BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Fighting Illini sophomore Brandi Beasley knocked down a season-high 21 points at Indiana on Thursday evening, as the Orange and Blue battled the Indiana Hoosiers. She was joined in double-figures by sophomore Petra Holešínská who added 10 points and eight rebounds on the night. It wasn't enough, however as the Hoosiers used a strong fourth quarter to overcome the Illini, 70-54. Illinois moves to 9-17 on the season and 0-12 in Big Ten play.
Beasley also added four rebounds and three assists to her tally on Thursday evening, and junior Alex Wittinger closed the game with nine points and four boards. She racked up three blocks as well. Illinois shot 38.9-percent from the field on Thursday evening, facing 50-percent shooting from the Hoosiers. The Orange and Blue netted 12 points off of Indiana turnovers and were a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe.
"If you were here in the gym, you would've seen how hard these kids played for 40 minutes and in a tough environment," head coach Nancy Fahey said. "We're trying to win, but I was really proud of how tough and how hard they played every minute."
The Illini and the Hoosiers traded buckets to start the game, keeping things close throughout the first quarter. Indiana took a four-point lead into the second period, but Wittinger was among game scoring leaders with six points to open play. The Illini shot 41.7-percent from the field in the first quarter and forced six IU turnovers.
The Illini continued to pressure the Hoosiers through the second quarter, forcing four more turnovers before halftime. Holešínská led Illinois with seven points in the period, but Indiana extended its lead and held a 35-23 advantage at the half. Illinois went 4-for-4 from the free throw line in the second frame, but the Hoosiers were hot and knocked down 58-percent of their shots in the quarter.
Beasley came out of the halftime break on fire as she knocked down 10 of Illinois' 16 points in the third quarter. The Illini outscored the Hoosiers 16-14 in the frame and shot 60-percent from the field, chipping away at the Hoosier lead.
The two teams continued to battle it out in the final frame, but Indiana used an 8-0 run to pull away in the middle of the period. Sophomore Courtney Joens knocked down a three-pointer to end the IU run, and Beasley followed up with a layup of her own. The Hoosiers took advantage of free throws to end the game, knocking down six consecutive shots from the charity stripe to secure their victory.
UI returns to Champaign on Tuesday, February 13 to host the Ohio State Buckeyes. The game will mark the annual Play4Kay contest, and fans in attendance will receive free pink t-shirts. Stay tuned to FightingIllini.com for the latest on Illinois women's basketball.
