Skip To Main Content

University of Illinois Athletics

Illinois Fighting Illini
41
Bellarmine BU 2-8,0-0 ASUN
90
Winner Illinois Illini 7-1,0-0 Big Ten
Bellarmine BU
2-8,0-0 ASUN
41
Final
90
Illinois Illini
7-1,0-0 Big Ten
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Bellarmine BU 11 12 5 13 41
Illinois Illini 32 23 23 12 90

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Team Effort Leads Illinois Over Bellarmine 90-41

RECAP

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois women's basketball defeated Bellarmine on Tuesday evening, 90-41, improving to 6-0 at home this season and 7-1 overall. 

The Fighting Illini (7-1) had four players score in double figures, led by Cearah Parchment, who secured a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. 12 rebounds is a career-high for the freshman. Gretchen Dolan tacked on 11 points, four assists and two steals and Destiny Jackson chipped in as well with 10 points, seven assists and two steals. Jackson went 6-for-6 at the line, her fifth perfect game this season from the charity stripe.

Parchment pulled down six offensive rebounds to lead an attack that capitalized on second chance opportunities, grabbing 27 boards and turning them into 28 points. The team's 64 total rebounds are tied for eighth-most in an NCAA game this season.

Illinois also forced 20 Bellarmine turnovers in Tuesday's game. The Fighting Illini turned those takeaways into 29 points on the offensive end of the floor. Parchment's three steals led the way for Illinois.

How It Happened

Illinois opened with a 12-0 run, culminating in a bucket from Jasmine Brown-Hagger, to take an early lead with 7:48 left in the first quarter. The Fighting Illini held Bellarmine scoreless from the field until there was just 4:04 remaining in the opening frame, entering the quarter break with a 32-11 advantage. Illinois did most of its first quarter damage in the paint, scoring 18 of its 32 points close to the basket, paced by eight points from Parchment.

Illinois went on a 15-0 run starting at the 9:39 mark in the second quarter, highlighted by a bucket from Berry Wallace, to increase its lead to 47-13. The Knights cut into that lead, but the Fighting Illini still enjoyed a 55-23 advantage heading into halftime. Illinois' 55 points in the first 20 minutes of play are its most in any half this season.

Illinois wasted no time building on its lead, going on a 9-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Dolan, to expand its lead further to 64-23 with 6:03 to go in the third. Before the third period was over, the Fighting Illini added nine points to that lead and entered the fourth quarter with a 78-28 edge. Illinois played well near the basket, scoring 16 of its 23 points in the paint. 

The final frame was highlighted by a career-high four points from Naomi Benson and a three-point play from Gisela Segura, her first points as an Illini. The Knights fought hard in the final frame to tally 13 points, but the Illini cruised to a 90-41 victory.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE

POSTGAME NOTES

Player Notes:

  • Maddie Webber contributed 9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and a block.
  • Berry Wallace turned in 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists.
  • Destiny Jackson recorded 10 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals.
    • Her third double-digit scoring game this season
    • She was 6-for-6 from the line, a career-high in made free throws and fifth perfect game from the charity stripe.
    • 15 assists over the last two games.
  • Cearah Parchment chipped in 16 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. 
    • Earned a career-high 12 rebounds
    • Her third double-double, and second points-rebounds double-double this season
    • Tallied 14 points and 7 rebounds in the first half.
    • Fourth double-digit scoring game this season
    • Sixth straight game with at least 6 rebounds
    • Has recorded at least 1 offensive board in every game this season
  • Gretchen Dolan finished with 11 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals.
    • Sixth double-digit scoring outing of the season
  • Aaliyah Guyton posted 10 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals.
    • Her third double-figure scoring game this year
    • Season-high in both rebounds [4] and assists [4]
  • Irene Noya Catoira added 7 points, 6 rebounds, an assist, block, and steal.
    • Career-highs in points [7] and rebounds [6]
  • Gisela Segura logged her first points as an Illini on a successful three-point play in the fourth quarter.
  • Naomi Benson notched a career-high four points.

Team Notes:

  • Illinois won the opening tip and got on the board first with a tw0-point jumper from Jasmine Brown-Hagger on the opening possession.
  • The Orange and Blue opened Tuesday's game on a 12-0 run, holding Bellarmine scoreless for the first 2:39.
  • Bellarmine did not score from the field until there was 4:04 remaining in the opening frame, and only did so twice the entire first quarter
  • Aaliyah Guyton, Maddie Webber, and Lety Vasconcelos were the first Illini off the bench, checking in with 5:54 left in the first quarter
  • The Illinois bench outscored Bellarmine's reserves, 39-12.
    • Nine of the 10 Illini that checked in during the opening half scored a basket
    • Five straight games with a scoring advantage off the bench
  • Four Illini scored in double digits (Cearah Parchment [16], Gretchen Dolan [11], Destiny Jackson [10], and Aaliyah Guyton [10].
  • Illinois has forced 51 opponent turnovers over the last two games and 76 over the last three.
  • Illinois is now 61-11 under Shauna Green when holding opponents to 70 points or less. 
    • The Fighting Illini have not allowed an opponent to score 70+ points yet in 2025-26.
  • 27 offensive rebounds, the most by Illinois in a single game since at least the 1999-2000 season.
  • The team's 64 rebounds are tied for eighth-most in an NCAA game this season.

Misc. Notes:

  • Starters: Destiny Jackson, Jasmine Brown-Hagger, Gretchen Dolan, Berry Wallace, Cearah Parchment
    • This lineup is now 7-1 this season
  • Shauna Green is now:
    • 70-36 at Illinois
    • 44-11 in State Farm Center
    • 197-86 as a Division I head coach
    • 226-111 overall
  • Shauna Green is now the fourth winningest coach in Illinois Women's Basketball history with 70 wins across four seasons.
    • 210 wins - Theresa Grentz (1995-2007, 12 seasons)
    • 83 wins - Laura Golden (1984-90, 6 seasons)
    • 73 wins - Jane Schroeder (1979-84, 5 seasons)
    • 70 wins - Shauna Green (2022-present, 4 seasons)
    • 69 wins - Jolette Law (2007-12, 5 seasons)
  • Illinois vs. Bellarmine: 1-0
  • Illinois has won five-straight games for the first time this season and first time since winning eight straight from Jan. 23, 2025-Feb. 16, 2025.
  • Illinois is now 6-0 when wearing white uniforms this season and are now 42-12  when doing so under Green.
  • The Illini are 3-1 in night games (before 5 p.m.) this season and 36-14 under Green.
  • Illinois is 3-0 in games played on Tuesdays this season and 5-1 under Green.
  • Illinois is 1-0 in the month of December this season and 13-7 under Green when playing in December.
  • Illinois is 18-8 during the 2025 calendar year.
  • Illinois is 6-0 in home games this season.
    • Illinois has won 6 straight home games for the first time since stringing together 13 wins in State Farm Center from Feb. 19, 2024-Dec. 31, 2024.

Score after 1st Quarter: 32-11
Score at Halftime: 55-23 (23-12)

  • Most points scored in any half this season by the Illini
  • Back to back games with 50 or more points in the first half

Score after 3rd Quarter: 78-28 (23-5)

  • The Illini have held their opponents to single-digit scoring in 6 of the last 9 quarters

Score after 4th Quarter: 90-41 (12-13)

Print Friendly Version