Columbus, Ohio — Illinois saw freshman Alex Wittinger earn her third 20-point scoring game of the season on Sunday, in a 117-74 loss at No. 5 Ohio State. Four Illini put up double-digit scoring efforts, but UI could not stop the Buckeyes. Illinois falls to 9-18 overall and 2-14 in Big Ten play.
"Tip of the hat to Ohio State, they came out great to start," head coach Matt Bollant said. "We didn't do a great job of finding shooters, but I give Ohio State a lot of credit. That's as good a performance as I've seen, offensively. We weren't as good defensively as we needed to be."
Wittinger led the Illini with 21 points, followed closely by sophomore Chatrice White who recorded 19 points. Both Sarah Hartwell and Kyley Simmons finished with 10 points each, and Hartwell also added two steals to her tally. Simmons was 8-for-8 from the free throw line for the game.
The two teams got off to a hot start to the day, as the Buckeyes took a 37-24 lead after the first period. Ohio State knocked down 7of-10 three-pointers to build up their lead. Wittinger was a scoring threat for Illinois in the period, she was 3-for-3 from the floor, and led Illinois with seven points to start the game.
The Buckeyes continued their three-point streak, knocking down four more in the second period, and holding Illinois without a single three-pointer. Illinois scored 12 of its first half points in the paint, but Brooke Kissinger was able to drain two of Illinois' three triples in the first quarter. Wittinger led the Illini with 13 points at the half, with help from White who recorded eight first half points. Simmons also had eight first-half points behind 6-for-6 shooting from the free throw line.
Wittinger combined with Hartwell for 13 of Illinois' 15 points in the third quarter, as the Illini worked to cut into Ohio State's lead. Illinois stayed strong from the free throw line, making 14-of-16 shots before the final period.
"Alex was great today, she shot a really good percentage," Bollant said of Wittinger's performance. "Against Ohio State you have to shoot a good percentage because they're so good offensively that you can't give them as many touches. I thought Alex played really well."
Ohio State kept the pressure on in the fourth quarter, making things difficult for Illinois. The Illini put up 19 points in the final period, outscoring Ohio State by one. However, it was not enough to recover from the deficit.
Illinois will host Michigan State on Wednesday, for its regular season home finale. The Illini and the Spartans tip off at 7 p.m. In the State Farm Center. Stay tuned to FIGHTINGILLINI.com for the latest on Illinois women's basketball.
Notes
-Sophomore Brooke Kissinger knocked down two of UI's three three-pointers in the first half of play, she was 2-for-2 from distance before the break. She knocked down another in the second half, accounting for three of Illinois' four treys not he day.
-Freshman Alex Wittinger was on fire in the first half, leading Illinois with 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field. She finished with 21 points, her third game scoring 20 or more points this season.
-Senior Kyley Simmons was clutch from the free throw line as she knocked down 6-of-6 shots from the charity stripe. She remained perfect from the line, finishing with an 8-for-8 performance.
-Senior Sarah Hartwell grabbed Illinois' only steal of the first half, she's third on the team for steals this season, behind only Chatrice White and Alex Wittinger. She added another in the second half as well.
-Ohio State's 16 three-pointers on the day mark the most for an Illini opponent in Illinois program history.
-Ohio State's 117 points on Sunday mark the most scored by an Illini opponent in program history. Previous, the Illini allowed Purdue 112 in 1991.
