CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fighting Illini women's basketball picked up an 84-55 victory over Oakland Monday night to secure a 5-0 start to the season for the first time since the 2014-15 campaign. Illinois saw 11 different players score as all 13 Illini saw minutes in the win.
Fighting Illini women's basketball improved to 5-0 on the young season with Monday's victory, marking Illinois' first undefeated start through five games since 2014-15. Oakland moves to 2-2 on the campaign with its second loss to a Big Ten school.
Illinois scored the opening basketball for the fifth-straight game to open the season – a layup by Adalia McKenzie 47 seconds into action. Oakland led by as many as three points at 7-4 but the Golden Grizzlies' last lead would come at 10-9 with 5:25 remaining in the frame. The Illini would lead 23-13 after the first period with 12 points coming off the hand of Makira Cook.
In the second quarter, Illinois withstood a 7-0 Oakland run early that brought the margin to six points at 26-20 before countering with a 13-0 run for a 40-22 advantage. The Orange and Blue headed into the lockerroom with a 40-26 lead at the half on 48-percent shooting.
Third quarter action saw the Illini win the period 23-13 to push out to a 63-39 lead. Illinois went 11-of-17 from the field with six different players recording a basket, led by six from Jayla Oden. Twenty of the squad's 23 points came in the paint with Jada Peebles delivering a 3-pointer to account for the remaining score.
Illinois' largest lead of the night came late in the fourth quarter, when the margin stretched to 33 points following a Kam'Ren Rhodes made free throw for an 84-51 advantage. McKenzie connected for seven of her 13 points in the final stanza.
Four Illini scored in double figures led by 18 from Cook. Oden and McKenzie added 13 each with Peebles tallying 12. Peebles went 4-of-7 from deep to bring her total across the last four games to a 13-for-20 mark from behind the arc.
Kendall Bostic delivered another double-digit rebounding effort, grabbing a game-high 10 boards. She's now rebounded in double digits four times this season and 20 times in her career.
Brynn Shoup-Hill gathered eight rebounds herself, tying her season and career high (LIU).
Illinois controlled the paint, outscoring Oakland 46-24. The Illini also outrebounded the Golden Grizzlies, 43-28 including a 14-11 advantage on the offensive glass.
With a 5-0 start on the season in the books, Illinois women's basketball hits the road for the Daytona Beach Invite Thanksgiving Weekend. The Illini will face off against Charlotte and Delaware on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 25-26.
POST-GAME NOTES
Player Notes:
- Makira Cook scored a game-high 18 points in tonight's game.
- Cook scored 12 of Illinois' 23 first-quarter points.
- Kendall Bostic tallied 10 rebounds and Brynn Shoup-Hill added eight rebounds of her own.
- The duo combined to grab 18 of the Illini's 43 rebounds in the contest.
- Bostic recorded her third double-digit rebounding effort of the season, the 20th such performance of her career.
- Shoup-Hill matched her career-high rebound total for the second time, set earlier this season vs. LIU on Nov. 9.
- They secured 14 of the team's 21 first-half rebounds.
- Jada Peebles scored 12 points in tonight's game, shooting 4-for-7 from behind the arc.
- Peebles has made at least four 3-pointers in three of five games this season.
- She is 13-for-20 from deep in her last four games.
- Jayla Oden recorded her third-straight double-digit scoring effort, pouring in a season-high 13 points.
- Adalia McKenzie scored 13 points tonight, her fifth-straight double-digit scoring effort of the season and her seventh-straight such game overall dating back to last season.
Team Notes:
- First basket was a layup by Adalia McKenzie 47 seconds into the contest.
- Four Illini scored in double-digits in tonight's game.
- The Illini shot 52.4 percent from the field, the second-straight game they have shot better than 50 percent.
- Illinois scored 21 points on 14 Oakland turnovers.
- The Illini out-scored the Grizzlies 46 to 24 in the paint.
- Illinois grabbed 14 offensive rebounds, scoring 18 second-chance points.
- The Illinois bench out-scored Oakland 30 to 13.
- The Illini defense held the Grizzlies to 31 percent (18-58) from the floor.
- Illinois has held all five of their opponents this season to under 40 percent shooting.
Misc Notes:
- Starters: Makira Cook, Jayla Oden, Adalia McKenzie, Brynn Shoup-Hill, Kendall Bostic. Illinois is now 5-0 with this unit.
- Shauna Green is now:
- 5-0 at Illinois
- 132-50 as a Division I coach
- 161-75 overall
- Against Oakland record: 2-1
- Illinois women's basketball record in State Farm Center: 300-221
- Uniforms: Orange - 1-0
- Illinois women's basketball has now started a season 5-0 or better six times in program history. The last time Illinois started 5-0 in a season was the 2014-15 campaign.
- This is also the Illini's first five-game winning streak since 2014.
- Illinois is 2-0 in night games
