dolan is learning how to have better shot selection and is improving her overall playing style which has been key for the Illini. Against the Boilermakers, she went 7 for 12 overall and scored 19 points. One of the biggest ways Dolan’s performance has improved is she is taking fewer 3-point shots. By doing so, she is also improving her performance from the paint.

During the fourth quarter, she was the most accurate on the Illinois side going 2 for 3. Her consistency and growing dependability makes her one of the best for Illinois.

Illinois is back at State Farm Center to ring in 2026 on Jan. 1 against No. 7 Maryland (13-0, 1-0) for its first taste against a ranked opponent. 

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