CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois closed its nonconference schedule with a 69-57 win over Southern at State Farm Center on Friday afternoon.
With four scorers in double figures, the Fighting Illini clinched their 10th victory of the season ahead of the return of Big Ten play next week. The Orange and Blue went 10-1 against nonconference opponents and won 10 games before Christmas for the second time under head coach Shauna Green.
Jasmine Brown-Hagger marked her third-consecutive start with 20 points, the second 20+-point outing of her career. Posting a game-high 16 points in the first half, Brown-Hagger finished the afternoon with five assists, three rebounds, and two steals.
Kendall Bostic secured her fourth-consecutive double-double, tallying 14 points and 15 rebounds. Moving into a tie for second place on the program’s career double-doubles list, Bostic also amassed two blocks and two steals.
Genesis Bryant poured in 14 points, her fourth-straight game with 10+ points, while connecting on three 3-pointers. Bryant also totaled five assists, three rebounds, and a steal.
Adalia McKenzie closed the contest with 13 points, three rebounds, three assists, and three steals.
Berry Wallace added six points off the bench, while three of her four rebounds came on the offensive glass.
After the Jaguars posted the first points of the afternoon, the Illini pieced together a 13-2 run over the next four minutes. Bostic, Brown-Hagger, and Bryant accounted for all the scoring during that stretch, which gave the home side a 13-4 advantage at the first media timeout. The visitors battled back, with Illinois holding a 19-16 edge through the opening 10 minutes.
Southern cut its deficit to one early in the second quarter, but a 5-0 Illini run helped the home side extend their advantage to 24-18. The sides traded baskets over the next few minutes before a 10-3 Illinois scoring stretch gave the hosts their first double-digit advantage of the day.
The Illini eventually went into the break with a 39-31 lead behind 16 first-half points from Brown-Hagger.
After both sides went over three minutes without a basket to start the third quarter, Bryant made her second trey of the day to re-establish Illinois’ double-digit advantage. The Jaguars cut their deficit back to single digits, but a 8-2 scoring stretch from the Orange and Blue gave the home side a 52-37 edge with just under two minutes remaining in the period.
With the Illini holding a 53-39 edge after three quarters, the Jaguars cut into that Illinois advantage with a 6-2 run over the first three minutes of the final frame. Seven-straight points from McKenzie helped Illinois maintain a double-digit advantage, and Bryant’s 3-pointer with less than a minute left sealed the 12-point win.
Illinois resumes Big Ten play on Dec. 28, when Oregon makes the trip to State Farm Center. The first conference game between the Fighting Illini and the Ducks is set for 2 p.m. CT on B1G+, with tickets still available at FightingIllini.com.
HIGHLIGHTS
Coming soon.
PRESS CONFERENCE
Coming soon.
POSTGAME NOTES
Player Notes:
Genesis Bryant tallied 11 points while dishing out five assists.
Scored in double figures for the seventh time this season and for the 57th time in her career.
Has done so in four-straight games, extending her season-long streak.
Knocked down multiple 3-pointers for the sixth time this season and second-straight overall.
Third game this season with at least three makes from deep.
Has at least five assists in back-to-back games and in three contests overall this season.
Jasmine Brown-Hagger scored a game-high 20 points while also posting three rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Posted her second 20-point game of the season and career.
Scored in double figures for the fifth time this season and for the seventh time in her career.
Was the first player to reach the double-digit scoring mark, which she achieved on a 3-pointer with 3:33 left in the second quarter.
Had a game-high 16 first-half points, going 5-for-7 from the field across the first two quarters.
Made the third start of her career in as many games.
Went 7-for-7 from the free-throw line, a career-high tally for makes from the charity stripe.
Brynn Shoup-Hill scored one point and added three rebounds and one assist.
Equaled her career-best tally with two steals.
Was also a season-high mark.
Adalia McKenzie registered 13 points to go along with three rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Scored in double figures for the ninth time this season and for the 65th time in her career.
Grabbed multiple steals for the third time this season.
Kendall Bostic scored 14 points and secured 15 rebounds.
