CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Behind a double-double from Adalia McKenzie and a 20-point performance from Makira Cook, Illinois fought off Rutgers, 80-62, at State Farm Center on Wednesday night to pick up its first Big Ten win of the season.
The 18-point victory marked the team's first victory over the Scarlet Knights since 2017, and it was the first time the Illini have scored at least 80 points in a conference win since 2015. Illinois improves to 8-2 on the season and 1-1 in Big Ten play on the campaign. The Illini's eight-win start through 10 games is just the 10th time in program history Illinois has won eight or more of its first 10 contests.
McKenzie tallied 22 points and a career-high 13Â rebounds for her second double-double of the season, while Genesis Bryant scored 14 points on 75-percent shooting off the bench.
The Illini defense dominated once again, forcing 21 Scarlet Knights turnovers, a season high, grabbing eight steals, and blocking four shots. Illinois was able to quickly turn defense into offense, recording 14 fast-break points.
"This was a really big game," said head coach Shauna Green after her first Big Ten win. "I never want to say must-wins, but in my mind, I'm like, 'We gotta win this game because it's on our home court.' I've been preaching to our team that we do not lose at home. It's gonna be really, really hard to beat us at home, and I think they're buying into that."
Illinois opened the game with a Jayla Oden 3-pointer, her first of the season. With neither team able to pull away, the Illini closed the first quarter on a 9-0 run, which included two triples from Cook and a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from McKenzie. Illinois led by double digits, 23-10, and was fueled by 10 points from Cook.
The Illini brought the defensive intensity in the second quarter. Holding Rutgers without a field goal for the final five minutes of the period, Illinois took a 40-22 advantage into halftime via 10 second-quarter points from Bryant. The Illini held the Scarlet Knights to 32.1 percent from the field and 25 percent from deep during the first 20 minutes of action.
McKenzie led the Illini offensive charge in the third quarter, constantly driving past defenders with ease and finishing at the rim. McKenzie's nine points helped Illinois maintain its double-digit lead, 60-43, heading into the final frame.
Illinois closed the game with a balanced scoring performance from McKenzie, Cook, and Brynn Shoup-Hill to take home an 18-point victory.
The Illini will travel to Indianapolis to take on Butler on Sunday. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT from Hinkle Fieldhouse.
QUOTES
Shauna Green
Opening statement:
"I thought we came out really strong and was really happy with our start and our first and second quarters. Defensively, I thought we were great, 10 and 12. The second half, obviously I'm not happy with 21 and 19 points given up. We had a lot of open shots that normally are rhythm shots that we make, and they didn't fall today, but we kept that lead up a little bit. They got it down to 13, and yet we were able to push it back out. We just gotta be able to put 40 minutes together, especially as we're heading into Big Ten play. Still a lot of good things but still need to clean up some areas, and I know that we will."
On establishing the team's identity thus far:
"I think that we've adapted and our getting our identity probably quicker than what I even thought we would, in terms of our defense and rebounding. I want to see more consistency with it. I just felt like there's times we're up big or you're up 20, and you get lackadaisical. We don't lock in. We miss an assignment. Maybe I'm crazy because I want every possession. It makes me mad when people score, so I want my team to feel that way as well. I think that we're getting that. I think that they're feeling that. I think that they're understanding and now have a little bit of confidence in that when you defend and rebound at an elite level, you will be in a position to win games. I think that they're getting it, and obviously I'm never going to be satisfied, so we're going to continue to try to fine-tune everything. I really do feel like right now, if you would have asked me in the summer if I had thought we'd get that identity this quick, I probably wouldn't have thought that. I'm happy with that, but I'm never happy. I'm happy, but I'm not happy."
On Genesis Bryant:
"Gen is just so tough. She is a tough, tough kid. She gives up her body. Some of the time, she takes charges in practice against our guys and I just hold my breath. She gives up her body, and she does it a lot. I asked her if she wanted to go back in, and she said she did. I think maybe a couple of those turnarounds in the second half, I blame it on the eye patch. I didn't think she can see, but she's tough. She's tough. There's no way she didn't want to be out on that floor."
On the buzz around the team:
"I definitely feel that, and it's awesome. I still want more people in the stands. We need to get people out here to support this team, and and I think we can do that. Tonight maybe wasn't the prettiest game to watch, but hopefully they'll enjoy seeing us play. Hopefully that'll continue, but we really appreciate the support. It's been unbelievable. It's just been really, really great, and it's good for our kids."
On translating non-conference success into Big Ten play:
"Every game we play every day, I can see us getting more confident. At the Indiana game, it was a hostile environment. It was loud in there. The poise that we showed down the stretch I was really, really happy with. They were so calm. Everyone just had a calmness and a confidence about us, so that was growth right there. In those moments, you continue to grow. We're still inexperienced as a team in those moments, and a lot of the times, you have to go through those moments to be able to learn from them. I think we're getting there. Every day, we're becoming more together and more confident, and it's been really, really fun to finally see."
