Illinois (13-2, 3-1) is preparing for its third ranked matchup in a week, this time against No. 19 Ohio State (13-2, 3-1). The Illini are fresh off of their second loss of the season after falling to the then No. 24 Michigan State Spartans (14-1, 3-1). Wednesday’s game is just another ranked opponent for the Illini to face. It’s clear that Illinois’ key to winning these ranked matchups is its energy at the start.
“This team had never been on the road playing a Top 25 team in the Big Ten, coming off of one of the biggest wins in program history,” said head coach Shauna Green. “We didn’t have that extra energy to start.”
Despite a close game, Michigan State’s continuous pressure on Illinois in the third quarter was one of the reasons they lost the matchup. As the Illini prepare to face the Buckeyes, they need to consider three key areas where the Buckeyes have an advantage over them.
Higher scoring average
One of the first advantages the Buckeyes have over the Illini is their overall better scoring average. So far this season, Ohio State is averaging 85.07 points per game, whereas Illinois is averaging 80.1 points per game.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
Despite the minimal difference, in the gauntlet of Big Ten women’s basketball, five points can make-or-break the outcome at the end of 40 minutes.
What the Illini need to do is learn how to defend the Buckeyes’ two highest scorers early on. Sophomore guard Jaloni Cambridge and senior guard Chance Gray are Ohio State’s players averaging double-digits points per game at 19.4 and 12.5 points per game respectively.
The Illini, on the other hand, have four players all averaging in the double digits each game. If Illinois can defend Jaloni Cambridge and Gray to limit their points on the board, it has a chance to take and stay in the lead.
Better defensive actions
Ohio State has an active and successful defense. The Buckeyes have recorded a total of 212 steals and 78 blocks so far this season. Illinois, on the other hand, has 123 steals and 41 blocks. The Buckeyes’ hyper active defense is a great way for them to score points against their opponents.
The Illini need to be on their A-game against the Buckeye’s defense and defend just as aggressively as them. Illinois knows that it can play aggressively, and it cannot back down from the challenge presented by Ohio State.
Three main players Illinois needs to look out for are Jaloni Cambridge, redshirt junior guard Kennedy Cambridge and sophomore center Elsa Lemmilä. Kennedy Cambridge has a whopping 63 steals and 12 blocks this season so far. Her quick ability to steal the ball from her opponent is something Illinois needs to be aware of.
Jaloni Cambridge is another one of Ohio State’s players who is quick to steal the ball. She currently has 37 steals and six blocks. However, Jaloni Cambridge also leads the Buckeyes in turnovers. The Illini need to force turnovers for Jaloni Cambridge, as she makes up 22.64% of the Buckeyes’ total turnovers for the season.
Lemmilä is the best Buckeye at blocking her opponent’s shots. With 27 blocks to her name, that is more than double the amount any Illini has been able to achieve this season. The Illini need to learn to get around Lemmilä and her attempts to block their shots. Standing at 6-foot-6, Lemmilä is going to be a challenge for Illinois. Redshirt sophomore Lety Vasconcelos and sophomore Hayven Smith are Illinois’ two centers that rival Lemmilä’s height, but neither of them has the stats that Lemmilä does.
More offensive rebounds
Offensive rebounds are a great way for a team to get second-chance points and extra possessions. Ohio State tops Illinois in offensive rebounds this season with 207, whereas Illinois has 169. Green mentioned in the past how the Illini need to be better about rebounding, especially offensively.
With Ohio State’s 13.8 offensive rebounds per game, that is a dangerous spot for it to take the lead over Illinois. It gives them almost 14 extra chances to score points that Illinois doesn’t have. This is yet another example of why Illinois needs to learn to defend Ohio State and its specific players. Kennedy Cambridge and redshirt freshman guard/forward Kylee Kitts have a combined total of 83 offensive rebounds so far. If you combine those two with Lemmilä, their combined total goes up to 110, over half of Ohio State’s total offensive rebounds.
This trio is dangerous for Illinois. The three all play different positions; they each bring a new skillset to the court, but each player can execute offensive rebounding like no other. Illinois’ defense needs to have high energy off the bat in Wednesday’s contest. If its defense even starts to slow down, Ohio State will capitalize on that and take the lead.
Illinois is back at State Farm Center on Wednesday, Jan. 7, at 6 p.m. CDT to face off against Ohio State. The game is the Illini’s We Back Pat game to raise dementia awareness for the Pat Summit Foundation.
@lauram0131
