The University of Illinois women’s basketball team advanced to the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals after a 71-69 win over Michigan State, ranked No. 18, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Thursday evening.
Illinois had five players score in double figures as they moved into the quarterfinals for the second time under head coach Shauna Green. This marks their third victory over a ranked opponent this season and the first time since 2010-11 that Illinois has won multiple games in a single Big Ten Tournament.
Destiny Jackson contributed across several categories with 14 points, six rebounds, five assists, one block, and one steal. She scored nine of her points in the second half, including six in the final period.
Cearah Parchment led Illinois with 15 points—all scored in the first half—along with six rebounds and a block. Berry Wallace continued her streak of double-digit scoring performances with 11 points, two assists, and a block. Jasmine Brown-Hagger added 12 points and four assists, while Maddie Webber provided 13 points off the bench.
After overcoming seven turnovers in the first quarter, Illinois finished the opening frame on an 8-0 run to take a three-point lead. The team extended its advantage by halftime and maintained control despite Michigan State’s push early in the second half. In the fourth quarter, Illinois built its largest lead at nine points before holding off Michigan State’s final attempts to tie or win.
Illinois will next face Iowa on Friday night at 5:30 p.m. CT as their tournament run continues.
Berry Wallace posted her 29th game this season with double-digit points and now ranks tenth on Illinois’ single-season scoring list with 577 points. Cearah Parchment recorded her thirteenth consecutive game scoring at least ten points and holds second place for freshman season scoring at Illinois with 428 points so far this year.
Destiny Jackson set an Illinois freshman assist record for a season with her current total of 161 assists; she is three away from third place on the program’s all-time single-season list.
Head coach Shauna Green achieved her 84th win at Illinois during Thursday’s game, moving into sole possession of second place for most wins by an Illini women’s basketball head coach.
The University of Illinois Fighting Illini women’s basketball program competes in NCAA Division I within the Big Ten Conference and operates from Champaign-Urbana (https://fightingillini.com/sports/womens-basketball). The program supports student-athletes academically while upholding athletic traditions (https://fightingillini.com/sports/womens-basketball).
This victory marked only the seventh time that Illinois has won multiple games during a single Big Ten Tournament.