On getting her first Big Ten win:
"This was a really big game. I never want to say must-wins, but in my mind, I'm like, 'We gotta win this game because it's on our home court.' I've been preaching to our team that we do not lose at home. It's gonna be really, really hard to beat us at home, and I think they're buying into that. Being able to go 1-1 and obviously playing one of the top five teams in the country and having confidence from that game that we came up short, I think it's going to set us up well going into these next three non-conference games. More importantly, it gives us confidence coming back from Christmas and going into that game at Wisconsin."
On the ability of Adalia McKenzie to rebound and go:
"It's been huge. The growth that Adalia has had in terms of rebounding and her ability to get downhill, it totally fits our system. It's kind of great how it all worked out because I didn't recruit and Adalia and some of these guys that are here, but they fit our system so perfectly. She's thriving in it, and we've run a ton of stuff to actually get her downhill. She's elite. She's one of the best I've ever been around in terms of if she can get downhill, and her ability and her strength to finish and to make a play down there."
On bouncing back from a loss:
"It's just always something we've really instilled. I tell them all the time, 'We don't lose after we lose a game.' Some of it's just feeding them confidence and feeding them what you want them to do. In my mind, you learn from that, and now you're motivated and you're mad about the loss. Then we're coming out, and we're bouncing back. I think the two losses we've had, we've came back out, and bounced back, and blown someone out the next game. It's a mindset. It's a mentality. It's about us instilling that in them and them believing in it."
Adalia McKenzie
On the State Farm Center atmosphere:
"It's really good. It's really exciting. I love interacting with the fans, and it's just really appreciated."
On her mindset in transition:
"In transition, I'm just looking to attack whoever's in front of me and just go at them."
On the team's approach to playing fast:
"It makes it a lot easier when you get stops and you get the board and go. It's really fun to play fast."
On the team's start to Big Ten play:
"It meant a lot. It's just exciting to win in general, but Big Ten is really important to me. Getting those dubs means a lot, so getting that first dub today is just the start to a great season."
Genesis Bryant
On the State Farm Center atmosphere:
"Even the growth from when I first got here, like the first game to the game now, I feel like it's grown even since then."
On returning from her injury after halftime:
"I was really shaken up, so really just coming back to myself, putting some ice on it, and having great athletic trainers. I always want to play. If I'm able to see with one eye, I'm going to try to go out there and play."
On her transition to playing at Illinois:
"When I first got on campus, I just felt the energy and the vibe, and I wanted to turn things around. I just feel like we have the right players, have the right coaching staff, have the right environment, so all the pieces were there. It's just whether or not we were going to work with it. I feel like we're doing a really good job, so I'm excited for the future."
POST-GAME NOTES
PLAYERÂ NOTES
- Kendall Bostic scored nine points on 3-for-4 shooting and added seven rebounds.
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Adalia McKenzie scored 22 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and dished out three assists.
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McKenzie tallied double-digit points for the ninth time this season.
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This was the second-straight game that she had at least 11 rebounds and the third time overall this season.
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McKenzie posted her second double-double of the season (11/26 vs. Delaware).
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Brynn Shoup-Hill scored a season-high nine points and grabbed six rebounds.
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Jayla Oden hit her first 3-pointer of the season in the first quarter. She finished the game with three points, two rebounds and one assist.
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Makira Cook turned in another 20-point outing while dishing out 5 assists and grabbing a pair of rebounds.
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Cook scored 10 of her 20 points in the first quarter.
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Cook has scored at least 20 points in three-straight games and four times on the season.
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Cook has double-digit scoring efforts in nine of 10 games this season.
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Cook has made multiple 3-pointers in three-straight games, tying her career-high with four on the night.
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Genesis Bryant
TEAM NOTES
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For the third-straight game, Illinois' opponent scored first as the Scarlet Knights struck on their opening possession for a layup four seconds in.
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Illinois made five 3-pointers in the first quarter, the second time this season that they have made five 3-pointers in a quarter (Pitt, Nov. 30).
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Illinois has won its scheduled Big Ten home opener for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
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The Illini have surpassed their win total from last season (7).
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This was Illinois' first Big Ten win that was not against Wisconsin since defeating Minnesota on March 5, 2021.Â
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This was the Illini's first Big Ten win by 10 points or more against a team other than Wisconsin for the first time since defeating Nebraska 79-59 on Jan. 15, 2017.
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Illinois scored 80 points in a Big Ten win for the first time since Feb. 5, 2015, against Minnesota.
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The Illini outscored the Scarlet Knights in transition 14-2.
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Illinois scored 15 points off of 21 Rutgers turnovers. The 21 turnovers forced is a season high.
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Illinois outrebounded Rutgers 36-34.
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Illinois led with 32 points in the paint to Rutgers' 28.
MISC NOTES
