CHAMPAIGN – Fighting Illini junior Alex Wittinger led Illinois with 20 points and 13 rebounds on Sunday afternoon, earning her eighth double-double of the season in Illinois' 84-71 loss to No. 18 Iowa. The Illini spread out the scoring as eight players contributed at least two points and one rebound each. Sophomore Ali Andrews was also among Illini leaders as she closed the game with 13 points, four rebounds and a block. Next up, the Illini (9-9, 0-4 Big Ten) will host Nebraska on Jan. 10 in a 7 p.m. contest.
"I thought the kids came out and did what we talked about early during pregame," head coach Nancy Fahey said. "We talked about our energy, effort and enthusiasm and trying to do that for forty minutes. We tried to do that minute-by-minute and I think we did a good job. I am sure there are a couple of minutes we would like to take back. We are not here for moral victories, but the one thing I appreciated today was their effort."
The Illini were on fire to start the game, outscoring Iowa 23-16 in the first quarter on 55.6-percent shooting. The Orange and Blue knocked down three treys in the opening frame, thanks to consecutive buckets from deep from Iowa City native, Courtney Joens. She led all scorers with six points in the first quarter, while Wittinger, redshirt sophomore Cierra Rice and Andrews also added to Illinois' scoring. The Illini committed just one turnover to open the game, and scored six points off of two Hawkeye miscues.
Iowa put the pressure on in the second quarter, holding Illinois to just 10 points and pulling ahead to a 38-33 halftime advantage. Wittinger led Illinois with 10 first-half points and six rebounds as she earned her 16th double-figure scoring game this season. Beasley was also a big contributor on the glass for Illinois, adding six boards of her own as Illinois outrebounded Iowa, 17-16 in the first half. Iowa shot 50-percent in the first half, but held Illinois to just 31.3-percent shooting in the second quarter.
Illinois and Iowa traded buckets out of the halftime break, and the Illini cut Iowa's lead to just two to start the half. The Hawkeyes extended their lead to eight heading into the final frame, but Illinois used 75-percent shooting from three-point range to stay close. Beasley and Kennedy Cattenhead combined for 10 points in the third quarter as the Orange and Blue continued to spread the scoring around. Eight Illini found the net before the final frame, including freshman Lyric Robins who racked up a career-high eight points.
Wittinger added eight points for the Illini in the fourth quarter as the two teams continued to trade buckets. A three-pointer from Andrews cut the Hawkeye lead to three with just over four minutes to play, but Iowa responded with a three-point play of its own to keep its distance. The Hawkeyes closed the game with four consecutive free throws to secure the victory.
Andrews went 3-for-4 from three-point range and 5-for-10 from the floor on Sunday, and Rice dished a career-best five assists in the contest. The Illini shot 42.6-percent in the matchup, facing 50.9-percent shooting from Iowa. The Illini bench contributed 23 points in the game, and UI outrebounded Iowa, 34-31. The Hawkeyes tallied 13 points off of Illini turnovers and knocked down 20-of-22 from the charity stripe.
Illinois will stay at home this week, hosting Nebraska on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The game will mark International Student Night, and Illini students in attendance will receive free t-shirts.
Team Notes
- Iowa is the third AP-ranked opponent Illinois has competed against this season.
- Illinois' 71 points against Iowa is the most for the Illini since scoring 73 points against Detroit Mercy on December 10.
- The Illinois bench outscored the Iowa bench, 23-8.
- Illinois' first-quarter 23 points is the most for the squad in the first frame this season.
Individual Notes
- Junior F Alex Wittinger had her eighth double-double of the season with 20 points and 13 rebounds.
- Wittinger's 20-point afternoon is her second 20-plus point performance of the season and 10th of her career.
- With six offensive boards, Wittinger moved up to the No. 10 spot on the career offensive rebounding list with 263 career offensive rebounds, surpassing Alicia Scheeler.
- The Delano, Minnesota native recorded two blocked shots on Sunday. Wittinger sits at No. 15 on the single season blocked shots list with 45 this season. Wittinger already holds the No. 2 and No. 13 spots on the list.
- Freshman G Lyric Robins had a career-high eight points and two steals.
- Redshirt sophomore G Cierra Rice had a career-high five assists.
