CHAMPAIGN – Fighting Illini women's basketball opened the 2018-19 campaign on Wednesday, defeating the Alabama A&M Bulldogs, 88-60. Illini junior Ali Andrews led Illinois with 17 points on the day, posting nine first-half points to give Illinois a spark to start the game. In total, five Illini scored in double-figures, including freshman Arieal Scott who tallied 10 points in her collegiate debut. Senior Alex Wittinger also tallied 10 points on the day, adding six rebounds and one blocked shot to her tally. The block marks the 200th of Wittinger's career and she is just the third Illini to tally 200 career blocks in school history. The Illini are 1-0 on the season, and will take on Valparaiso at 7 p.m. on November 14.
"It is great to get a win under our belt," head coach Nancy Fahey said after the game. "We have talked a lot about a 'team first' attitude going forward, and our team absorbed a lot of that today. One of our focuses has been playing up-tempo, getting more points on the board and playing solid defense. It felt good seeing the ball go up and down the court. With five kids in double figures, I was particularly pleased with our second half punch."
Andrews was 3-for-4 from the floor to start the game on Wednesday as she posted nine of Illinois' 16 first-quarter points. The two teams were tied at 16 heading into the second period of play, but a tough Illinois defense helped the squad to pull away before halftime. The Orange and Blue held Alabama A&M to just 19-percent shooting in the second quarter and 0-for-4 shooting from three-point range. The Illini allowed just eight second-quarter points from the Bulldogs and took a 29-24 advantage into halftime.
The Illini were strong from three-point range out of the halftime break, making five treys on 62.5-percent shooting in the third quarter. Senior Jaelyne Kirkpatrick helped Illinois pick up the momentum heading into the final quarter, as she posted five-straight points to extend the Illini lead to 11. Scott closed the period on a high note for Illinois as she knocked down two three-pointers in the period to lead the Orange and Blue with six third-quarter points.
The Illini and the Bulldogs traded baskets in the final frame, but Illinois continued to pull away. The Orange and Blue used a 10-2 run before the final buzzer to extend their lead to 28. Nine Illini contributed at least one point in the fourth quarter as Illinois outscored Alabama A&M 33-20 to end the game. Redshirt junior Cierra Rice closed the game on a high note adding seven points in the fourth quarter. Kirkpatrick closed the contest with another five points in the fourth quarter. She was 4-of-5 from the floor overall in the matchup. UI was 3-for-3 from distance in the fourth quarter and closed the game will 11 three-pointers.
The Orange and Blue outrebounded Alabama A&M 42-38 on the day and scored 20 points off of Bulldog turnovers. The Illini capitalized in the second half, scoring 16 points off of eight Alabama A&M miscues. Joining Andrews and Scott in double figures, Kirkpatrick, Rice and Wittinger each added 10 points on the day. Freshman J-Naya Ephraim led Illinois on the boards with eight rebounds overall.
NEXT UP
Illinois returns to action on November 14, hosting Valparaiso at 7 p.m. The game will mark the fourth meeting between the two teams, and the third in Champaign. The Illini hold a 3-0 advantage over Valparaiso in program history.
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GAME NOTES
-Illinois starts the season 1-0 after an 88-60 victory over Alabama A&M
-The Illini are now 2-0 all-time against the Bulldogs.
-39 bench points is the highest for Illinois since scoring 44 against Indiana State on Dec. 7, 2017.
-Five Illini finished the game in double-digit scoring figures.
-The Illini shot 75-percent from the field in the fourth quarter (12-16).
-The Orange and Blue knocked down all of its attempts from three-point range in the fourth quarter, going 3-3.
-Illinois held Alabama A&M to 3-16 shooting in the second quarter, an 18.8 percent mark.
-Today's victory was the fourth season-opening victory in the last five seasons for Illinois.
-Illinois capitalized on Alabama A&M mistakes, recording 20 points off Alabama A&M turnovers, 16 of those points coming in the second half.
- Five Illini made their debut in the Orange and Blue on Wednesday, including Arieal Scott, Mackenzie Blazek, J-Naya Ephraim, Carolyn Waleski and Sarah Shewan.
-Senior Alex Wittinger recorded her 200th career block. She sits at third on the all-time Illinois career blocks list with 200 total and is the third Illini to surpass the 200-block mark.
-Junior Ali Andrews led the Illini in scoring, finishing with 17 points on 6-for-9 shooting, good for 66-percent from the field. She shot 75-percent from beyond the arc, knocking down three out of four attempts.
