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EVANSTON, Ill. – Illinois cruised to an 85-60 road win over Northwestern on Thursday night, the Illini’s fifth-straight victory over the Wildcats.
Five scorers finished in double figures for the Orange and Blue, who never trailed in the contest and improved to 14-5 overall and 4-4 in conference play this season.
Kendall Bostic secured her fourth double-double in the last five games, ending the night with 20 points and 11 rebounds. After posting 10 points in the first half, Bostic tallied 10 points in the third quarter alone. The fifth year also logged an assist and a steal.
Adalia McKenzie totaled 15 points for her 10th-straight game with double-digit points. Leading all scorers with 11 first-half points, McKenzie also amassed five rebounds and five assists.
Genesis Bryant tallied her first double-double of the season, pouring in 13 points while dishing out a career-high 13 assists. Her 13 helpers marked the most by an Illini since 2012, and she also tacked on three rebounds and two steals.
Brynn Shoup-Hill filled the stat sheet with 10 points, two rebounds, two blocks, and a steal.
Berry Wallace knocked down three 3-pointers en route to a 14-point, seven-rebound performance. Scoring in double figures for the third time in her career, Wallace also corralled seven rebounds.
Cori Allen grabbed a career-most 11 rebounds along with tallying six points, while Jasmine Brown-Hagger accumulated seven points, four rebounds, and two steals.
The Illini jumped out to an early 13-4 edge within the first four minutes of play, a stretch that was fueled by good defense and efficient offense. The visitors’ lead moved into double digits for the first time with just over five remaining in the first quarter, with Adalia McKenzie’s nine points helping the Orange and Blue establish a 16-6 advantage.
Illinois kept its foot on the gas the rest of the opening frame, closing the first quarter on a 14-3 run to take a 27-9 lead through 10 minutes. McKenzie led the way with nine points, Bostic grabbed eight rebounds, and all seven Illini who played also scored in the first period of play.
A 7-0 run early in the second quarter extended the away side’s advantage up to 23, and Bostic moved into double figures less than one minute later. The Wildcats cut their deficit to 20, but the Illini responded with a 9-0 run, which featured five points from Wallace.
Illinois led by as many as 29 across the first two quarters before going into the locker room with a 50-22 edge. Five Illini scorers totaled at least eight points in the first half, with McKenzie’s 11 points leading the way at the break. The Orange and Blue registered an assist on 16 of their 19 made field goals and shot 61% from the field prior to halftime.
Bostic’s jumper to start the second half pushed the Illini’s advantage to 30 for the first time. A 5-0 run soon after pushed that lead up to 33 before a 6-0 Wildcat scoring stretch sent the sides into the third-quarter media timeout with the Orange and Blue in front, 57-30.
Illinois came out of the brief intermission by posting a 9-1 run, which featured five points from Bostic to move the Illini forward up to 20 points on the night. The visitors led by as many as 35 in the frame, eventually entering the final period of play with a 71-41 edge.
The Illini started the fourth quarter with a 9-2 run, extending the team’s lead up to 80-43 with just under six minutes remaining. The Orange and Blue’s 37-point lead was their largest in the contest, and they closed out the win for their third-straight road triumph over the Wildcats.
Illinois briefly returns to State Farm Center for a home game against Purdue on Monday night. The opening tipoff between the Illini and the Boilermakers is set for 7:30 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network, with tickets available at FightingIllini.com.
HIGHLIGHTS
Coming soon.
POSTGAME RADIO INTERVIEW
Coming soon.
POSTGAME NOTES
Player Notes:
Kendall Bostic scored a game-high 20 points to go along with 11 rebounds, an assist and a steal.
Bostic secured her 12th double-double of the season and the 46th of her career.
Still in second place in the record books, Bostic continued to move closer to Jenna Smith’s program record for career double-doubles.
Recorded her sixth 20-point game of the season and the 10th such performance of her career.
Scored in double figures for the 17th time this season and for the 66th time in her career.
Has eclipsed the 10-point mark in 16 of her last 17 games.
