COLUMBUS, OH (Chambana Today) – No. 21 Illinois dropped its Big Ten opener to No. 12 Ohio State, 83-74, on Sunday afternoon in Columbus.
The Fighting Illini started strong, holding leads in both the first and second quarters. However, a late surge by the Buckeyes in the second quarter handed Illinois a tough loss to open conference play.
Genesis Bryant led the Illini offense, scoring 22 points while shooting 8-for-14 from the field and 4-for-8 from beyond the arc. Bryant, who recorded her second 20+ point game this season, added four rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Kendall Bostic notched her fifth double-double of the season, tallying 17 points and 13 rebounds, and moving into fourth place on Illinois’ career double-doubles list. Jasmine Brown-Hagger came off the bench to score 14 points, marking her fourth double-digit game this season.
The Fighting Illini will return to the State Farm Center on Thursday for an in-state matchup against Bradley. The game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. tip-off.