Big Nights From Bostic, Cook Send #22/23 Illinois to Dominant Win Over Oregon State

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – No. 22/23 Illinois continued its strong start to the season with an 85-66 win over Oregon State at State Farm Center on Friday. Never trailing in the contest, the Fighting Illini closed its five-game season-opening homestand with a 5-0 record behind double-digit outings from three Orange and Blue scorers.

Kendall Bostic finished with a career-high 31 points, her second-consecutive 20-point game and her fourth double-digit scoring effort of the season. Bostic recorded the 1,000th point of her Illinois career during the contest while shooting 15-for-18 from the field and grabbing eight rebounds.

Makira Cook totaled 20 points, which tied her season-best tally and marked her second game of the campaign with 20 points. Cook also dished out eight assists, made two steals, and corralled three rebounds.

Genesis Bryant reached double figures in scoring for the second time this season, notching all 12 of her points in the second half. Bryant also amassed four assists and two rebounds. With her final bucket of the game, Bryant reached 1,000 points scored as an Illini.

Brynn Shoup-Hill added eight points and seven rebounds, while Gretchen Dolan accumulated seven points, five boards, and two assists.

Adalia McKenzie had eight points, four rebounds, and two assists. 

With the victory, the Illini have now posted three wins over 2024 NCAA Tournament teams by an average margin of 13.3 points this season. The Beavers, who entered the night with an average of 59.3 points allowed per game under 15-year head coach Scott Rueck, allowed their second-most points in a non-conference game since at least 2004-05; the Illini's 85 points saw the Orange and Blue surpass that average by nearly 26 points.

Cook accounted for the Orange and Blue's first six points of the night via 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions within the first two minutes of the first quarter. A 9-2 Illinois run followed soon after, which gave the home side a double-digit advantage, 17-6, just over six minutes into the contest. That 11-point edge was Illinois' largest lead of the opening frame, and the hosts entered the second quarter ahead by eight, 21-13.

Four Illini starters totaled at least four points through the first 10 minutes, including a game-high eight points for Cook.

Illinois used a 6-2 run to start the second quarter to re-establish a double-digit lead before the Beavers responded with a 5-0 run of their own. Holding Oregon State to only two points over the next three minutes, the Orange and Blue pieced together an 8-2 run to extend their advantage to 13 with three minutes to go. Bostic recorded 10 points in the second quarter alone, which helped the Illini go into the break with a 40-30 edge.

Both Bostic and Cook reached double figures in scoring within the opening 20 minutes of action, while the Illini shot 53.1% from the field at halftime. 

A 6-0 Illini run within the first 90 seconds of the third quarter added to the hosts' advantage. Four minutes later, the Illini posted a 14-2 run that featured points from Bostic, Bryant, and Cook, while that four-minute stretch moved the home side's lead up to 69-41 late in the third period of play.

Bryant moved into double figures in the fourth quarter, while Bostic was credited with the Illini's final seven points of the night to surpass the 30-point mark for the first time in her career. Leading by as many as 28, Illinois closed out the 19-point victory against the Beavers.

The win extended the Illini's active winning streak to 10 straight games, which ranks second in the country.

No. 22/23 Illinois (5-0) begins a stretch of four consecutive games away from home on Tuesday, when the Illini take on Maryland Eastern Shore in the Music City Classic in Nashville, Tenn. Tipoff from Trevecca Trojan Fieldhouse is slated for 1:15 p.m. CT and will be streamed on BallerTV.

HIGHLIGHTS

PRESS CONFERENCE

POSTGAME NOTES

Player Notes:

