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Postgame Radio
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Illinois secured its first ranked road win since 2019 with a dramatic 66-65 victory over No. 14 Maryland at XFINITY Center on Sunday afternoon.
With three lead changes in the final 60 seconds, Genesis Bryant knocked down two free throws with six seconds remaining to give the Fighting Illini their first-ever win against the Terrapins and their third ranked triumph of the season.
Playing all 40 minutes, Bryant finished with a game-high 20 points while making two 3-pointers and going a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Scoring 10 points in the third quarter alone, Bryant also amassed four rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
Berry Wallace continued to make clutch plays for the Orange and Blue, with the true freshman recording 14 points to along with a career-high four 3-pointers. She also collected two rebounds, an assist, a block, and a steal.
Brynn Shoup-Hill knocked down a 3-pointer with 45 seconds left to give the Illini a late lead. She logged seven points, two assists, and a block, and five of her eight rebounds came on the offensive glass.
Kendall Bostic posted her fifth consecutive double-double, concluding the afternoon with 13 points and 14 rebounds. She also tallied two assists and a block across her 40 minutes of action.
Adalia McKenzie filled the stat sheet with nine points, a career high-tying seven assists, and three rebounds.
The Illini shot 10-for-21 from 3-point range in the road victory, while they turned 10 offensive rebounds into 13 second-chance points.
After a back-and-forth opening six minutes of the contest that featured five lead changes, the Terrapins closed the frame with a 10-2 run to establish an 18-11 edge. Bryant accounted for six of the Illini’s 11 points in the first quarter, the most of any player through the first 10 minutes of play.
The home side extended their advantage to nine points early in the second period, but the Orange and Blue pieced together a 9-2 run to cut their deficit down to 22-20 just under three minutes into the frame. McKenzie tallied seven points during that two-minute span, including her lone 3-pointer of the afternoon.
Maryland made another run to go back ahead by five, but five consecutive points from Bostic tied the game at 30 with less than a minute remaining in the first half. The Terrapins ultimately scored the final two points of the frame, sending the sides into the break with the hosts narrowly in front, 32-30.
Bryant gave Illini the lead with a 3-pointer to start the second half, but a 10-0 run from the Terps put the home side ahead once again. The Illini were not quiet for long, though, responding with a 10-0 run of their own over the next three minutes to re-establish a one-point edge, 43-42. Bryant moved into double figures during that time, while Wallace connected from beyond the arc for her second trey of the day.
After the sides traded baskets across the final three minutes of the third quarter, the Illini and the Terps entered the final frame knotted at 50 apiece.
Illinois scored the first four points of the fourth quarter, a stretch that started with a bucket from Bostic. Shoup-Hill then grabbed an offensive rebound before Wallace made the second-chance layup to move into double figures and give the visitors a 54-50 lead with 7:48 remaining.
A 9-0 run from Maryland gave the Terps a 59-54 advantage with under three minutes remaining, but the Illini continued to fight. Back-to-back baskets from Bostic and Bryant reduced the Orange and Blue’s deficit to one, but three consecutive points from Maryland extended the home side’s edge up to 62-58 with under two minutes to go.
Wallace buried her fourth trey on the Illini’s next possession to cut the team’s deficit back down to one. After Maryland split a pair of free throws, Shoup-Hill rattled in her first 3-pointer of the afternoon to put Illinois ahead, 64-63, with 45 seconds to play. The Terps took the lead once more with 14 seconds remaining, but Bryant got fouled as she drove to the basket with six seconds to play and made both free throws to send Illinois ahead, 66-65.
Getting a stop on the defensive end, the Illini improved to 17-5 and 7-4 in Big Ten play with their fourth conference road victory of the season.
Three of Illinois’ next four games will be played at State Farm Center, starting on Thursday when the Fighting Illini host Northwestern for a 6 p.m. CT contest on B1G+.
HIGHLIGHTS
POSTGAME RADIO INTERVIEW
POSTGAME NOTES
Player Notes
Kendall Bostic scored 13 points to go along with 14 rebounds and two assists.
Bostic secured her 15th double-double of the season and the 49th of her career.
Registered a double-double for the fifth-straight game.
Still in second place in the record books, Bostic continued to move closer to Jenna Smith’s program record for career double-doubles.
Has 10+ rebounds in 17 games this season and in 71 appearances across her career.
