Indianapolis, Ind. - Fighting Illini sophomore Chatrice White reached a major career milestone on Wednesday, March 2, scoring her 1,000th career point in Illinois' Big Ten Tournament matchup. Despite White and redshirt senior Kyley Simmons' combining for 47 of Illinois' 66 points, the No. 14 seed Illini fell to the No. 10 seed Penn State Lady Lions, 75-66. Illinois falls to 9-21 overall on the 2015-16 season.
"I thought that in the fourth quarter we just gave up too many shots inside," head coach Matt Bollant said. "We just didn't get enough stops down the stretch and we did a poor job of seeing behind us at times. I thought Kyley (Simmons) played really well. I'm really proud to be her coach. She played with a lot of guts and is a great kid, very unselfish. I'm proud of our seniors."
White wasn't the only Illini to reach a milestone in Indianapolis as freshman Jaelyne Kirkpatrick dished a career-high eight assists, the most for an Illini in a Big Ten Tournament game. Simmons' five three-pointers on the day mark the most for an Illini in a Big Ten Tournament game since Amber Moore also knocked down five three-pointers at the tournament in 2011.
"We did a good job of getting Chatrice the ball late," Bollant said. "Jaelyne did a good job of finding people and getting Chatrice touches as well."
Once again, White and Simmons combined to lead the Illini through the first period, combining for 12 of Illinois' first-quarter points. The Lady Lions pulled ahead to an early lead, but Illinois kept chipping away. Illinois scored 10 of its points in the paint, but allowed Penn State four points off turnovers.
The Illini fought hard through the second quarter, working to keep the Lady Lions close. Simmons knocked down three three-pointers in the quarter, leading the Orange and Blue with 13 points in the first half. The Illini grabbed four offensive rebounds in the first half, scoring 10 second chance points in just the second quarter. The two teams battled it out through the second period, but UI went into the locker room with a six-point deficit at the break.
Illinois used the three-point line to its advantage in the third quarter, knocking down back-to-back threes at the end of the period to pull within one possession of the Lady Lions before the fourth period. Both White and Simmons continued to lead UI with 18 points each before the final quarter, while freshman Alex Wittinger had registered three blocked shots to hold things down on the defensive end. Wittinger grabbed a team-leading seven rebounds before the final period, also adding six points to her line.
The Illini kept it going, tying the game at 53 to start the fourth quarter. Penn State, however, wasn't going away easy and the Lady Lions knocked down back-to-back buckets to stay in the lead. Penn State outscored Illinois 22-15 in the fourth quarter, and White added eight of Illinois' points. With a total of 26 points on the day, White now has 1,010 career points.
"Penn State has a lot of length and a lot of great players, Teniya Page is a great point guard," sophomore Chatrice White said. "I just feel like the whole game we were with them and we went on a couple runs. I guess it wasn't enough tonight, but it was still a fun game."
"I'm proud of this team, they deserve the right things," Bollant said when asked about the season. "They've put in work and they've built new relationships. They've been in the gym every day. I feel like they're winners and I'm proud of the way they carry themselves. They have a lot of heart and they will be very successful in life."
"It's been a lot of fun, I've met a lot of people and made a lot of relationships," senior Kyley Simmons said after the game. "There isn't going to be anything else like it in life. To be blessed to play for amazing coaches who come in the gym with a smile on their faces the next day, no matter what, has been amazing. I've had an awesome career, the relationships I've made will stay with me forever."
Notes
-With Wednesday's 75-66 loss to the No. 10 seed, Penn State, Illinois closes the 2015-16 season with a 9-21 record overall and 2-16 in Big Ten Play. Illinois falls to 17-22 all-time in Big Ten Tournament play.
-Sophomore Chatrice White scored her 1,000th point on Wednesday, reaching the millennium mark in just 61 career games. She's tied with Lisa Robinson (1978-82) as the second-fastest Illini to score 1,000 career points. Only Ashley Berggren reached the milestone faster as she scored her 1,000th career point in just 56 games.
-White finished the day with 26 points and six rebounds, good for her 12th game scoring 20 or more points this year.
-White's 26 points against Penn State are the second-most for an Illini in a Big Ten Tournament game. Allison Curtin leads with 35 points scored against Iowa in 2001.
-Redshirt senior Kyley Simmons knocked down five three-pointers on 5-for-8 shooting from beyond the arc Wednesday. She's made four or more treys in 10 games this season.
-Simmons' five three-pointers are the most for an Illini since Amber Moore also knocked down five treys against Penn State in the 2011 Big Ten Tournament Semifinal game.
-Freshman Alex Wittinger rejected three shots on the day, the 15th time this season she has recorded multiple blocked shots in a game.
-Freshman Jaelyne Kirkpatrick doubled her career-high number as she dished eight assists on Wednesday, also marking the most for an Illini in a Big Ten Tournament game.
