CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois remained perfect at State Farm Center this season with a 70-52 victory over Bradley on Thursday night.
Now 6-0 at home during the 2024-25 campaign, the Fighting Illini had three scorers finish in double figures as the Orange and Blue posted their 10th home victory in a row.
Adalia McKenzie scored a season-high 23 points, including 15 points in the second half. McKenzie also totaled six rebounds, three steals, and one assist.
Kendall Bostic secured her sixth double-double of the season and also surpassed the 20-point mark, recording 22 points and 10 rebounds while going 10-for-14 from the field. Bostic added three assists and one block.
Genesis Bryant amassed 15 points, four assists, three rebounds, and a season-most three steals.
Bradley took an early five-point edge before Bostic grabbed an offensive rebound and made the second-chance layup for the Orange and Blue's first points of the night. A 6-0 Illini run, which featured points from three different scorers, gave the hosts their first lead of the contest. After the Braves went back in front, five consecutive points from Bostic saw the hosts retake the lead, and the Illini eventually held a 20-17 advantage through the opening 10 minutes.
Bostic scored the team's first four points of the second quarter, which moved her into double figures. Bostic's back-to-back buckets sparked an 8-2 run and gave the home side a 28-21 edge within the first three minutes of the frame. The Braves cut their deficit to three, but the Illini scored the final four points of the second period and took a 34-27 lead into the break.
All 34 of Illinois' first-half points came from the team's starters, with Bostic leading the way with a game-high 13 points through the first two quarters.
The Orange and Blue pushed their advantage to nine within the first 60 seconds of the second half, but an 8-0 run from the Braves over the next two minutes cut the visitors' deficit to 36-35 with 7:28 left in the third quarter.
With the game tied at 42 with four minutes left in the frame, the Illini closed the quarter with an 11-2 run. McKenzie scored the first four points during that stretch before Bostic tallied the next five, which also included her first 3-pointer of the season. That four-minute span sent the Illini into the final period with a 53-44 advantage.
Another 11-2 run early in the fourth quarter, which featured the Illini holding the Braves without a field goal for almost six-and-a-half minutes, gave Illinois its first double-digit lead of the night. Leading by as many as 18, the Orange and Blue closed out the victory to move to 6-0 at home this season.
Illinois returns to State Farm Center on Sunday afternoon to take on Southern Indiana. The Fighting Illini and the Screaming Eagles will square off at 1 p.m. CT on B1G+, with tickets still available at FightingIllini.com.
HIGHLIGHTS
PRESS CONFERENCE
POSTGAME NOTES
Player Notes:
- Genesis Bryant scored 15 points to go along with three rebounds and four assists.
- Scored in double figures for the fifth time this season and for the 55th time in her career.
- Dished out at least four assists for the fourth time this season.
- Recorded her first block of the season and the 10th rejection of her collegiate career.
- Tallied a season-high three steals.
- Jasmine Brown-Hagger scored two points and had two assists.
- Earned a spot in the starting lineup for the first time in her collegiate career.
- Brynn Shoup-Hill scored four points and secured four boards to go along with two assists.
- Adalia McKenzie scored a season-high 23 points and grabbed six rebounds.
- Turned in her second 20-point performance of the season and 13th such game of her career.
- Scored in double figures for the seventh time this season and for the 63rd time in her career.
- Has tallied 10+ points in three of the last four games.
- Recorded a season-high three steals.
- Kendall Bostic scored 22 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and had three assists.
- Registered her sixth double-double of the season and the 40th of her career.
- Has four double-doubles in her last five games.
- Now moves into a tie for third place on the program's career double-doubles list.
- 1. Jenna Smith - 53 (2006-10)
- 2. Karisma Penn - 42 (2009-13)
- T3. Kendall Bostic - 40 (2021-Pres.)
- T3. Chatrice White - 40 (1984-87)
- Continues to climb the program's all-time rebounding list:
- 1. Jenna Smith (2006-10) - 1,217
- 2. Kendall Bostic (2021-pres.) - 1,098
- Scored in double figures for the ninth time this season and the 58th time in her career.
- Reached double digits with 9:25 left in the second quarter.
- Knocked down her first 3-pointer of the season.
- Berry Wallace came off the bench to score two points.
- Was the first Illini off the bench, entering for the first time at the first-quarter media timeout.
- Recorded the first block of her career in the fourth quarter.
- Irene Noya Catoira made her Illinois debut, entering the contest with one minute remaining in the fourth quarter.
- Scored the first points of her collegiate career in the fourth quarter with an offensive rebound and layup.
Team Notes:
- The Illini won the opening tip, though Bradley opened the scoring on its second possession of the contest.
- Illinois has now outscored its opponents, 200-115, in the first quarter this season.
- The Illini had three scorers in double figures (Bostic, Bryant, McKenzie).
- Illinois also had two players score at least 20 points in the contest (Bostic, McKenzie), the third time this season the Illini have had teammates record 20-point games.
- Illinois held Bradley scoreless for a 5:37 stretch in the fourth quarter, going on a 9-0 run during that span to take a 16-point lead.
- Held the Braves to 0-for-5 from the floor with two turnovers during the run.
- Illinois outrebounded Bradley, 30-20, the ninth time this season the Illini have won the battle on the boards.
- The Illini also held a 10-2 advantage on the offensive glass, scoring 15 second-chance points.
- Illinois outscored Bradley in the paint, 42-20.
- The Illini have forced double-digit turnovers in all 10 games this season.
- Illinois forced 16 turnovers, scoring 21 points off those takeaways.
- Illinois allowed zero fast-break points for the third time this season.
Misc. Notes:
- Starters: Genesis Bryant, Jasmine Brown-Hagger, Adalia McKenzie, Brynn Shoup-Hill, Kendall Bostic
- This lineup is now 1-0 on the season.
- Shauna Green is now:
- 49-27 at Illinois
- 176-66 as a Division I head coach
- 205-102 Overall
- Illinois has won 10 consecutive games at State Farm Center, which is tied for the third-longest such streak in program history.
- 1. 18 games - 12/20/1997 to 1/5/1999
- 2. 11 games - 2/14/1986 to 1/30/1987
- T3. 10 games (Active) - 2/19/2024 to Current
- T3. 10 games - 11/20/1981 to 1/29/1982
- The Illini improved to 30-8 at State Farm Center under head coach Shauna Green.
- Green is the fastest coach in program history to reach 30 home wins.
- 1. 38 games: Shauna Green (with a win vs. Bradley)
- T2. 39 games: Theresa Grentz
- T2. 39 games: Jane Schroeder
- 4. 41 games: Laura Golden
- 5. 50 games: Matt Bollant
- 6. 57 games: Kathy Lindsey
- 7. 66 games: Nancy Fahey
- 8. 69 games: Jolette Law
- Illinois vs. Bradley: 12-4 (16th meeting)
- The Illini have held opponents at/below 15 points in 24 of 40 regulation periods.
- Illinois is now 6-1 when wearing white uniforms this season.
- The Illini are now 6-1 in games starting after 5 p.m. CT this season.
- Illinois is now 3-0 in games played on Thursdays this season.
- The Illini are now 2-1 in December.
Score after 1st Quarter: 20-17
Score at Halftime: 34-27 (14-10 Q2)
Score after 3rd Quarter: 53-44 (19-17 Q3)
Score after 4th Quarter: 70-52 (17-8 Q4)
