CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) — Cearah Parchment recorded a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds, but Illinois came up short in a 70-62 loss to USC on Sunday afternoon at State Farm Center.
The Fighting Illini trimmed a double-digit deficit to six points late in the fourth quarter, but were unable to complete the comeback against the Trojans.
The game was played before a sold-out crowd of 15,544, marking the third sellout in Illinois women’s basketball history and the first under head coach Shauna Green. It was also the largest crowd for a Big Ten game this season and the program’s first sellout since 1999.
Illinois (16-8, 6-7 Big Ten) was led by Destiny Jackson, who finished with 17 points, eight assists and eight steals, the latter a career high. Berry Wallace added 10 points, extending her streak to 14 consecutive games in double figures.
The Illini forced 15 USC turnovers and converted those takeaways into 15 points. An 11-2 Illinois run in the fourth quarter cut the deficit to 64-58 with just over two minutes remaining, but USC closed out the game from the free-throw line.
Illinois opened the game with a 10-0 run in the first quarter and remained competitive throughout, but USC’s balanced scoring proved decisive down the stretch.
Sunday’s attendance ranks as the third-largest crowd in program history and makes Illinois one of just four NCAA programs to host multiple home games with crowds exceeding 14,000 this season, joining Iowa, UConn and South Carolina.
Illinois continues its three-game homestand Wednesday against Wisconsin. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. at State Farm Center.