CHAMPAIGN – Fighting Illini women's basketball defeated the Holy Cross Crusaders on Saturday afternoon in a gritty, overtime thriller. Senior Ali Andrews led Illinois with 20 points and 11 rebounds, good for her first double-double of the season. Illini freshmen Jada Peebles and Jeanae Terry were also key contributors, putting up 17 and 12 points each, respectively. Terry added five assists on the day, and fellow freshman Kennedi Myles tallied 11 points and swiped five steals for the Orange and Blue. With Saturday's 78-75 win, Illinois improves to 2-0 on the season and will prepare to host Austin Peay on Wednesday.
"Great win today," head coach Nancy Fahey said. "We came back from being down 16, and at halftime I think the team did a great job of bouncing back. We saw a great performance from Ali Andrews, she had 20. I think our freshmen did a great job, Jada Peebles and Jeanae Terry hit some big, big shots. Courtney Joens gave us some big minutes, and J-Naya Ephraim led the charge in the sense of organizing the offense. I thought we saw a good combination of a lot of things today."
"I think we all stepped up; everyone on the team, everyone on the bench," Andrews said. "We had good contributions from our bench today, and that's what we need from this team. We need everyone to step up and make plays, and everyone did that today. That was really exciting to watch and to experience."
The Illini and the Crusaders traded runs to open play on Saturday afternoon, with the Illini pulling ahead to a 15-14 advantage in the first quarter. Myles and Andrews led Illinois, combining for 12 points in the first frame. Holy Cross worked to cut into the Illini lead, and used a 7-0 run to take the lead before halftime. The Crusaders stayed hot in the second quarter, shooting 57-percent from the field. Myles led all scorers with 11 first-half points, also swiping three steals to start the game. Andrews tallied nine points in the first half, and senior Courtney Joens led Illinois on the boards with five.
Despite trailing, 28-37, at the halftime break, the Orange and Blue fought back and picked up momentum in the third quarter. The Illini responded to an early Crusader run with an 18-4 run to close out the frame and pull within one possession of Holy Cross.
Andrews contributed five points to the Illini run, while freshmen Jeanae Terry and Jada Peebles combined for eight points in that span. Peebles knocked down a clutch three-pointer and drew the foul, securing a four-point play for the Illini and pulling within three. She added a jumper before the end of the quarter to keep the game close.
The Orange and Blue continued their run into the fourth quarter with eight-straight points to start the period and take the lead. Holy Cross responded, going on an 8-0 run to tie the game and take a one-point advantage in the final frame. The two teams battled throughout the final period, trading the advantage until the final buzzer. At the end of regulation, the matchup was tied at 65.
The battle continued into overtime as Illinois and Holy Cross traded buckets and the lead for the first four minutes of the period. Peebles knocked down a layup for the Illini to put the home team back on top with just over one minute to play. Holy Cross responded with a point from the charity stripe, but it wasn't enough as Terry netted another layup for the Orange and Blue. After another Crusader trip to the free throw line, senior Petra Holesinska secured the victory for Illinois with two free throws of her own.
The Illini led for 19:40 on Saturday afternoon, and knocked down 12 three-pointers as a team. Andrews netted four of those treys for Illinois, while Peebles added three. UI forced 14 Holy Cross turnovers, and the Illini racked up 10 steals in the game.
NEXT UP
The Illini will host Austin Peay on Wednesday, November 13 in a 7 p.m. matchup. The game will mark International Student Night, inviting all University of Illinois International students to sing the traditional 3-in-1 at halftime on the court. All U of I students receive free admission to Illinois women's basketball games by showing their iCard at the Illinois Ticket Office.
FOLLOW THE ILLINI
Keep up with the Fighting Illini Women's Basketball squad on social media for an even more inside look at the program. Follow the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
