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University of Illinois Athletics

Illinois WBIT champions graphic
71
Winner Illinois Illini 19-15,8-10 Big Ten
57
Villanova VU 22-13,11-7 Big East
Winner
Illinois Illini
19-15,8-10 Big Ten
71
Final
57
Villanova VU
22-13,11-7 Big East
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Illinois Illini 20 9 21 21 71
Villanova VU 15 17 12 13 57

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

WBIT Champions: Illinois Secures First-Ever Postseason Title With Win Over Villanova

RECAP

INDIANAPOLIS – The Fighting Illini are champions.

Behind a big second-half surge, Illinois clinched the inaugural WBIT title in a 71-57 victory over Villanova at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Wednesday night. The victory marked the program's first-ever postseason title.

After totaling five points through the first two quarters due to foul trouble, Makira Cook registered a game-high 27 points by pouring in 22 points in the second half. Shooting 7-for-11 from the floor over the final 20 minutes, Cook also amassed five assists, two rebounds, one block, and one steal.

Genesis Bryant tallied 11 of her 17 points in the first half and also finished the night with five rebounds and four assists.

Kendall Bostic clinched a double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds. She also had one assist.

Camille Hobby totaled eight points and 10 rebounds, blocking two shots. 

The Wildcats opened the scoring, but the Illini were not behind for long. Bryant got her layup to fall before making a third-chance bucket on two offensive rebounds just over one minute later. Villanova's advantage moved to four points, but a 5-0 Illinois run gave the Orange and Blue their first lead of the night. Bostic opened her account during that stretch before Bryant knocked down the team's first 3-pointer of the game, putting the Illini in front, 9-8, through the opening five minutes.

After going without a point for over three minutes, the Wildcats went back in front, one of five lead changes over the next two minutes. Five straight points from Cook put Illinois ahead by four before Bostic – who started 4-for-4 from the field – accounted for the Illini's final four points of the first frame.

Holding a 20-15 lead through the opening 10 minutes, the Illini's lead grew to eight after Gretchen Dolan connected from beyond the arc early in the second period of play. The Wildcats cut their deficit in half with a 4-0 run over the next 90 seconds, but Bryant made her second trey of the day to put the Illini up, 26-19. 

Bostic moved into double figures with a layup just under four minutes later, but an 11-1 run from the Wildcats to close the half gave Villanova a 32-29 edge at the break. Bryant tallied a team-high 11 points before intermission, while Bostic was not far behind with 10 points after starting 5-for-6 from the floor.

Villanova extended its advantage to five points 30 seconds into the second half, but Illinois pieced together a 16-0 run to jump back in front. Cook made 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions before Bryant made a driving layup to force a Wildcat timeout.

A Cook pullup jumper continued that scoring stretch before Hobby corralled an offensive board and made the second-effort attempt. Cook's third 3-pointer, all of which came during that 16-0 run, capped off the four-minute run and put the Illini in front by double digits, 45-34.

A 5-0 Wildcat run followed before Bryant somehow got her crafty finish to fall. Bryant then assisted Hobby, who found a gap in the defense and made a layup. The Illini led by as many as 11 in the frame, and they went into the final quarter with a 50-44 edge.

Cook rattled in a jumper out of the break before McKenzie got in the passing lane, forced a steal, and found Bostic in transition. Bostic then scored on an inbound pass from Cook, who then made two free throws. That 8-0 run over the first three-and-a-half minutes of the quarter brought the Illini's advantage back up to double digits, 58-44.

Hobby and Cook accounted for the Orange and Blue's next 11 points, which saw the Illini hold a 67-55 edge with two minutes remaining. Making free throws late in the game, the Orange and Blue finished off the win to secure their first postseason title in program history.