• Genesis Bryant scored 12 points, all in the second half and added four assists.
  • Registered the 1,000th point of her Illinois career on a 3-pointer with 6:47 remaining in the fourth quarter. 
    • Became the 34th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point mark during their Illini career.
    • Entered the game 12 points away from 1,000 as an Illini.
  • Bryant scored double figures for the second time this season and for the 52nd time in her career.
• Makira Cook tied her season-best scoring output with 20 points while dishing out eight assists.
  • Tallied the Illini's first six points of the night via 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions within the first two minutes.
  • Cook scored in double figures for the second time this season and the 84th time in her career. 
  • Cook had eight or more assists in a game for the 10th time in her career. 
  • Scored 20+ points for the 33rd time in her career.
• Kendall Bostic scored a career-high 31 points and grabbed eight rebounds. 
  • Bostic became the fourth player in program history to register 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in their Illini careers.
    • Now has 1,000+ points in her Illinois career, making her the 33rd player in program history to reach that mark.
    • Joins Jenna Smith, Karisma Penn, and Cindy Dallas as the only 1,000-point, 1,000-rebound players in program history.
  • With her seventh rebound of the night, Bostic moved into second place on Illinois' career rebounding list, passing Karisma Penn (1,043 boards from 2009-13).
    • Jenna Smith - 1,217 (2006-10)
    • Kendall Bostic - 1,045 (2021-pres.)
    • Karisma Penn - 1,043 (2009-13)
  • Made her final eight field-goal attempts of the night.
    • Went 8-for-8 from the field in the second half.
    • Bostic's last miss came with 11 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
  • Bostic became the 12th different Illinois player since 2010-11 to score 30+ points in a game.
  • Was the first Illini to reach double-digit points, scoring her 10th point with 3:42 remaining in the second quarter.
  • Has scored in double figures in three straight outings and in four games this season.
  • Sixth 20-point game of her career and second this season. First 30-point showing of her career.
  • 83.33% (15/18) is Bostic's third-most efficient shooting night of her career.
• Brynn Shoup-Hill finished with seven points and eight rebounds while shooting 3-for-4 from the field.
  • Has tallied at least seven points in each of the last four games.
  • Registered 8+ rebounds for the third time this season.
    • Has at least six boards in all five games.
  • Equaled her season-best FG total (3) while posting her most efficient shooting performance of the season (75%).

Team Notes:

• The Beavers won the opening tip, though Illinois opened the scoring on its second possession via a Cook 3-pointer.
• Illinois' 85 points were tied for the fourth-most Oregon State has allowed in a game since at least 2004-05.
  • The Illini's 85 points are the second-most Oregon State has allowed in a non-conference game since conceding 91 at Notre Dame on Nov. 24, 2018.
  • Oregon State entered the contest having allowed 59.3 points per game under head coach Scott Rueck, who is in his 15th season with the Beavers.
• The Illini used a 9-2 run in the span of three-and-a-half minutes (6:57 to 3:27 in the first quarter) to take a double-digit lead, 17-6.
• Illinois took advantage of a 14-2 run from 4:45 to 0:54 in the third quarter to extend its lead to 28.
• The Illini have held a lead in 194:31 of 200 minutes during their five-game homestand to open the season.
• Illinois has outscored its opponents in the first quarter this season, 103-49, after a 21-13 lead through 10 minutes of play against Oregon State.
• The Illini shot 54.7% from the field while holding the Beavers to 39.4% clip.
  • The Orange and Blue have shot at least 54% from the field in three consecutive games.
• Illinois forced 10 Oregon State turnovers while scoring 12 points off those turnovers.
• The Illini recorded a season-low five turnovers.
  • Fewest turnovers in a game since also registering five TOs on Feb. 19 against No. 14/12 Indiana.
• Illinois outscored Oregon State in the paint, 40-32.
• The Illini outscored the Beavers in fast-break points, 12-0.
• Illinois registered an assist on 17 of their 35 field goals.
• Fourth game this season Illinois has scored 80+ points. 
• Second time this season the Illini have had two players score 20+ points in the same game (Cook and McKenzie vs. Florida State 11/7/24).

Misc. Notes:

• The Illini have won 10 consecutive games (dating back to last season) for the first time since Nov. 20, 1981, to Jan. 2, 1982.
  • Illinois still holds the second-longest active winning streak in the country, only behind reigning NCAA Tournament champion South Carolina (43 games).
  • The Illini won five consecutive games en route to the WBIT championship to close the 2023-24 season, while the Orange and Blue have opened the 2024-25 campaign with five straight victories.
• Starters: Genesis Bryant, Makira Cook, Adalia McKenzie, Brynn Shoup-Hill,  Kendall Bostic
  • This lineup is now 4-0 on the season.
  • This group has started 26 games together across the last three seasons, holding a 15-11 combined record.
• Shauna Green is now:
  • 46-25 at Illinois
  • 173-75 as a Division I head coach
  • 202-100 overall
• Illinois vs. Oregon State: 2-0 (second meeting)
  • Shauna Green's coaching record vs. Oregon State: 1-0
• The Illini have held opponents at/below 15 points in 14 of 20 regulation periods.
• Illinois is now 5-0 when wearing white uniforms this season.
• The Illini are now 4-0 in games starting after 5 p.m. CT this season.
• Illinois is now 1-0 in Friday games this season and 2-1 overall on Fridays under Green.
• The Illini are now 5-0 in November.
  • Second 5-0 start under Shauna Green.