CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Freshman Petra Holešínská knocked down five three-pointers on Friday night, helping to lift Illinois over Fort Wayne, 56-33. Holešínská combined with redshirt junior Kennedy Cattenhead for 32 of Illinois' points as the two shot 62-percent from the floor. Holešínská was one point short of her career-high, finishing with a team-leading 17 points while grabbing four rebounds and recording three blocks. Cattenhead finished with 15 points, five rebounds and two assists. With the victory, Illinois improves to 3-4 on the season and 5-0 all-time against Fort Wayne.
"I am very happy," head coach Matt Bollant said. "I think this is the best we have executed a game plan, just knowing what we want to do and how we want to guard. I was really proud of how we finished the game and being up eight in the fourth quarter. We shot it well in the fourth quarter and took really good shots. We hit three threes, which is something that we haven't done as of late. I thought these two {Kennedy Cattenhead and Petra Holešínská} had a really good game, especially on the offensive end. When we needed baskets in the third quarter, these two stepped up and gave them to us."
After a scoreless start to the first quarter, the Illini went on a 10-4 run to get things going. The Orange and Blue were 4-for-6 from the floor during that stretch, including 2-for-2 from distance. The Illini held the Mastodons to just five first quarter points, and Holešínská led all scorers with five points heading into the second period. Sophomore Alex Wittinger was aggressive on the glass to start the game, as she racked up six rebounds in the quarter.
Illinois capitalized on its free throws throughout the second quarter, scoring five of their 12 points from the charity stripe. Freshman Ali Andrews was 3-for-4 from the line in the quarter, while sophomore Jaelyne Kirkpatrick contributed two foul shots as well. Cattenhead led the Illini in the period, however, knocking down two of Illinois' three field goals. Holešínská began to heat up again at the end of the quarter, hitting a three-pointer just before the halftime buzzer to give Illinois a 28-17 lead over the Mastodons.
Illinois forced 11 Mastodon turnovers in the first half, committing just two of its own. The Illini scored five points off of those Fort Wayne turnovers. Despite outrebounding Fort Wayne in the first quarter, the Mastodons outrebounded Illinois 22-21 in the first half.
The Orange and Blue maintained their lead through the third quarter, led by Cattenhead and Wittinger who combined for eight points in the quarter. The Illini continued to force Mastodon turnovers, scoring nine points off of six Fort Wayne turnovers in the third quarter. Holešínská hit her third three-pointer of the game in the third quarter and was 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. She joined Cattenhead in double-digits as both had put up 11 points through the first three quarters of play.
Cattenhead and Holešínská continued to lead the Illini through the fourth quarter, combining for 10 points in the period. Holešínská knocked down consecutive treys, finishing the night 5-for-7 from distance.
"I feel like the {three-pointer} before the half really helped me gain some confidence," Holešínská said. "All of the girls made some really great passes so I was usually wide open."
Illinois held Fort Wayne without a field goal for more than seven minutes to end the game, also holding the Mastodons to single-digit scoring in three quarters, including just nine points in the fourth quarter. Illinois allowed Fort Wayne just 10 field goals in the matchup, the fewest for an Illini opponent this season.
The Illini capitalized on Mastodon turnovers, scoring 24 points off of Fort Wayne miscues. Illinois assisted on almost 60-percent of its field goals on Friday evening, led by Beasley who matched her career best with five total assists. Kirkpatrick also contributed four dimes in the matchup. Wittinger finished just short of her sixth consecutive double-double, tallying eight points and nine rebounds overall.
"We needed a pick-me-up as a team, so I feel like getting this win helped build our confidence," Cattenhead said after the game. "I believe that we will go into playing George Washington with a fire under us."
The Illini will head to George Washington on Sunday for their first road trip of the season. Illinois tips off against the Colonials at 11 a.m. CT at the Smith Center.
Stay tuned to FightingIllini.com for the latest on Illinois women's basketball.
Team Notes
· Illinois earned a 56-33 win over the Fort Wayne Mastodons to push their series lead to a perfect, 5-0 with four of those victories coming in Champaign.
· The Orange and Blue held Fort Wayne to five points in the first quarter, marking the second time that the Illini have held an opponent to five points or fewer in a contest this season.
· The 23-point margin was the largest margin of victory for the Illini this season.
· Illinois held Fort Wayne to 33 points on Friday night, the fewest the Mastodons have scored in a game this year. The point total is also the fewest points the Illini have allowed this season.
· The Illini held Fort Wayne to just 10 field goals in the matchup, the fewest for an Illinois opponent this season.
Individual Notes
· Redshirt-junior Kennedy Cattenhead recorded a season-high seven field goals made.
Cattenhead also scored 15 points, good for her fourth double-figure scoring night of the season and 13th of her career.
? Freshman Petra Holešínská had a career-high two blocks and five three-point field goals made. She was 5-for-7 from distance.
Holešínská recorded her third double-figure scoring effort of the season.
? Freshman Brandi Beasley dished five assists to match the career-high number she set against Memphis on Nov. 17.
