“If they’re not disappointed, then they shouldn’t be on this team,” said head coach Shauna Green after the loss. “We pour our heart and soul into this. Everyday we work our butts off, and when you lose and come up short, it hurts and it sucks. If you’re okay with losing, then you shouldn’t be here. Especially not on a team I coach because I hate losing more than anything in the world.”

Green was not happy with Illinois’ lack of speed. Green was repeatedly shouting “go, go, go” from the sidelines to encourage more speed. That was not the case since Illinois (16-8, 6-7) still managed to fall to USC (15-9, 7-6), 70-62. 

However, despite the high energies and packed crowd, the first quarter was nothing short of a challenge for the Illini. From fouls, missing field goals and a lack of cohesiveness, the tale at the end of the first quarter was the opposite of what they pulled off at the end. 

Despite the valiant fourth quarter, mistakes early on is what cost Illinois the game. The Illini were down 19 points with less than eight minutes to go. They were able to keep the Trojans within six but eventually fell short.

Illinois managed to sell out State Farm Center for the first time since 1999 on Sunday. Sunday’s game also marks the first Big Ten game this season to surpass 15,000 fans. The Illini are also the fourth NCAA program to surpass 14,000 fans this season. 

A lot went wrong with a little going right for the Illini during this game. Illinois failed to have chemistry early playing like five individuals instead of a team. 

Berry Wallace: (C-)

“If there was something I could do to help her feel better, I would, but there’s nothing we can really do to help her,” Green said of sophomore forward Berry Wallace.

Fresh from a broken nose, Wallace was clearly struggling to adjust to her injury. Wallace had an off game. She went 4 for 17 from the field, including 1 for 6 from beyond the arc.

Wallace also amassed five turnovers of the Illini’s 17 total turnovers on Sunday. Despite getting four rebounds and one assist, Wallace blended in on the court and didn’t have an outstanding performance offensively like she normally does. 

“She just wants to play,” Green said of Wallace. “She’s going to go out there and fight. She gets beat up.”

However, Wallace is tough and has a lot of determination. Her injury is a small set-back, but she will continue to move forward and learn to adjust.

Cearah Parchment: (B-)

“Cece, attack!” said Green from the sidelines early in the second quarter to freshman forward Cearah Parchment. 

Parchment’s attack was definitely slow for the first half of the game. She failed to make any points in the first quarter. On top of that, in the first half alone, she had four of the Illini’s nine turnovers. Her only good stat from the first half was recording seven rebounds. 

Parchment’s performance in the first half was nothing like her performance in the second half. The Canadian came out after halftime looking like a whole new player. She was fast, aggressive and fighting for possessions. 

After going 1 for 8 from the field in the first half, she went 5 for 9 from the field in the second half of the game. Her late surge of energy meant she ended the game with her eighth double-double this season. She recorded 16 points with 12 rebounds.

What really hurt Parchment was her performance from the free throw line. Going into the game, Parchment was at 82.61% from the free throw line. However, on Sunday she went 3 for 7 (42.86%). Her missed free throws were missed points for the Illini that they desperately needed in Sunday’s game. 

Aaliyah Guyton: (C+)

Sophomore guard Aaliyah Guyton brought the speed against the Trojans on Sunday. Guyton was moving up and down the court and matching USC’s quick game play in order to keep up with its defense. 

Guyton was not a huge factor offensively, but she did go 2 for 4 from the field and made her one free throw for a combined total of 5 points. She also had three rebounds and two assists.

Guyton did however have four player fouls putting her in foul trouble once again. Guyton needs to work on cleaning up her defense to make sure she does not foul as much. 

Overall, Guyton put on a consistent performance Sunday afternoon. Her speed was crucial in her defensive performance but could have made more moves for the offense. 

Destiny Jackson: (A)

“She just continues to get better and better,” Green said of freshman point guard Destiny Jackson. “You see her growing now with her offensive confidence. She’s getting to the rim at ease. She’s so quick and so elusive. Obviously a great defender.”

Jackson was pure fire and passion on the court. She led the offense efforts with 17 points. Not only did Jackson score, her shot selection was smart and accurate. She went 3 for 3 from the charity stripe and 7 for 10 in the field. 

Jackson also had an astonishing eight steals, eight assists and two rebounds. For a freshman point guard to put on such a performance is an impressive feat to achieve. 

Jackson was active on both ends of the court and made the most of her 35 minutes on the court. Additionally, Jackson made a career high with her steals and field goals made on Sunday. 

Sunday’s contest is probably Jackson’s best game. With others quiet on the offense, she saw the gap and filled it. She was efficient and she accomplished the task of point guard and being the Illini’s leading scorer. 

Jasmine Brown-Hagger: (B-)

Junior guard Jasmine Brown-Hagger also had one of her better games on Sunday. She didn’t play the most minutes, but she took what she was given and made the most of it. 

Brown-Hagger only played five minutes in the first half and didn’t do much with it, except missing one field goal and getting a foul. However, in her 11 minutes in the second half, she truly took off definitely when on the court. She also made three field goals for a total of 6 points. 

Brown-Hagger, who is also known to get into foul trouble, did not have that happen on Sunday. She only had her one foul which happened in the first quarter and she had zero turnovers.

Maddie Webber: (C+)

Junior guard Maddie Webber once again played with a spark off of the bench. However, her spark total wasn’t as accurate as the Illini needed. Webber just hit her third game straight without a single three point shot made. Webber also broke her four game streak of double digit points. 

In the field, Webber went 4 for 11 getting a total of 8 points. On the glass, Webber also quite only grabbed two rebounds. In 30 minutes. Webber’s performance needed to be more than what she did. She did however get two turnovers and three fouls. Despite a sleek and quick defensive performance overall, Webber did not deliver offensively in the way her team needed either. 

Lety Vasconcelos: (C)

Redshirt sophomore center Lety Vasconcelos had an overall average performance. She didn’t contribute offensively at all, missing the one field goal she attempted.

Defensively, Vasconcelos lacked power and precision. The Brazilian did however grab four rebounds in her 13 minutes on the court. 

Naomi Benson: (A-)

Freshman forward Naomi Benson was the Illini’s most underrated player yet had really high impact on the court. Benson played her best game by far this season. She recorded a season high in minutes (7) and rebounds (4). She also was a prominent defender for the Illini against the Trojans. 

“Naomi has made a ton of improvement,” Green said. “I wasn’t putting her in early in the year. I trust her now to put her in there and for her to defend and rebound. I’m really happy with her progression, her growth and I think she’s going to be a really great player for us. Hopefully for years to come.”

Despite being a freshman with little experience, Benson did not play like a freshman. After an underwhelming defensive performance against UCLA, Benson bounced back against USC and showcased just how much potential she has. 

Sunday was a high pressure game and Benson delivered just what the Illini needed, a clean and strong defensive presence on the court. 

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