It was "pack the house" night at Illinois and the Illini changed their introductions to add some pizazz to it for the big game but it didn't matter as IU would get the regular season sweep over the Illini. Both teams started off hot as the Illini hit their first four shots while IU hit their first three shots and it was 10-8 at the first TV timeout with the Illini on top. Adelia McKenzie hit 3 of her first 5 shots for the Illini as they took a 12-8 lead. Illinois stayed hot and got a 19-10 lead after getting a basket off of two offensive rebounds on a missed shot. A basket by Berger and a 3 pointer by Garzon got IU within four at 19-15. A 3 by Parrish pulled IU to within 3 at 21-18 with under one minute left in the period and that would be the score at the end of the period. The shooting percentages were almost identical in the first period with the Illini having four more field goal attempts being the difference. In the 2nd period, IU pulled within 23=21, but the Illini would hit a 3 after getting an offensive rebound to push the lead up to 26-21 for Illinois. At the 4:56 mark of the period, IU would tie the game at 26-26 on a bucket by Holmes as the Illini would go over three minutes without scoring. IU would take their first lead of the game on a basket by Berger at 28-27 at the 3:33 mark and IU would push that lead up to 30-27 as the Illini had not scored on a FG in five minutes. Illinois would tie the game again at 31-31 on two FTs, but Berger would push the lead up to 35-31 with four points and Holmes would add another basket to make it a 37-31 IU lead at the half. After a hot first period, the Illini really went cold in the 2nd period getting outscored 19-10 as IU stayed hot and shot almost 53 pct in the half while the Illini finished the half shooting 36.4 pct. The fact that the Illini had 10 more field goal attempts in the half prevented IU from having a bigger lead. Both Berger and Holmes had 11 points each at the half. In the first meeting, it was Illinois' Cook that went off and scored 33 points, but in this game so far, it was McKenzie who is averaging 15.5 ppg but had 13 points at the half. Garzon was the only IU player with more than one foul and she had two fouls, while the Illini had three starters with two fouls apiece. IU had six turnovers at the half to four for the Illini. In the 3rd, the Illini opened with a 4-0 run to pull within 36-35, but Berger would score at basket and then the Illini's Bryant who scored the first four points of the period would pick up her 3rd foul and head to the bench. Another Illini starter Bostic would pick up her 3rd foul on an offensive foul and IU would push the lead back up to 43-35, their biggest lead of the game with 7:10 left in the period. IU would then push the lead up to 10 points on a basket by Berger. A three by the Illini after another offensive rebound and a basket by Holmes would give IU a nine-point lead nearing the midway point of the period. IU would push the lead up to 13 points on baskets by Parrish and Holmes at the under 5-minute mark and a TV timeout. Illinois is third in the country on three-point shooting but was 3 of 11 from there at this point in the game. IU would push the lead up to 15 points on two straight 3s by Garzon and IU would have a lead at 63-48 with just over one minute left in the period. A FT by Holmes would push the lead up to 64-48 and Bostic would pick up her 4th foul for the Illini. A 3 by the Illini would cut the lead to 13, but an old-fashion three-point play by Holmes would make it 67-51 at the end of the 3rd with IU scoring 30 points in the period. Holmes would have 25 points at the end of the 3rd and IU didn't turn the ball over in the period. In the 4th, they pretty much traded points at the start of the period. A layup by the Illini on a missed 3-point shot would put the score 71-58 at the 7:44 mark. The Hoosiers started to pick up some fouls with Parrish getting her 4th at 6:14 mark. A bucket by Berger was called off because of an illegal screen on Meister which put the Illini in the bonus. A bucket by the Illini put the lead down to 11 and a turnover by Scalia resulted in a 3 by the Illini to make it an 8-point lead, and Holmes then picked up her 4th foul which put the Illini at the line as IU hadn't scored in almost four minutes. The Illini would hit 1 of 2 FTs to lower the lead to 7 points at 71-64. An old-fashion three-point play by Holmes would put the lead back up to 10 points at 74-64. A bucket by the Illini and then another old-fashion three-point play by Moore-McNeil would make it an 11-point lead with 3:25 left. IU would have the lead at 78-68 with 2:20 left and IU would pretty much cruise from that point on. Holmes would have 30 points while Berger added 18 points. The Illini got no points from their bench tonight while IU got just two points by Meister. IU was 55.6 pct from the field while the Illini were 43.8 pct.
Indiana 83-72 Illinois (Jan 18, 2023) Box Score - ESPN
Box score for the Indiana Hoosiers vs. Illinois Fighting Illini NCAAW game from January 18, 2023 on ESPN. Includes all points, rebounds and steals stats.
www.espn.com
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