Three Observations From Illinois Wbb's 74-71 Win Over Northwestern

It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t efficient, and it surely wasn’t stress-free – but it was a win, and they each count nan aforesaid successful nan Big Ten standings. No. 25 Illinois outlasted Northwestern 74-71 connected Sunday day astatine State Farm Center successful a crippled that tested Illinois’ toughness much than thing else. The Wildcats changeable amended from nan section than nan Illini and hung astir until nan last seconds. Illinois countered by owning nan glass, mounting up campy astatine nan free-throw statement and making conscionable capable winning plays precocious to past a gritty in-state battle.

This was not a crippled that screamed “comfortable location win,” but it did underline a fewer important truths astir this Illinois squad arsenic convention play grinds on.

1. Berry Wallace is simply a superstar

Berry Wallace’s stat statement jumps disconnected nan page for a reason. Her 29 points was a profession high, and much importantly, they came erstwhile nan Illini needed them most. Wallace scored 12 of Illinois’ 16 fourth-quarter points, fundamentally carrying nan discourtesy during a agelong erstwhile cleanable looks were difficult to find and Northwestern was pushing nan pace.

The ratio wasn’t cleanable – 10-for-24 from nan section and 0-for-6 from 3 – but Wallace consistently put unit connected nan defense. She attacked downhill, drew interaction and vanished nan nighttime 9-for-10 astatine nan free-throw line. In a crippled successful which Illinois changeable conscionable 37.9 percent wide and 27.8 percent from deep, that expertise to manufacture points mattered.

Beyond her scoring, Wallace added 9 rebounds and played nan afloat 40 minutes. This wasn't a basking shooting nighttime but a purpose-driven, put-the-team-on-my-back performance. When Northwestern trimmed nan lead to 1 successful nan 4th quarter, Wallace was nan steadying unit that prevented nan lead – and nan crippled – from flipping.

2. Illinois’ power connected nan violative solid was nan difference

If location was 1 area wherever Illinois intelligibly controlled nan game, it was connected nan boards – particularly connected nan violative end. Illinois vanished pinch a monolithic 42-27 rebounding advantage and grabbed 18 violative rebounds, which turned into 23 second-chance points.

Cearah Parchment led nan measurement pinch 11 rebounds, 5 of them connected nan violative glass, while Wallace and Lety Vasconcelos each added 4 violative boards. Those other possessions were invaluable connected a time erstwhile shots weren’t falling consistently. Illinois had 66 field-goal attempts to Northwestern’s 62, contempt shooting a little percentage, simply because it kept extending possessions.

In a three-point game, that separator looms large. Northwestern played good capable offensively to win, but Illinois’ expertise to make other chances wore nan Wildcats down and prevented scoring droughts from becoming fatal.

3. Winning disfigured is becoming portion of Illinois’ identity

Illinois did not triumph this crippled because it changeable good aliases because it overwhelmed Northwestern pinch protect pressure. The Illini were outshot from nan section and from three, committed much turnovers and had to woody pinch a beardown capacity from Northwestern's Grace Sullivan (21 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists). What they did do was triumph nan margins.

Illinois went 19-for-22 astatine nan free-throw statement compared to Northwestern’s 7-for-9. They controlled nan paint, outscored nan Wildcats connected 2nd chances and closed nan crippled pinch aggregate protect stops, holding Northwestern without a section extremity complete nan last 2:15.

This is nan benignant of crippled that slips distant from little disciplined teams. Instead, Illinois stayed composed, leaned into its strengths and recovered a measurement to finish. As Big Ten play continues, disconnected nights for illustration this will happen. Having nan expertise to grind retired a triumph anyhow whitethorn extremity up being conscionable arsenic important arsenic nan outings erstwhile shots autumn easily.