EVANSTON, Illinois – Fighting Illini women's basketball opened its conference road slate on Monday, taking on the Northwestern Wildcats inside Welsh-Ryan Arena. Despite a hard-fought battle, the Orange and Blue fell to Northwestern, 68-45. Junior Courtney Joens led Illinois with 16 points, and freshman J-Naya Ephraim improved upon her career-best with 11 points. The Illini move to 8-5 on the season and 0-2 in Big Ten play. UI will continue play on the road at Minnesota on Sunday, January 6.
Northwestern played tough defense right out of the gates on Monday afternoon, opening play on a 10-0 run. Senior Alex Wittinger knocked down a jumper to get things going for the Illini. The Wildcats held Illinois to just 13-percent shooting to start the game, but the Illini held Northwestern without a three-pointer in the first quarter. UI continued to hold the Wildcats scoreless from distance until the final minute of the first half.
Northwestern continued to pressure the Illini in the second quarter, using another run to start the period and extend its lead. Ephraim was a major contributor for the Orange and Blue in the second stanza, knocking down 3-of-4 from the field to lead UI with seven points before the break. Ephraim also matched her season best with two steals and added an assist for the Illini in the second quarter. Wittinger and junior Brandi Beasley led Illinois on the glass in the first half, each grabbing four rebounds to open the contest.
The two teams continued to battle after the halftime break, Junior Courtney Joens provided a spark for the Orange and Blue in the third quarter as she knocked down Illinois' last eight points of the period to help Illinois cut into the home team's advantage.
The Illini defense was strong in the final quarter, holding Northwestern to just 17-percent shooting to end the game. The Wildcats, however, used 6-of-8 shooting from the free throw line to keep the pressure on and secure the victory.
The Illini bench contributed 60-percent of the team's scoring on the day, led by Joens and Ephraim, and UI tallied 20 points in the paint. The Wildcats capitalized from the free throw line, making 18-of-25 attempts, and also scored 14 second-chance points in the contest. Wittinger led Illinois with seven rebounds on the day, and Ephraim finished with three steals overall.
NEXT UP
The Illini will continue their road stretch at Minnesota on January 6. The Illini and the Gophers will face off at 3 p.m. in Minneapolis. Fans can tune in to the live stream on BTN Plus or listen in on WDWS AM-1400. UI returns to the State Farm Center on January 9, hosting the Scarlet Knights at 7 p.m.
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