Registered her eighth double-double of the season and the 42nd of her career.
Now tied for second place on the program’s career double-doubles list.
1. Jenna Smith – 53 (2006-10)
T2. Kendall Bostic – 42 (2021-Pres.)
T2. Karisma Penn – 42 (2009-13)
Has a double-double in four-consecutive games.
Second game this season with at least 14 points and 15 rebounds.
Recorded double-digit rebounds for the fourth-consecutive game, for the ninth time this season, and for the 63rd time in her career.
Grabbed her 10th rebound with 8:23 remaining in the third quarter.
Continues to climb the program’s all-time rebounding list:
1. Jenna Smith (2006-10) – 1,217
2. Kendall Bostic (2021-pres.) – 1,129
Scored in double figures for the 11th time this season and for the 60th time in her career.
Set a new season-best mark with two steals.
Made her second 3-pointer of the season in the second quarter.
Berry Wallace chipped in six points with four rebounds and an assist.
Was the first Illini off the bench, entering the contest for the first time with 5:17 remaining in the first quarter.
Team Notes:
The Illini won the opening tip, though Southern opened the scoring on its first possession of the afternoon.
The Illini had four double-figure scorers (Bostic, Brown-Hagger, Bryant, Mckenzie).
Fifth game this season with at least four players in double figures and second-straight such game overall.
Illinois used a 13-2 run from 8:27 to 4:31 remaining in the first quarter to establish a 13-4 advantage at the first media timeout.
The Illini closed the first half on a 10-5 run over the final 3:36 of the first half, which featured seven points from Brown-Hagger and a 3-pointer from Bostic.
Forced Southern into three turnovers on its final five possessions.
Illinois outrebounded Southern, 36-20, the 11th time this season the Illini have won the battle on the boards.
The Illini also held a 16-5 advantage on the offensive glass, scoring 17 second-chance points.
Illinois has posted a +10 rebounding margin or better in five-straight games.
The Illini have forced double-digit turnovers in all 12 games this season.
Scored 21 points off of 16 takeaways.
Illinois assisted 15 times on 23 field goals.
Fifth time this season assisting on 50 percent or more of its made field goals.
Misc. Notes:
Starters: Genesis Bryant, Jasmine Brown-Hagger, Adalia McKenzie, Brynn Shoup-Hill, Kendall Bostic
This lineup is now 3-0 on the season.
Shauna Green is now:
51-27 at Illinois
178-77 as a Division I head coach
207-102 Overall
Shauna Green continues to climb the program’s all-time wins record. With the Fighting Illini’s victory over Southern, Green recorded her 51st triumph at Illinois, which ranks sixth in program history.
1. 210 Theresa Grentz (12 seasons)
2. 83 Laura Golden (6 seasons)
3. 73 Jane Schroeder (5 seasons)
4. 69 Jolette Law (5 seasons)
5. 61 Matt Bollant (5 seasons)
6. 51 Shauna Green (3 seasons)
7. 50 Kathy Lindsey (5 seasons)
8. 42 Nancy Fahey (5 seasons)
9. 33 Carla Thompson (3 seasons)
10. 12 Steven Douglas (3 seasons)
Illinois has won 12-consecutive games at State Farm Center, which is the second-longest such streak in program history.
1. 18 games – 12/20/1997 to 1/5/1999
2. 12 games (Active) – 2/19/2024 to Current
Illinois has won 10 games before Christmas (Dec. 25) for the first time since 2022-23 and for the second time since 2006-07.
Illinois vs. Southern: 2-0 (second meeting)
The Illini have held opponents at/below 15 points in 30 of 48 regulation periods.
Illinois is now 8-1 when wearing white uniforms this season.
The Illini are now 4-1 in games starting before 5 p.m. CT this season.
Illinois is now 2-0 in games played on Fridays this season.
The Illini are now 4-1 in December.
Score after 1st Quarter: 19-16
Score at Halftime: 39-31 (20-15 Q2)
Score after 3rd Quarter: 53-39 (14-8 Q3)
Score after 4th Quarter: 69-57 (16-18 Q4)
