CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Freshman guard Adalia McKenzie continued her hot offensive streak, but it was not enough to lift the Fighting Illini (5-6) in a 66-51 setback at Southern Illinois (5-4) on Sunday afternoon at the Banterra Center.
McKenzie scored 14 points to reach double-figures scoring for the third straight game and post her third consecutive game as the Fighting Illini's top scorer. Sophomore forward Kendall Bostic - the Big Ten's top rebounder - led the Illini with 11 boards, the 10th time in 11 games this season that she paced the team.
Illinois jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the game's first 45 seconds. Mackenzie opened the scoring with an offensive rebound and layup off of the Jada Peebles' miss, and after forcing an SIU turnover, Aaliyah Nye knocked down a jumper on the second possession of the game for the Orange and Blue. However, that would prove to be the Illini's only lead of the contest.
The Salukis answered with a 16-0 run to build a double-digit edge and never looked back. The Illini turned the ball over five times and missed eight straight field-goal attempts over the scoreless stretch, which lasted 7 minutes, 36 seconds between Nye's jumper and Eva Rubin's layup at the 1:39 mark of the first quarter.
SIU was led by a trio of double-digit scorers. Makenzie Silvey recorded 19 points, while Gabby Walker narrowly missed a double-double with 17 points and rebounds. Laniah Randle added 10 points for the Salukis. Abby Brockmeyer also posted nine points and a game-high 13 rebounds, leading SIU to a 43-25 rebounding edge.
Freshman guard Jayla Oden provided an offensive spark with eight points off the bench for the Illini. Junior forward Solape also posted a season-best six points, accounting for two of the Illini's three three-pointers, to match the scoring totals of Peebles and Bostic.
Next up, the Illini return home to State Farm Center to play host to the McBride Homes Braggin' Rights game vs. rival Missouri on Wednesday. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. CT. The game is also the Illini's Faculty/Staff Break, with free concessions vouchers available to the first 100 University of Illinois faculty and staff in attendance.
TEAM NOTES
- The Fighting Illini move to 5-6 overall, and 0-4 away from State Farm Center.
- The Illini are now 13-13 in the all-time series vs. Southern Illinois. Sunday's result snaps a seven-game winning streak vs. the Salukis.
- Illinois opened the game with 4-0 lead in the first minute of the game, but was held scoreless for 7 minutes, 36 seconds as SIU went on a 16-0 run to gain control of the game in the first quarter.
- The Illini were out-rebounded by a season-most 18 boards, 43-25. The 25 total rebounds marked a season-low for Illinois.
- Illinois' offense was held to a season-low 51 points, and shot just 2-for-7 from the free-throw line, season-low totals for both free-throws made and attempted.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Freshman G Adalia McKenzie scored 14 points to reach double-figures for the third straight game, and the fifth time in just her first 11 collegiate games.
- McKenzie also recorded six rebounds to tie her career-high total.
- Sophomore F Kendall Bostic pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds. It marks her seventh game of the season with 10 or more boards. Bostic entered the game ranking first in the Big Ten and 11th nationally at 11.3 rebounds per game.Â
- Bostic has led the Illini in rebounding in seven consecutive games, and 10 of 11 games overall this season.
- Freshman G Jayla Oden and junior F Solape Amusan provided an offensive spark off the bench for the Illini. Oden's eight points are her most since in her last four games since returning from injury. Amusan's six points marked a season-high.
- Oden (1-for-1 3FG) and Amusan (2-for-4 3FG) combine to shoot 3-for-5 from beyond the arc on Sunday, while the rest of the Illini lineup combined to go 0-for-6 from three--point range.  Â
HIGHLIGHTS
