Illinois (13-2, 3-1) fell short in its matchup against No. 24 Michigan State (14-1, 3-1). A tough-fought 40 minutes wasn’t enough for the Illini to continue their win streak. Sunday’s contest marks Illinois’ first loss since Nov. 14.
“We know how hard the Big Ten is,” said redshirt sophomore guard Gretchen Dolan. “It’s such a gauntlet of a league. It was a great win (against Maryland), but it’s just on to the next.”
With a lot on the line, Illinois needed to take the good and leave the bad from its win over Maryland as it moved forward towards Michigan State.
What it needed: Getting Parchment, Vasconcelos active on glass
A stronger offensive showing was enough to earn Illinois the win over Maryland, but it may not be good enough going forward. Typically, Illinois is the better rebounding team and tends to grab more rebounds off the offensive glass. But the Terps outrebounded the Illini 39-30, including 13-11 on offensive rebounds.
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Freshman forward Cearah Parchment plays a large part in her team’s second-chance opportunities. She has emerged as the team’s rebounding leader, averaging 7.9, and is closely followed by sophomore forward Berry Wallace with 7.1.
Michigan State also sports a high-rebounding pair: senior forward Grace VanSlooten and redshirt sophomore guard Kennedy Blair. Blair leads her team with 7.2 boards, with VanSlooten behind at 5.2.
Redshirt sophomore center Lety Vasconcelos will especially need to step up her efforts going forward. On Thursday, she missed her only attempt of the night. She also got called for a travel when diving on the floor for a 50/50 ball. Her activity level was high, but the finishing wasn’t there on either end.
What it did: Parchment, Vasconcelos stayed quiet; others rose to challenge
During the first quarter, the Spartans outrebounded the Illini offensively and defensively. While Parchment was able to grab an offensive and defensive rebound, Vasconcelos stayed quiet during the first 10 minutes.
This is partially because Vasconcelos played for only one minute during the first quarter. Parchment, on the other hand, played for nine and only put up two points alongside her two rebounds.
During the second quarter, the Illini found a lead but quickly lost it. After ending the first quarter trailing 23-18, Illinois ended the second quarter trailing by 12.
Parchment and Vasconcelos both had off days against the Spartans. Parchment, who is usually one of the Illini’s highest scorers and rebounders, was quiet during the first 20 minutes. Vasconcelos also did not make good use of her minutes. Her only mark on the box score during the first two quarters was a foul.
Parchment’s rebounding ability, which leads to second-chance points, and Vasconcelos’ ability to be one of the Illini’s leading defenders were crucial if they wanted a victory. However, the third quarter was no different for Parchment and Vasconcelos. Vasconcelos didn’t play at all, and Parchment’s only points came from two free throws in the final seconds.
While the Illini outrebounded the Spartans in the third quarter, turnovers forced on the Illini continued to fuel the Spartans’ lead.
Freshman guard Destiny Jackson’s 10 rebounds made up 28.57% of the Illini’s total rebounds, but that wasn’t enough. The Spartans continued to play harder than the Illini. They found a way to have more rebounds, blocks and steals while having fewer fouls and turnovers than the Illini. All of that combined fueled the Spartans’ offensive energy during the contest.
Junior guard Maddie Webber deserves all of the praise for her performance in the fourth quarter. She exploded off the bench during the last 10 minutes of the contest. She made up 17 of the Illini’s 25 points in the fourth quarter. However, no one else seemed to step up to the plate to support Webber.
What it needed: Play smart defense for 40 minutes
Michigan State showed in its last match against Indiana (11-4, 0-3) that it can capitalize on strong defensive runs to pull away. Before halftime, the Hoosiers kept the game close. But in the second half, the Spartans held the Hoosiers to a two-minute scoring drought, which gave them a 16-point lead before the final quarter.
Illinois has similarly experienced what good defense can bring. But they’ve also seen the opposite. Against Indiana, Illinois played some of its strongest defense yet, but collapsed in the fourth quarter, which allowed the Hoosiers to claw back. Then, against the Boilermakers (8-6, 0-3), the Illini struggled to get stops in the second and fourth quarters, while also suffering long scoring droughts.
One big takeaway from the Maryland match was Illinois’ ability to defend aggressively without fouling. Players were asked to step into difficult roles, and all did their job without fouling out.
“We have the depth now to say ‘Just play defense. If you foul out, you foul out,’” head coach Shauna Green said. “I trust our team, I trust our depth. We were elite at the next woman up mindset (against Maryland).”
Jackson has learned to navigate the floor and stay engaged defensively, even while juggling four fouls. Parchment was another player in foul trouble who was too valuable to be left off the floor. Both stepped up and continued to dominate, even drawing Terrapins into smart offensive fouls in the fourth quarter.
What it did: Hit-or-miss defense
Illinois’ defense was once again on and off during the first two quarters of the game. The defense slowed down during the second quarter and allowed Michigan State to increase its lead.
Smart defense and proper execution are some things that the Illini are still struggling to maintain for an entire contest. As Illinois continues Big Ten Play, it finds itself up against more challenging opponents, and its defense struggles to keep up.
The Illini needed to learn how to guard VanSlooten, but her fast-paced play was too much for them to properly stop her in the paint. The Spartans’ defense, on the other hand, was learning how to stop the Illini in the paint and beyond the arc.
Halftime and the third quarter are crucial periods for Illinois. In the past, it had both amazing and subpar third quarters. Early on in the third quarter against the Spartans, a defensive play from junior guard Jasmine Brown-Hagger took VanSlooten off the court.
Without Michigan State’s leading scorer, Illinois had the chance to close the gap paved mainly by VanSlooten. However, due to the forced turnovers from the Spartans, the Illini still ended the third quarter trailing 58-50.
The Illini made it a one-possession game during the fourth quarter, but fell short. Despite fighting to close the gap, the Spartans’ better offense and defense ultimately led to their 81-75 win.
Sunday’s contest highlighted Illinois’ inconsistency as a team. Moving forward with Big Ten play, Illinois needs to find a way to make sure that all five players on the court are carrying the load evenly to prevent one from having to do all of the work.
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