MINNEAPOLISÂ - No. 24 Illinois took care of business away from home on Sunday afternoon, beating Minnesota, 70-57, for the team's fourth double-digit road win of the season.
A balanced Illini scoring effort helped the team move to 5-2 in Big Ten play and 15-3 overall, as four different players finished in double figures in the 13-point victory.
The win also included an all-around dominant defensive showing from Illinois, holding Minnesota to a season-low 57 points while grabbing eight steals and making two blocks. The Illini then turned defense into offense, registering 14 points off turnovers and 11 fast-break points.Â
Makira Cook registered a team-high 20 points, the eighth time in the team's last nine games that she has achieved that mark. Cook also dished out four assists and grabbed one steal.
Genesis Bryant put together another strong performance with 18 points, five assists, and two steals. The win marked Bryant's seventh straight game with at least 14 points, a stretch that began when she first entered the starting lineup.
Brynn Shoup-Hill continued to light it up from behind the arc, hitting three 3-pointers en route to 13 points, her third straight game in double figures. Shoup-Hill also grabbed a career-high nine rebounds along with two steals and one block.
Adalia McKenzie finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, and a team-high three steals. McKenzie led the way on the offensive glass, recording four offensive boards.
While Kendall Bostic finished with three points, she registered a block for the 10th game in a row and tallied seven rebounds.
The Illini narrowly won the rebounding margin, 43-41, led by a career-high 10 rebounds from Geovana Lopes.
The Illini scored on their first four shot attempts of the afternoon and jumped out to an early 10-4 lead via two 3-pointers from Shoup-Hill. McKenzie knocked down three of her six first-quarter shots as Illinois led by six, 22-16, after 10 minutes of play.
After the Golden Gophers cut their deficit to two points early in the second quarter, the Illini used an 8-0 run to push their advantage to double digits. Triples from Bryant and Cook helped the Illinois offense click into gear in the frame, and the Illini closed the quarter on a 10-3 run to lead by 14 points heading into halftime.
Cook led all scorers with 11 points at the break, while Bryant tallied all 10 of her first-half points in the second quarter. The Illini forced eight turnovers, grabbed six steals, and made two blocks in the first half, and they turned that dominant defense into offense with 12 points off turnovers and five fast-break points en route to a 42-28 halftime advantage.
Illinois maintained its double-digit lead for the entirety of the third quarter. Grabbing five offensive rebounds and scoring five second-chance points in the frame, the Illini took a 58-44 edge into the last period of play.
The Illini extended their lead to a game-high 18 points early in the fourth quarter, and they never let their advantage slip smaller than 13 en route to the 13-point road win.
No. 24 Illinois (15-3, 5-2) returns to State Farm Center on Wednesday night for a rematch with No. 6 Indiana (16-1, 6-1). Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT in Champaign.
POST-GAME NOTES
Player Notes:
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Kendall Bostic finished with three points and seven rebounds.
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Genesis Bryant scored 18 points on 7-for-15 shooting, including 2-for-6 from behind the arc. Bryant added two rebounds and a team-high five assists.
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Has made at least two 3-pointers in eight-straight games.
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Has seven-straight games with at least 14 points scored.
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Has three-straight games with five assists.
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Makira Cook scored a team-high 20 points to go along with two rebounds and four assists.
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Brynn Shoup-Hill scored 13 points, draining three 3-pointers, and added nine rebounds, matching her career-high mark.
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Geovana Lopes turned in valuable minutes for the Illini, recording 5 rebounds in 9 minutes of first-half action.
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Adalia McKenzie scored 13 points, secured eight rebounds and tallied two assists.
Team Notes:
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It was the Illini's first win as a ranked team since defeating Alcorn State on Nov. 24, 2000.
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The five Big Ten wins this season matches the amount of Big Ten wins from the 2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22 seasons.
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The Illini went on an early 7-0 run across a 1:33 span to open a quick 7-2 lead in the game.
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The Illini closed out the half holding the Gophers to a 3:14 scoring drought for a 42-28 lead - Illinois' largest of the first 20 minutes.
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Illinois has made at least seven 3-pointers in seven-straight games.
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Four Illini finished in double figure scoring.
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The Illini held the Gophers to 57 points, the first time they've held a Big Ten opponent to fewer than 60 points since holding Wisconsin to 47 on Jan. 9, 2022.
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The Illini out-rebounded the Gophers 43-41. They have out-rebound their opponents in every game this season.
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Illinois scored 14 points off of 10 Minnesota turnovers.
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The Illini assisted on 13 of their 26 field goals.
Misc. Notes:
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Starters: Makira Cook, Genesis Bryant, Adalia McKenzie, Brynn Shoup-Hill, Kendall Bostic for the fourth-straight game. Illinois is now 4-1 with this unit.
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The Illini moved to 15-3 on the seasonÂ
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Illinois moves to 5-2 in Big Ten play.
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Shauna Green is now:
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Against Minnesota record: 40-31 (71st meeting)
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Uniforms: Illinois is now 2-1 when wearing blue uniforms.
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Day games record: Illinois is now 9-3 in games played before 5 p.m.
