CHAMPAIGN – Redshirt junior Petra Holešínská and freshman Jada Peebles led Illinois on Wednesday night, in a 76-62 victory over the Austin Peay Governors. Holešínská posted 19 points to lead all scorers, while Peebles added 18 of her own on 70-percent shooting. Illinois took an early lead in the game and held off the Governors to secure their third victory of the season. The Orange and Blue improve to 3-0 on the year and will take on Illinois State Saturday at 2 p.m.
"We knew it was going to be a fast-paced game that we had to be able to handle their pressure," head coach Nancy Fahey said. "They hurt us at times, but I thought we rebounded really well and worked to contest the three-point line. It was a great game for us to grow and get better, and we're glad to get the 'W'."
Illinois was strong to start Wednesday's game, using a 13-0 run to pull ahead to an early advantage. The Orange and Blue were strong on defense as well, holding Austin Peay to just two points in the opening frame. The Illini forced four Governor turnovers to open play, and held the visitors to 7.1-percent shooting. Six different Illini scored in the first quarter, with Peebles leading the way with five points.
The Governors gained momentum in the second quarter, posting 13-straight points to cut into UI's lead. The Orange and Blue stayed strong defensively, however, to end the Austin Peay run and maintain their lead in the game. Peebles pulled into double-figures for the Illini before the halftime break, leading all scorers with 10 points. Holešínská was also among Illini leaders at halftime as she tallied seven points and dished an assist to open play. Myles led Illinois with five first-half boards, and junior Lyric Robins swatted her first-career block in the second quarter.
The Illini and the Governors traded buckets to start the second half, but the Orange and Blue used a 9-2 run to extend their lead into double-figures. Austin Peay worked to chip away at Illinois' advantage, but Illinois remained tough on defense to stay on top. The Illini shot 82-percent in the third quarter, with Peebles and sophomore J-Naya Ephraim leading the way in double-figures. Ephraim racked up 10 points and two assists before the fourth quarter, while Peebles improved upon her career-best with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting overall.
The Orange and Blue stayed strong defensively to end the game, holding Austin Peay to just eight points in the final frame. Holešínská was a major contributor for UI to finish the game as she netted 12 of her 19 points in the fourth quarter. Illinois forced 13 Austin Peay turnovers on Wednesday, and held the Governors to less than 30-percent shooting. Illinois tallied eight steals as a team, with six different players contributing to that total.
NEXT UP
Illinois hosts another weekend contest on Saturday, welcoming the Illinois State Redbirds to town for a 2 p.m. contest. The game will mark UI's alumni game, welcoming women's basketball alumni back to Champaign-Urbana. Saturday's game will be streamed via BTN Plus, and fans can listen in on WDWS AM-1400.
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Team Notes:
- Illinois moves to 2-0 in the all-time series with Austin Peay with today's 76-62 victory
- The Fighting Illini went on a 13-0 run to start the game
- The Illini totaled a season-high 27 points off fast-breaks
- The Illini grabbed a season-best 35 defensive rebounds
- Illinois held Austin Peay to less than 30-percent shooting
Individual Notes:
- Redshirt-junior Petra Holešínská led the Illini in points on the night with a total of 19.
- Holešínská also shot 50-percent from behind the arc, making 3-of-6
- Freshman Kennedi Myles tallied nine rebounds to lead the team
- Junior Lyric Robins recorded her first career block