Now has at least six rebounds in all 19 games this season.
Secured eight rebounds in the first quarter.
Continues to climb the program’s all-time rebounding list:
1. Jenna Smith (2006-10) – 1,217
2. Kendall Bostic (2021-pres.) – 1,207
Moving up the Big Ten all-time career rebounding list:
1. Megan Gustafson (Iowa, 2016-19) – 1,460
2. Jantel Lavender (Ohio State, 2008-11) – 1,422
3. Denise Jackson (Indiana, 1981-84) – 1,273
4. Kendall Bostic (Illinois, 2020-Present) – 1,271
Has 10+ rebounds in 14 games this season and in 68 appearances across her career.
Jasmine Brown-Hagger scored seven points and added four rebounds and two assists.
Genesis Bryant scored 13 points, dished out 13 assists, had two rebounds and two steals.
Recorded her first double-double of the season and the second of her career.
Scored in double figures for the 13th time this season and for the 63rd time in her career.
Has 10+ points in 10 of the last 11 games.
Her 13 assists marked a career high and are the most in a single game by an Illini since at least the 2012-13 season.
Adalia McKenzie scored 15 points, adding five rebounds and five assists.
Had nine points within the first five minutes of play.
Scored in double figures for the 10th-consecutive game, for the 16th time this season, and for the 72nd time in her career.
Made her 100th career start.
Berry Wallace came off the bench to score 14 points to go along with seven rebounds.
Scored in double figures for the third time this season.
Has at least seven points in five-straight games.
Cori Allen came off the bench and pitched in with six points and 11 rebounds.
The 11 rebounds marks a career best and is the first double-digit rebound game of her career.
Team Notes:
Northwestern won the opening tip, but the Illini opened the scoring on a Jasmine Brown-Hagger steal and score.
The Illini opened the game on a 13-4 run within the first four minutes of play, during which Illinois went 5-for-8 from the field.
Illinois closed the first quarter on a 14-3 run over the final six minutes of the frame, which helped the Illini take a 27-9 lead over 10 minutes.
The Illini held the Wildcats to only one field goal over the final six minutes of the first quarter.
A 9-0 run from 4:47 to 3:02 remaining in the second quarter extended the Illini’s lead to 48-19.
The Illini had five double-figure scorers (Bostic, Brown-Hagger, Bryant, McKenzie, Wallace).
Illinois forced Northwestern into 11 turnovers on the night.
The Illini have forced double-digit turnovers in all 19 games this season.
Scored eight points off of those takeaways.
The Illini registered 24 assists on 30 made field goals.
The 24 assists marks the second highest total on the season.
Illinois out-rebounded Northwestern 43-32, the 10th time this season the Illini have had a rebounding margin of +10 or better.
Misc. Notes:
Starters: Genesis Bryant, Jasmine Brown-Hagger, Adalia McKenzie, Brynn Shoup-Hill, Kendall Bostic
This lineup is now 7-3 on the season.
Shauna Green is now:
55-30 at Illinois
23-21 in Big Ten play
182-80 as a Division I head coach
211-105 overall
Illinois vs. Northwestern: 39-49 (88th meeting)
Shauna Green’s coaching record vs. Northwestern: 5-0
Illinois is now 16-24 against Northwestern when playing in Evanston.
The Illini have won three-straight road games against the Wildcats for the first time since the 2007-08, 2008-09, and 2009-10 seasons.
Illinois is now 3-2 in road games this season.
The Illini have held opponents at/below 15 points in 42 of 76 regulation periods.
Illinois is now 4-2 when wearing white uniforms this season.
The Illini are now 8-1 in games starting after 5 p.m. CT this season.
Illinois is now 6-0 in games played on Thursdays this season.
The Illini are now 3-2 in January.
Illinois is now 3-2 during the 2025 calendar year.
Score after 1st Quarter: 27-9
Score at Halftime: 50-22 (23-13 Q2)
Score after 3rd Quarter: 71-41 (21-19 Q3)
Score after 4th Quarter: 85-60 (14-19 Q4)