GAME NOTES

PLAYER NOTES

  • Genesis Bryant scored 17 points while adding five rebounds and four assists.
    • Scored the first four points for the Illini. Made her first three shot attempts.
    • Has scored in double figures in four WBIT games, including three straight.
      • Has 24 such games this season.
  • Makira Cook scored 27 points, had two rebounds and had five assists.
    • Has set the program's single-tournament scoring record with 105 points during the WBIT.
    • Has scored in double figures in every game of the WBIT and in 11-straight games overall.
      • Reached the double-digit scoring mark 27 times this season.
      • Tallied her ninth 20-point game of the season.
    • Her 23 assists during the WBIT are the second-most in program history during a single postseason tournament.
    • Knocked down her first four 3-pointers. Went 5-for-6 overall.
      • Sets a new career-high mark.
  • Adalia McKenzie scored one point, had seven rebounds, one assist and one steal.
    • Her nine steals during the WBIT are tied for the fourth most in program history during a single postseason tournament.
    • Grabbed at least seven rebounds in three of five WBIT games.
    • McKenzie drew the assignment of guarding Villanova's leading scorer, Lucy Olsen, forcing Olsen into an 8-for-25 shooting night.
  • Camille Hobby scored eight points and collected 10 rebounds.
    • Second game this season with double-digit rebounds.
  • Kendall Bostic scored 15 points and secured 15 rebounds.
    • Recorded the 1,000th point of her career on a jumper with 4:20 remaining in the first quarter.
    • Recording 15 rebounds, Bostic totaled 372 boards during the 2023-24 season, the second-most in a single campaign in program history.
      • Her 994 career rebounds at Illinois are the fourth-most in Illini history.
      • Has already set the program's single-tournament rebounding record. Finished the WBIT with 74 rebounds (14.8 rpg).
      • Has secured double-digit rebounds in 20 games this season.
    • Recorded her 16th double-double of the season and the 34th of her Illini career.
      • Third game this season with at least 15 points and 15 boards.
    • Scored a team-high eight points in the first quarter, going 4-for-4 from the floor, and grabbed a game-high six rebounds.
    • Has scored in double figures in three WBIT games.
  • Gretchen Dolan came off the bench to score three points and grab three rebounds.
    • The first Illini to come in off the bench, Dolan entered at the first-quarter media timeout.
    • Knocked down her lone 3-point attempt.

TEAM NOTES

  • Villanova won the tip, and the Wildcats opened the scoring on their first possession. Illinois also scored on their first possession of the contest.
  • The Wildcats ended the first half on an 11-1 run as the Illini didn't make a field goal for the final 4:29 of the first half.
  • The Illini used an 16-0 run over a 3:47 span in the early third quarter to overturn their halftime deficit and take an 11-point lead.
    • Illinois went 6-for-8 from the floor, including 3-for-4 from beyond the arc.
      • Makira Cook scored 11 of the points, knocking down three 3-pointers.
    • Held Villanova scoreless for a stretch of 4:47, forcing the Wildcats into going 0-for-9 from the field.
  • Illinois held Villanova to just two points in the final 2:37 of the ballgame, holding the Wildcats to 0-for-4 during that span.
  • The Illini had three players score in double figures (Bostic, Bryant, Cook).
  • The Illini held the Wildcats to 32 percent (21-for-65) from the floor in the second half, Villanova's lowest shooting percentage during the WBIT.
    • Illinois' defense held Villanova to 24 percent (9-for-37) shooting in the second half and forced the Wildcats into going 3-for-15 from beyond the arc.
  • The Illini shot 54 percent (15-for-28) from the floor in the second half, including 4-for-8 from deep.
  • Illinois out-rebounded Villanova 45-27 and held a 14-9 advantage on the offensive glass.
    • The Illini converted those 14 0-boards into 14 second-chance points.
    • Illinois held a 24-16 rebounding advantage in the second half.
    • The Illini's +18 rebounding margin was the highest by a Villanova opponent this season.
  • The Illini held a 30-14 advantage in points in the paint.
  • Illinois out-scored Villanova in transition 8-2.
  • The Illini led for a total of 29:29 in the contest.

MISC NOTES

  • Starters: Makira Cook, Genesis Bryant, Adalia McKenzie, Kendall Bostic, Camille Hobby
    • This lineup is now 14-8 on the season.
  • Shauna Green is now:
    • 41-25 at Illinois
    • 5-1 in postseason play at Illinois (NCAA & WBIT)
    • 168-75 as a Division-I coach
    • 197-100 overall
  • The Illini are now 3-0 all-time when playing at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
  • Illinois vs. Villanova: 2-0 (second meeting)
  • The Illini secured their first back-to-back .500 seasons for the first time since the 2006-07 and 2007-08 campaigns.
    • Green is the first Illini head coach in program history to finish over .500 in each of their first two seasons at the helm.
  • Illinois' contest against Villanova marked the team's second-ever game played in April.
  • The 2023-24 campaign was tied for the second-longest season in program history at 34 total games.
  • The Illini's 41 overall wins in Green's first two seasons are the program's most over a two-year span since the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 campaigns, when Illinois recorded 42 combined victories under Hall of Fame coach Theresa Grentz.
  • Illinois' victory over Villanova marked the Illini's first postseason championship win in program history.
    • The game was also the Illini's first-ever appearance in a non-conference postseason championship game.
  • For the first time since the 2012-13 campaign, Illinois women's basketball's season went farther into the calendar year than the Illini men's basketball program's. 
  • The Illini moved to 55-60 in postseason play in program history.
    • The Illini are now 5-0 in the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament.
  • The Illini have held opponents at/below 15 points in 63 of 136 regulation periods.
    • Held them to 15 in the first quarter, 12 in the third quarter and 13 in the fourth.
  • Illinois is now 7-5 when wearing blue uniforms this season.
  • The Illini are now 10-4 in games starting after 5 p.m. CT this season.
  • The Illini are now 2-0 in April.
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