CHAMPAIGN — On the day the Fighting Illini athletic department raised a banner honoring Theresa Grentz to the rafters of State Farm Center, the Illinois women’s basketball team accomplished something it had only done once since Grentz was its head coach: win 20 games in a season. The Illini ran away from Penn State on
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — When it came time for Brenda Frese’s Maryland players to rate their performance at halftime, there was a bit of a disconnect between them and their coach. “They rate themselves a little higher than what I (did),” Frese said. “That was called out.” Whatever was said during that break, the
LINCOLN, Neb. — The Illinois women’s basketball team used a 20-0 second half run to push past Nebraska Thursday night 72-64. The Illini (19-6 overall, 9-5 Big Ten) lost starting guard Genesis Bryant to injury in the first quarter, but Jayla Oden played well off the bench in Bryant’s absence, scoring 12 points and adding
CHAMPAIGN — The last time the Illinois women’s basketball team won 18 games, Barack Obama had just started his second term as president. The Fighting Illini matched that total with a 69-62 win over Minnesota on Sunday in front of 4,533 fans at State Farm Center in Champaign. Makira Cook led Illinois with 21 points,
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Leigha Brown scored 27 points to propel No. 18 Michigan to a 74-57 victory over Illinois on Thursday night. Brown sank 10 of 13 shots from the floor and all seven of her free throws for the Wolverines (18-5, 8-4 Big Ten Conference). She added five assists and four rebounds.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Makira Cook tallied 26 points, Genesis Bryant scored 21 and Adalia McKenzie added a double-double to help No. 22 Illinois beat Michigan State 86-76 on Sunday. Cook sank 8 of 21 shots from the floor and all 10 of her free throws for the Fighting Illini (17-5, 7-4 Big Ten Conference).
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Genesis Bryant hit a clutch 3-pointer with 18.8 seconds left and scored 18 points, Kendall Bostic had a double-double, and No. 21 Illinois held off Northwestern 67-64 in a wild finish on Sunday. Makira Cook added 14 points, including two free throws with two seconds, left as the Illini (16-4, 6-3
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Mackenzie Holmes scored 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Grace Berger added 18 points to lead No. 6 Indiana to an 83-72 win over No. 21 Illinois on Wednesday. Holmes hit six of seven shots and scored 14 points in the third quarter as the Hoosiers (17-1, 7-1 Big Ten)
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Makira Cook scored 20 points, Genesis Bryant added 18, and No. 24 Illinois celebrated its first game as a ranked team in 23 years with a 70-57 win over Minnesota on Sunday. Brynn Shoup-Hill and Adalia McKenzie both added 13 points for the Illini (15-3, 5-2 Big Ten Conference), who haven’t had
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Taylor Mikesell scored a game-high 31 points as No. 3 Ohio State erased a halftime deficit and avoided an upset with an 87-81 win over Illinois Sunday. Trailing by as many as 17 points in the second half, a 13-0 run in the third quarter helped the Buckeyes (17-0, 6-0 Big
CHAMPAIGN — The Illinois women’s basketball team held on to beat Northwestern Thursday night, 85-79 in Champaign. Kendall Bostic notched another double-double for the Illini, grabbing 16 rebounds and scoring 15 points. It was Bostic’s fifth double this season. Illinois led by 18 points at halftime, but the outcome was in doubt until Bostic converted
CHAMPAIGN — The one thing missing from the Illinois women’s basketball team’s resume this season was a win over a ranked opponent. No longer. The Illini topped No. 12 Iowa 90-86 on New Year’s Day in front of a boisterous crowd of 4803 at State Farm Center. Junior guard Genesis Bryant continued her breakout season
CHAMPAIGN — Genesis Bryant dazzled a matinee crowd at State Farm Center on Wednesday, notching a triple double in a blowout 81-46 win over Florida Atlantic. Bryant, filling in for starting point guard Makira Cook for the second straight game because of illness, scored 22 points, grabbed ten rebounds and dished out twelve assists. After
COLUMBIA, Mo. — No Makira Cook? No problem for the Illinois women’s basketball team. The Illini women won without their leading scorer 76-66 at Missouri on Sunday in the annual “Braggin’ Rights” matchup between the two schools. Cook did not travel with the team to Missouri due to illness. Head coach Shauna Green says the
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Mackenzie Holmes scored 23 points, including a go-ahead layup with 37 seconds left, and No. 5 Indiana got past Illinois 65-61 in their Big Ten opener. Indiana improved to 9-0. The Hoosiers hadn’t trailed in the second half of any game this season before going back and forth in the closing