NASHVILLE, Tenn. – No. 19 Illinois began its time at the Music City Classic with a 75-55 win over Maryland Eastern Shore on Tuesday afternoon in Nashville, Tenn.
The Fighting Illini improved to 6-0 for the second time under third-year head coach Shauna Green, while three scorers tallied double-digit points in the 20-point victory.
Genesis Bryant posted a game-high and season-most 27 points, her first outing with 20+ points this season. After reaching double figures in the first quarter, Bryant went 4-for-5 from 3-point range and 11-from-14 from the free-throw line. She also totaled five assists and two rebounds.
Kendall Bostic secured her third double-double of the campaign with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Her nine boards in the first period tied the program record for most boards in a single quarter, and she also finished with three assists and two blocks.
Makira Cook poured in 15 points for her third game in double figures this season. Cook also made one block and grabbed one rebound.
Brynn Shoup-Hill corralled a career-high 11 rebounds, the second game of her career with double-digit boards.
Adalia McKenzie did a little bit of everything on Tuesday, amassing five points, four assists, three rebounds, and a steal.
Gretchen Dolan added seven points and a block off the bench.
The two teams battled in a very physical contest that featured a combined 55 fouls and 55 free-throw attempts.
The Illini opened the scoring nearly three minutes into the contest, holding UMES without a point for over six-and-a-half minutes to start the game and taking a 9-0 edge during that time. With the Orange and Blue’s lead down to seven with just over two minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Illini used a 10-0 run, which included two Cook 3-pointers, to extend their advantage up to 21-4.
Bryant closed the first period with a 3-pointer, her first field goal of the day after making seven free throws earlier in the frame, to move into double figures and and put Illinois in front, 24-6, through the opening 10 minutes of action. Bostic grabbed nine rebounds in the first quarter, which equaled the program record for most boards in a quarter.
A 6-0 Illini run to begin the second period moved the Orange and Blue’s lead up to 24 points, but the Hawks responded with a long scoring stretch of their own. UMES used a 16-2 run over the next four minutes to reduce its deficit down to just 10 with 4:23 remaining in the first half.
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