EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Fighting Illini women's basketball team fell to the Michigan State Spartans, 81-60, at Breslin Center despite another double-double effort by sophomore guard Jeanae Terry who continued her hot streak on Thursday night.
Terry delivered her third straight double-double performance with a 10-point, 10 rebound stat line to go along with a game-high six assists. Sophomore guard Jada Peebles paced the Illini offense with 17 points.
Freshman guard Aaliyah Nye adding nine points to the tally in her first collegiate game back in her hometown, while classmate Aaliyah McQueen, who hails Flint, Mich., also chipped in with a career-high eight points on 3-for-5 shooting from the field including a perfect 2-for-2 from behind the arc.
The Fighting Illini (2-11, 0-10 B1G) were unable to keep pace with the Spartans' (10-4, 5-4 B1G) efficient scoring in the first half, falling behind 51-28 at the intermission.
MSU pushed the lead to 25 points, 63-38, with 4:08 left in the third quarter, but the Illini climbed back into the game by closing the period on an 11-0 run that include both of McQueen's triples.
The Spartans regrouped to open the fourth, however, scoring 10 straight to push the Illini deficit to 73-49 with 6:43 left to play, and the Illini were unable to get back to within 20 for the remainder of the contest.
Michigan State's Nia Clouden scored four points in that key Spartans' run to open the fourth quarter and finished with a game-high 28 points. Alisia Smith (10 points) joined Clouden in double-figures scoring.
STAT OF THE GAME
Illinois received major offensive contributions from its trio of players that hail from the state of Michigan on Thursday Night. Jeanae Terry (Detroit, Mich.), Aaliyah Nye (East Lansing, Mich.) and Aaliyah McQueen (Flint, Mich.) combined to score 27 of the Illini's 60 points, including six of the team's seven made three-pointers.
TEAM NOTESÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
- Illinois forced 16 Michigan State turnovers, the ninth time this season that the Illini have forced an opponent into 15 or more giveaways.
- Illinois finished the game with a 27-23 edge in bench scoring. It marked just the third time this season that the Illini reserves outscored the opponents bench.
- Illinois recorded just two second-chance points vs. the Spartans, a season-low for the Illini (4, Jan. 25 vs. Nebraska).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Jeanae Terry posted a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds along with six assists. It is her fifth double-double of the season and third consecutive. Terry is the first Illinois player with a double-double in three straight games this season and first since the 2017-18 season (Alex Wittinger - Feb. 13-21, 2018).
- Jada Peebles scored 17 points in the contest, her fifth effort of the season with at least 15 points and third straight. She has reached double-figures scoring nine times this season and 14 times in her career.
- Kennedi Myles dished out a career-high five assists. She also contributed five points and four rebounds.
- Aaliyah McQueen scored a career-high eight points on 3-for-5 (.600) shooting, including 2-for-2 (1.000) from beyond the arc.
- Erika Porter's four points tonight were the most scored in any of her seven career games. She also recorded her first career block and steal.
- Geovana Lopes returned to the court for the Illini vs. Michigan State. It was Lopes' first game action since Dec. 10 at Nebraska, after missing the previous eight games due to injury.
NEXT UP
Illinois hosts Purdue (6-8, 3-7 B1G) at State Farm Center for a Super Bowl Sunday showdown. Tipoff between the Illini and the Boilermakers is set for 2 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed live on Big Ten Network+. Mike Koon will call the action for the Illini on WDWS 1400 AM. Streaming audio and live stats are also available at FightingIllini.com.
