After winning their first two tournament games, the Illinois women’s basketball team (19-10, 9-9) was eliminated from the Big Ten Tournament after losing to No. 9 Iowa (25-5, 15-3) 64-58.
Takeaways
Illinois: It was a rough shooting night for the Illini in the first half as they missed their first five shots of the game and began to trail by seven points in the first four minutes of the game. By halftime, Illinois was down by 14 points and shot 32% from the field. Junior guard Jasmine Brown Haggar tried to step up to help Illinois cut into the lead with seven first-half points, but Iowa kept Illinois from closing the gap.
In the second half, Illinois had a slow third quarter that put them in a 20-point hole against Iowa. Sophomore forward Berry Wallace was unable to get going as she was only able to make three shots in the second half. Haggar continued to help Illinois from getting blown out. In the 4th quarter, she helped lead Illinois to a 15-point run that started to cut the 20-point lead into single digits. Unfortunately, there was not enough time for Illinois to complete the last-second comeback. Haggar ended the game with 22 points and four rebounds for Illinois.
Iowa: The Hawkeyes started strong as they kept the Illini on their heels. Unlike Illinois, their first-half shooting is what gave Iowa the momentum early in the game. With multiple six-point runs in the first half, Iowa quickly got off to a double-digit lead in the second quarter. Iowa shot 52% from the field, with sophomore center Ava Heiden leading Iowa with eight points in the first half.
After halftime, Iowa continued to apply pressure to Illinois and increase its lead. The Hawkeyes led as much as 22 points in the game. Iowa controlled the glass and grabbed every rebound it could. Even though she did not score as many points, freshman guard Journey Houston made her impact by grabbing 12 rebounds in the game. Towards the end of the game, Iowa did let Illinois get on a run to cut the lead to double digits. But even though they did not score in the last four minutes of the game, Iowa made sure not to let Illinois get quick and easy points. This allowed Iowa to hold off on Illinois’ attempted comeback.
Heiden ended the night with 16 points and four rebounds as Iowa advanced to the semifinals of the tournament.
Journey through the tournament
Illinois started the Big Tournament on Wednesday as they faced Wisconsin in the first round. Freshman guard Destiny Jackson led Illinois with 21 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Illinois dominated the whole game as they would lead by 16 points and march their way to the next round, beating the Badgers 82 to 70.
On Day 2, Illinois sought revenge against No. 18 Michigan State Spartans after losing to them at the beginning of the year. It was a tight game as both teams traded the lead throughout the first half. As the second half began, both teams were still fighting it out, but Illinois managed to grow a lead over Michigan State. Michigan State tried to come back but turned the ball over on its last possession, giving Illinois its first upset win of the postseason. The Illinois freshman duo led Illinois in the second round as forward Cearah Parchment scored 15 points and six rebounds, and Jackson had 14 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
Up Next
The Fighting Illini women’s basketball team will wait to see if it is selected to play in the NCAA March Madness Tournament later this month.