“… I tell them all the time we want to win now,” said head coach Shauna Green.
And win they did. No. 10-seeded Illinois (20-10, 9-9) survived its first day of the Big Ten tournament and is moving on to game two.
The Illini took down the No. 15-seeded Wisconsin Badgers (13-7, 5-13) Wednesday night in Indianapolis. This win marks Illinois’ second victory over Wisconsin this season.
With their win tonight, the Illini move on to play the No. 7 seed Michigan State Spartans (22-7, 11-7) tomorrow night.
The Illini’s 12-point win was a team effort, but four players stood out more than others.
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Lety Vasconcelos
Redshirt sophomore center Lety Vasconcelos had one of her best games all season long. The Brazilian set a career high in points with 12. She shot 5 for 8 from the field and 2 for 3 from the charity stripe.
“First, I’ll say it means a lot to me to get to contribute to my team and see everybody happy and just going 1-0 today,” Vasconcelos said. “It really just means a lot to me for real.”
Vasconcelos is a true team player. She knows her success helps fuel her team and that no matter what, she is there to help the Illini win.
Vasconcelos was a key part of the Illini’s defense. As a center, she provided the defense in the paint that the Illini needed. Illinois held Wisconsin to 28 points in the paint. In comparison, Illinois got 46 points in the paint.
“She just was unbelievable today,” Green said of Vasconcelos’ performance. “She played with great pop. She played with great confidence. She played with some nasty to her, and she changed the game for us.”
If Vasconcelos can have a repeat of tonight in the Illini’s second tournament game, they stand a chance to upset the Spartans.
Destiny Jackson
It was a career high for freshman point guard Destiny Jackson. The Chicago native went 5 for 8 from the field and 11 for 13 from the free-throw line for a total of 21 points.
Jackson was active on both ends of the court and did a little bit of everything Wednesday night. In addition to her 21 points, she had over half of the Illini’s assists, racking up five. Jackson also tied two other Illini for the most rebounds of the night with six. One of her rebounds was an offensive rebound, her 15th of the season. It was also her first offensive rebound since Feb. 1.
As for her defense, Jackson was putting constant defensive pressure on the Badgers when she wasn’t making moves offensively. Standing at only five feet six inches, Jackson is one of the smaller players on the court but is able to guard and defend whoever she needs to. She also racked up two steals in the win.
Jackson has truly stepped into the role as a starting point guard and continues to grow and learn every day.
“I think it’s a really cool thing for a coach to see because her last two games, if you talked to her, probably didn’t think she played the best either,” Green said of Jackson. “Again, through talks and conversations and film, she was ready to go, and she knew what she needed to do, and she knows what she needs to do at a high level to help our team be, again, the best version of ourselves.”
There’s no doubt that Jackson continues to show up for her team and improve with each game.
Cearah Parchment
With her first rebound of the tournament, freshman forward Cearah Parchment broke a record. Parchment now holds the program’s freshman season rebounding record. Parchment has 257 rebounds and counting in her rookie season.
Against Wisconsin on Wednesday, Parchment racked up a total of six rebounds, three offensive and three defensive. On top of her activity on the glass, Parchment tallied 14 points. Similar to Jackson, Parchment also grabbed two steals and put good defensive pressure on Wisconsin.
While Parchment picked up four fouls, she minimized her turnovers. After back-to-back games with four turnovers, Parchment was able to keep it to one against the Badgers.
Despite Parchment taking a hard fall on Sunday, she is getting the treatment she needs and is ready to go.
“It’s been going really well,” Parchment said when asked about her recovery. “ … getting in treatment, making sure everything is good to go, and I feel pretty good today.”Parchment seems to be on the right track and said she’s excited for tomorrow’s rematch against Michigan State. The last time the two teams faced, she only got 6 points. But since then, Parchment has grown more and remained more consistent in her performance on the court.
Berry Wallace
Sophomore forward Berry Wallace was once again Illinois’ leading scorer. Against the Badgers, Wallace racked up 22 points, most of which came from the paint. Wallace went 8 for 17 from the field, knocked down one of her three-point attempts and went a perfect 5 for 5 from the free throw line.
Wallace also led the team in steals with three total against the Badgers. The Ohio native is a crucial part of Illinois’ entire system. She can put on a good defensive performance, like she did tonight, but most importantly, she is crucial to its offense.
Time and time again this season, the Illini have counted on Wallace to lead them offensively.
“I think just sticking to what we know our principles are as a team and trying to be as consistent as I can on defense,” Wallace said when asked about how she stays consistent. “Then also just reading what the defense is giving me. They guard me differently every game, and they guard all of us differently every game.”
Looking ahead to tomorrow, Wallace knows that starting off strong offensively will be a key factor in getting the team going.
“We’re going to need that tomorrow,” Wallace said. “We know our offense fuels our defense and fuels our team in general, so I think it’s going to be just as important against Michigan State. They’re a good team, so we just have to stick to what we know is going to help us win.”
Illinois plays at Gainbridge Arena tomorrow against Michigan State, 25 minutes after game six ends. The Illini previously faced the Spartans on the road, which resulted in an 81-75 loss in January.
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