CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – No. 25 Illinois used multiple big stops down the stretch to take down Northwestern in a gritty 74-71 win on Sunday afternoon at State Farm Center.
Berry Wallace secured a career-high 29 points, scoring 12 of the Illini’s 16 points in the fourth quarter, to help lead the Fighting Illini improve to 15-4 overall and 5-3 in conference play.
The Orange and Blue had three players score in double figures, led by Wallace’s 29 points and nine rebounds. Aaliyah Guyton tied her season-best mark with 13 points while making her first start of the campaign, while Cearah Parchment registered a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
The Illini capitalized on their dominance on the offensive glass, turning 18 offensive rebounds into 23 second-chance points. Parchment pulled down five offensive rebounds of her own, while Wallace and Lety Vasconcelos each tallied four offensive boards.
How It Happened
After playing to an 11-11 tie early in the game, Illinois went on a 6-0 run with 2:54 left in the first quarter, culminating in a 3-pointer from Maddie Webber, to take a 17-11 lead. Illinois eventually held a 21-17 advantage through the opening 10 minutes of play, with Wallace posting nine points in the frame.
Northwestern rallied to take a 33-28 lead in the second quarter before Illinois went on a 12-0 run over the final four-and-a-half minutes of the half to take a 40-33 edge into the break. Illinois dominated in the paint during the period, scoring 14 of its 19 points close to the basket.
Illinois lengthened its lead early in the third quarter before going on a 7-0 run, punctuated by a 3-pointer from Guyton, to expand its lead further to 54-41 with 3:38 to go in the third. The Illini advantage grew as large as 15 points in the quarter, though a 7-0 stretch from the Wildcats cut Illinois’ lead to seven heading into the final frame.
Wallace accounted for the Illini’s first eight points of the quarter, though the visitors reduced their deficit to a single point with just over seven minutes remaining. Despite a late Northwestern push, the Orange and Blue never trailed in the final period, holding the Wildcats without a field goal for the final 2:15 en route to victory.
Next up, No. 25 Illinois hits the road for another ranked matchup, taking on No. 24 Nebraska on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.