CHAMPAIGN – Fighting Illini women's basketball topped the Indiana State Sycamores, 81-52, on Thursday night to improve to 7-4 on the season. The Orange and Blue led a balanced attack inside the State Farm Center as four Illini scored in double figures, and 12 players put points on the board.
Sophomore Petra Holešínská led the way for the Fighting Illini with a season-high 16 points. Sophomore Ali Andrews was also a major contributor, knocking down three three-point field goals on her way to 13 points, while junior Alex Wittinger also scored in double figures to mark the third consecutive game she has tallied 10 or more points. Freshman Addaya Moore set a new career-high, adding 10 points to Illinois' total.
"We have been putting in a lot of extra time shooting," said head coach Nancy Fahey. "It was nice to get the back up and down the floor with a faster tempo, and we moved the ball a lot better. I was glad that we played 40 minutes and that was one of our goals tonight. The players responded well."
Illinois played tough defense to open the game, holding the Sycamores without a field goal for more than seven minutes. The Orange and Blue jumped out to a 10-0 lead in that time, and held a 21-8 advantage heading into the second quarter. Illinois did not commit a turnover in the first quarter, but forced four from Indiana State. Redshirt senior Kennedy Cattenhead and Wittinger led the Illini with six points each in the opening frame.
The Sycamores put up seven-consecutive points to start the second quarter, but the Illini responded with a 10-0 run to keep their distance. Holešínská was hot in the second quarter, knocking down eight of her points just before halftime. She led all scorers with a season-high 13 points before the break, also adding three rebounds. The Illini scored six points off of three Indiana State turnovers in the second quarter, and were a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe in the half.
Illinois continued to extend its lead in the third quarter, as the Illini netted three three-pointers in the period to keep their advantage over the Sycamores. Andrews contributed two of those threes in the third quarter, moving into double figures for the fourth time this season. Illinois went another frame without committing a turnover and had committed just three miscues through three periods.
Illinois saw major contributions from its underclassmen in the fourth quarter as Moore posted all 10 of her points in the final frame, going 4-for-6 from the floor. Sophomore Courtney Joens, redshirt sophomore Cydnee Kinslow and freshman Lyric Robins combined for eight points to close out the game.
Illinois shot 47.7-percent from the field on Thursday and netted a season-high 10 three-pointers. The Orange and Blue outrebounded Indiana State 43-35, and assisted on more than 50-percent of its field goals in the game.
The Illini are back in action on Sunday, hosting Detroit Mercy at 2 p.m. Fans who bring a new or unused toy to donate to Toys for Tots will receive $2 admission to the matchup.
Team Notes
- Illinois moves to 3-6 all-time against Indiana State. Thursday's matchup was the first between the Illini and Sycamores since March 16, 2005 in the first round of the WNIT and the first regular-season matchup since February 2, 1981 in Terra Haute, Indiana.
- The Illini recorded season highs in points (81), field goals made (31), three-point field goals made (10), field goal percentage (47.7) and three-point field goal percentage (47.6).
- UI scored 41 points in the first half, the most by the Orange and Blue in a half this season.
- The Illini bench scored a season-high 44 points.
- Illinois had a season-high 16 assists.
- UI had a season-low eight turnovers.
- Illinois' 31-point margin of victory was the largest of the season.
- Illinois held Indiana State to just eight points in the first quarter. The Illini have held opponents to fewer than 10 points in a single quarter six times this season.
Individual Notes
· Sophomore G Petra Holešínská scored a season-high 16 points, good for her fourth double-figure scoring effort of the season. Since returning to the lineup, Holešínská has scored 10-plus points in back-to-back games.
· Freshman G Addaya Moore scored a career-high 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting and 2-of-2 from behind the arc.
· Redshirt sophomore F Cydnee Kinslow scored her first points in the Orange and Blue.
