CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Redshirt-junior Petra Holešínská and senior Brandi Beasley led the Illinois women's basketball in a 78-58 setback to Ohio State on Thursday (Feb. 6) night in State Farm Center.
Holešínská paced the Illini (10-12, 1-10) with a game-high 17 points, including going 4-of-9 from beyond the arc, while Beasley turned in 16 points, including four treys of her own, while also tying a season-high with five rebounds.
Freshman Kennedi Myles led the Illini on the boards with seven on the night, while senior Courtney Joens also grabbed five rebounds. Freshman Jeanae Terry handed out a team-high four assists, while senior Ali Andrews equaled a career-high with three helpers in the game.
It was a back-and-forth start to the contest with a layup from sophomore J-Naya Ephraim closing the first quarter with the Illini within one at 16-15. OSU (13-9, 6-5) pushed ahead for a 10-point advantage at 29-19, but the Illini used a 10-2 run to cut it within two at 31-29 and entered the break trailing by four at 33-29.
Out of halftime, the Buckeyes built a 37-29 edge, but the Illini again fought back with an 11-2 run to take a 40-39 lead following a Beasley three. The visitors answered back with eight-straight points to retake the lead at 47-40. A Holešínská layup early in the fourth would bring the Illini within two at 52-50, but a 9-0 run for the Buckeyes over the next two minutes stalled the Illini rally as OSU went on for the 78-58 win.
Illinois will next head on the road to University Park, Pa., to take on Penn State on Sunday (Feb 9) in the Bryce Jordan Center at 1 p.m. CT.
Team Notes
- Illinois moves to 10-12 on the season and 1-10 in Big Ten play.
- The Illini outscored the Buckeyes in fast break points, 10-7.
- The Illini made nine three-pointers, with redshirt-junior Petra Holešínská and senior Brandi Beasley notching four treys each.
Individual Notes
- Redshirt-junior Petra Holešínská led all players with 17 points, knocking down four three-point field goals.
- With her four treys on the night Holešínská moves her career total to 147 and is now just two three-pointers away from tying Kyley Simmons for fifth place in program history with 149, while senior Ali Andrews sits in seventh place with 142 career three-pointers.
- Senior Brandi Beasley tallied 16 points – including four three-pointers - and tied a season-high collecting five rebounds.
- Freshman Kennedi Myles led the Illini with seven rebounds, her 15th time this season leading the team in rebounding.
- Ali Andrews tied her career-best for the eighth time with three assists.
- Freshman Jeanae Terry led the Illini with four helpers, marking the 14th game she has led the Illini in assists and upping her team-lead to 68 assists on the season.
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