EVANSTON, IL (Chambana Today) – Illinois delivered a dominant performance on Thursday night, cruising to an 85-60 road victory over Northwestern. With the win, the Illini claimed their fifth consecutive victory over the Wildcats and improved to 14-5 overall and 4-4 in Big Ten play.
For the first time this season, five Illinois players scored in double figures, with Kendall Bostic’s double-double leading the charge. The fifth-year senior scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Bostic added an assist, a steal, and reached double digits in scoring for the fourth consecutive game. Adalia McKenzie, who made the 100th start of her career, added 15 points. McKenzie also contributed five rebounds and five assists, leading the Illini at the half with 11 points. Genesis Bryant earned her first double-double of the season with 13 points and a career-high 13 assists. Bryant’s 13 assists were the most by an Illini since 2012, and she added three rebounds and two steals to her stat line. Brynn Shoup-Hill was solid all-around, contributing 10 points, two rebounds, two blocks, and a steal, while Berry Wallace added 14 points, including three three-pointers, and grabbed seven rebounds.
Illinois jumped out to an early lead, opening the game with a 13-4 run and never looked back. The Illini went on to build a commanding 27-9 lead by the end of the first quarter, with McKenzie and Bostic leading the charge. Illinois’ defense and offense were in sync, and by halftime, the Illini had established a 50-22 advantage, shooting 61% from the field and assisting on 16 of their 19 made field goals.
Next, Illinois returns to State Farm Center for a home matchup against Purdue on Monday night. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.