Added to her lead atop the program’s career rebounding list:
1. Kendall Bostic (2021-pres.) – 1,243
2. Jenna Smith (2006-10) – 1,217
Remaining in third place on the Big Ten all-time career rebounding list, Bostic moved closer to the two players above her:
1. Megan Gustafson (Iowa, 2016-19) – 1,460
2. Jantel Lavender (Ohio State, 2008-11) – 1,422
3. Kendall Bostic (Illinois, 2020-Present) – 1,307
4. Denise Jackson (Indiana, 1981-84) – 1,273
Now has at least six rebounds in all 22 games this season.
Scored in double figures for the 20th time this season and for the 69th time in her career.
Has eclipsed the 10-point mark in 19 of her last 20 games.
Brynn Shoup-Hill scored seven points and grabbed eight rebounds.
Hit a 3-pointer with 45 seconds left in the game to give Illinois a 64-63 lead.
Has knocked down a 3-pointer in consecutive games for the first time this season.
Has 8+ rebounds in nine games this season.
Genesis Bryant scored a game-high 20 points and added four rebounds and two assists.
Registered her seventh 20-point game of the season and her second-straight such performance.
Scored in double figures for the 16th time this season and for the 66th time in her career.
Has also done so in four-straight games.
Connected on two 3-pointers to continue to climb the Illinois career makes list.
Her 179 3-pointers rank fourth on Illinois’ all-time list.
Adalia McKenzie scored nine points while tallying three rebounds and seven assists.
Her seven assists are a new season-high mark while also matching her career high.
Has at least five assists in three of the last four games and in four appearances overall this season.
Jasmine Brown-Hagger scored three points and added two assists.
Knocked down a 3-pointer for a third-straight game, a new season-long streak.
Berry Wallace came off the bench to score 14 points to go along with two rebounds and an assist.
Poured in double-digit points for the fifth time this season.
Has at least seven points in eight-straight games.
Has 10+ points in three of the last four games and in four of the last six.
Made a career-high four 3-pointers.
Has multiple makes from beyond the arc in six games this season and in three of her last four appearances.
Team Notes
Maryland won the opening tip, but it was the Illini who opened the scoring with a layup from Genesis Bryant.
Illinois used a 10-0 run over a 2:25 span in the third quarter to take a 43-42 lead in the contest.
The Illini defense forced Maryland into going 0-for-6 from the floor during that span.
The Illini had three double-figure scorers (Bostic, Bryant, Wallace).
Illinois forced Maryland into eight turnovers on the night and scored nine points off of them.
First game this season the Illini did not force double-digit turnovers.
Illinois went 10-for-21 from 3-point range.
Illinois has made at least eight 3-pointers in three-straight games and has connected on 8+ 3-pointers in six games total this season.
The Illini scored 13 second-chance points off of 10 offensive rebounds.
Misc. Notes
Starters: Genesis Bryant, Jasmine Brown-Hagger, Adalia McKenzie, Brynn Shoup-Hill, Kendall Bostic
This lineup is now 10-3 on the season.
Shauna Green is now:
58-30 at Illinois
26-21 in Big Ten play
185-80 as a Division I head coach
214-105 overall
Illinois has now won 12 Big Ten road games under Shauna Green, a mark that owns sole possession of third place all-time among Fighting Illini women’s basketball coaches.
The Illini posted the program’s first-ever win over the Terrapins.
Illinois earned its third ranked win of the season, its most in a single campaign since 1999-2000, when the Illini won four ranked contests.
The Illini posted their first ranked road win since Jan. 6, 2019, when Illinois defeated No. 12 Minnesota away from home.
Illinois is now 3-3 when facing AP Top 25-ranked teams this season.
Under Shauna Green, Illinois now owns five ranked wins.
The Illini have now won four-straight Big Ten road games for the first time since the 2012-13 campaign.
Illinois vs. Maryland: 1-17 (18th meeting)
Shauna Green’s coaching record vs. Maryland: 1-5
Illinois is now 1-8 against Maryland when playing in College Park.
Illinois is now 5-2 in true road games this season.
The Illini have held opponents at/below 15 points in 50 of 88 regulation periods.
Illinois is now 5-2 in true road games this season.
The Illini are 4-2 in Big Ten road games this season.
Illinois is now 6-2 when wearing blue uniforms this season.
The Illini are now 6-4 in games starting before 5 p.m. CT this season.
Illinois is now 3-2 in games played on Sundays this season.
The Illini are now 2-0 in February.
Illinois is now 7-2 during the 2025 calendar year.
Score after 1st Quarter: 11-18
Score at Halftime: 30-32 (19-14 Q2)
Score after 3rd Quarter: 50-50 (20-18 Q3)
Score after 4th Quarter: 66-65(16-15 Q4)
