Heading into Sunday’s game against Memphis, senior forward Karisma Penn said she felt like this season’s Illinois women’s basketball team was less dependent on her success than last year’s less-balanced edition. But it was Penn’s performance that helped propel the Illini to a 73-65 victory over Memphis.

Penn, who came into the game averaging 18.9 points and 9.4 rebounds, finished with 21 points and nine rebounds. She grabbed six offensive rebounds and made it to the foul line 10 times, as she led the Illini (5-4) in scoring for the fourth time this season. Sunday’s performance put her 10th all-time in school history in career points with 1,504.

While Penn led the way, the rest of the starters helped contribute in a balanced effort. Four starters scored in double figures, with Ivory Crawford scoring 17 and Amber Moore and Kersten Magrum finishing with 12 apiece. Point guard Alexis Smith was one point and one rebound away from double figures with nine each.

“To come to Memphis and get a good win is important for our team and getting back in the right direction,” head coach Matt Bollant said. “It was good to have great balance.”

In practice heading into Sunday’s matchup, coaches had been stressing the team’s need to play hard defensively. The practice appeared to pay off, with the Illini holding Nicole Dickson, who came into the weekend as the nation’s No. 7 scorer, to 11 points, 10 below her average. 

“Kersten did a good job starting on her (Dickson) and everybody really guarded her,” Bollant said. “We did a good job of finding her and not giving her rhythm threes.” 

Memphis shot 38 percent overall, and only 29 percent from the 3-point line.

The first half included six lead changes and four ties, but an Amber Moore 3-pointer with 2:31 remaining in the half put the Illini ahead for good. Illinois headed into the half leading 33-29, and the lead was stretched to 16 at one point before finally settling at eight points.

Memphis showed a 2-3 zone a few times throughout the afternoon, but Amber Moore and Ivory Crawford forced the Tigers to abandon it for a man-to-man defense by hitting four and two 3-pointers, respectively.

Illinois also defeated Memphis last season at Assembly Hall. In the game, Penn scored 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

The Illini headed into the game with a two-game losing streak. On Wednesday, the Illini lost in their first road game of the season at Texas Tech by a score of 75-56.Illinois had faced four consecutive BCS schools, going 1-3 in the stretch.

In each contest against power conference schools, the Illini were outscored in the paint, but a strong effort from Penn and Magrum allowed the Illini to outscore the Tigers 34-30 in the paint.

The trip to Memphis was Illinois’ last nonconference road game. The Illini will stay at Assembly Hall until a Jan. 6 matchup at Ohio State.

Johnathan can be reached at [email protected] and @jhett93.