COLLEGE PARK, Maryland – Fighting Illini women's basketball fell to the No. 8 Maryland Terrapins on Saturday afternoon, 71-62. Illinois battled, as senior Alex Wittinger led the Orange and Blue with 20 points and 11 rebounds to earn her 10th double-double of the season. She was joined in double figures by juniors Ali Andrews, Courtney Joens and Brandi Beasley who tallied 11 points each. Beasley also contributed six rebounds and five assists on the day. The Illini move to 10-19 on the season and 2-16 in Big Ten play.
"Our team's effort today was 100-percent," head coach Nancy Fahey said. "They came in and didn't worry about who we were playing, they tried to play our game. I was really proud of their effort for 40 minutes. I think Maryland hit some key shots down the stretch that were a little deflating for us."
The Illini and the Terps traded buckets to start the game on Saturday, as Illinois worked to stay ahead of the home team early in the frame. The Illini took a 5-4 advantage within the first two minutes of play and traded the lead with the Terps early on. Maryland took advantage from the charity stripe in the first quarter, knocking down 5-of-6 attempts to take a lead into the second frame. Wittinger and Andrews combined for 12 of Illinois' 14 first-quarter points in the game, and Wittinger opened with four rebounds for the Orange and Blue.
The Illini opened the second stanza on a 6-2 run to come within four of the Terrapins right off the bat. It was Illinois' turn to use the free throw line to their advantage as UI netted five free throws in the second quarter without sending the home team to the line. The Illini also capitalized with five points off of turnovers in the second quarter, staying within four of the Terps at the halftime break. Joens was a major contributor for Illinois in the second quarter, recording eight points in the period. Freshman Mackenzie Blazek added four points for the Illini and grabbed four boards.
The Illini continued to pressure Maryland out of the break, opening the half on another 6-2 run. Wittinger contributed all six of those points for Illinois, also adding a blocked shot during that span. The Terps pressured back, using eight-straight points to pull ahead of Illinois heading into the final frame. Wittinger led all scorers with 16 points and eight rebounds before the fourth quarter, and Blazek was also among rebounding leaders with six through three quarters.
The Orange and Blue fought through the final frame as Andrews added two three-pointers for UI in the period. She joined Wittinger in double-figures in the quarter, closing play with 11 points on the day. Beasley added five points in the fourth quarter as well, joining Andrews with 11 points. Illinois held Maryland to 39-percent shooting on the day, below its season average of 46.3-percent, and forced 13 Terrapin turnovers.
NEXT UP
The 2019 Big Ten Tournament is slated for March 6-10 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Game one, between the 12th and 13th seeds, is set to tipoff at 12:30 p.m. CT, and play will continue through the week until the Championship game which is set for 5 p.m. CT on March 10. Games 1-12 will air live on the Big Ten Network with the championship matchup live on ESPN2.
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.
