MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Illinois' starting guard trio of Jada Peebles, Aaliyah Nye, and Adalia McKenzie combined to score 40, but the Illini bench was held to a season-low eight points, allowing Minnesota to pull away in the 87-54 decision on Thursday night at Williams Arena.
Nye and Minnesota native McKenzie, the Illini's No. 1 and 2 scorers, respectively, each tallied 14 points, while Peebles added 12 points to notch her first double-digit scoring game since a 16-point effort on Jan. 9 vs. Wisconsin.
Sophomore Erika Porter returned to the starting lineup at the post for the Illini (6-18, 1-12 B1G), and added six points and five rebounds. Starting front-court mate Kendall Bostic, the Big Ten's top rebounder, notched a game-high nine boards but was held scoreless for just the second time all season.
Five players reached double-figures scoring for the Golden Gophers (13-16, 6-11 B1G), led by 22 from Godiva Hubbard and 17 by Sara Scalia. Deja Winters (12 points) and Laura Bagwell Katalinich (11) gave Minnesota four starters with at least 10 points, and Kadi Sissoko added 13 off the bench.
Next up, the Fighting Illini return to State Farm Center to close out the regular season vs. Rutgers this Sunday at 2 p.m. CT. The Illini will host National Girls and Women in Sports Day Clinics prior to tipoff and will celebrate Senior Day with a post-game ceremony. Doors open at 1 p.m. CT and free tickets are available for anyone 18 and under. The free tickets must but must be claimed (one per individual) at the State Farm Center ticket office at the west entrance on the day of the game.
TEAM NOTES
- The Fighting Illini move to 6-18 overall (1-12 B1G), and 0-10 away from State Farm Center.
- Illinois moves 39-31 in the ll-time in the series vs. Minnesota. The loss snaps a streak of three consecutive seasons in which the Illini had captured a regular-season win over the Gophers.
- Illinois averaged 25.3 points per game off the bench throughout the season, but the Illini reserves were held to a season-low eight points on Thursday night.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Sophomore G Aaliyah Nye (14 points) scored in double figures for a team-leading 13th time this season. Nye has led the team in scoring in 10 games, including six times in Big Ten play.
- Nye knocked down two three-pointers, giving her 87 three-pointers for her career to move into a tie for 15h in the Illini record book (Angelina Williams, 2001-05).
- Freshman G Adalia McKenzie, a native of Brooklyn Park, Minn., reached double-figures scoring for the 10th time this season. Tonight marked the seventh time this season that McKenzie has led or tied for the team lead in scoring.
- Sophomore F Kendall Bostic recorded a game-high nine rebounds vs. the Golden Gophers. Bostic entered the game ranking first in the Big Ten and ninth nationally at 11.7 rebounds per game, and has led the Illini in rebounding in 20 consecutive games, and 23 of 24 games overall this season.
- Bostic has now recorded 278 rebounds on the year, moving into a tie with Alex Wittinger (2017-18) and Cindy Dallas (2002-03) for ninth in the Illini single-season record book.
HIGHLIGHTS
