Illini Drop New Year's Eve Battle at Indiana

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Fighting Illini women's basketball team fell to the No. 20/18-ranked Indiana Hoosiers, 79-56, Thursday afternoon at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. 

The Illini (2-3, 0-2 Big Ten) were led by a trio of sophomores as Kennedi Myles (15 points) and Jada Peebles (11) paced the team in scoring, while classmate Jeanae Terry added pulled down 11 boards for the Illini.

The Hoosiers (5-2, 3-0 B1G) – preseason favorites in the Big Ten - were led by sophomore Mackenzie Holmes (18 points, five rebounds) and junior Grace Berger (15 points, three rebounds, five assists). 

Indiana started off hot and never let up, leading the Illini 42-20 at the break. Turnovers plagued the Illini throughout the game, as Indiana capitalized Illinois' 25 giveaways. 

The contest was the first game in 21 days for the Illini, after matchups vs. Michigan and Southern Illinois were postponed due to COVID-19-related concerns within the Wolverines and Salukis programs.

Senior Lyric Robins made her first career start for the Illini and added seven points and two rebounds. Freshman Erika Porter played her first collegiate minutes for the Illini, adding two points and two rebounds, to help the Illini overcome a short bench with three players – Geovana Lopes, Aaliyah Nye and Aaliyah McQueen – out of the lineup vs. IU. 

STAT OF THE GAME

• Illinois committed a season-most 25 turnovers. The Hoosiers capitalized on the mistakes to the tune of a 23-12 advantage in points off turnovers.

TEAM NOTES

• The Illini used their third different lineup of the season, with senior F Lyric Robins starting in place of junior G J-Naya Ephraim. 
• The Illini were shorthanded in today's matchup, playing without a trio of regular contributors in junior F/C Geovana Lopes and freshman guards Aaliyah Nye and Aaliyah McQueen. 
• Despite the slow offensive start, the Illini battled for the full 40 minutes, outscoring the host Hoosiers 25-21 in the fourth quarter.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• Senior F Lyric Robins made her first collegiate start, in her 66th career game as an Illini. Robins finished with seven points and two boards in 26 minutes of action vs. the Hoosiers after just one point and 43 minutes combined in the Illini's first four contests. 
• Freshman F Erika Porter logged the first minutes of her collegiate career. She played six minutes and notched two points and two rebounds.  
• Sophomore F Kennedi Myles finished just short of a double-double, posting 15 points and nine rebounds. She has recorded 10 double-doubles in her first 34 career games. 
• Myles 15 points marked a season-most, eclipsing the 14 points she poured in vs. Valparaiso (Dec. 2). She has tallied 17 double-digit scoring games in her Illini career, the most among active Illinois players. 
• Sophomore G Jeanae Terry, who has established herself as one of the best rebounding guards in the nation, pulled down a game-high 11 boards vs. Indiana. She has recorded at least seven rebounds in teach game this season, and has notched two games with 10+ boards (13 vs. Valparaiso).
• Sophomore F Solape Amusan recorded career bests with six rebounds and three assists.. 

UP NEXT
The Illini return home to State Farm Center to host the Iowa Hawkeyes on Sunday, Jan. 3. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed live on Big Ten Network Plus.