INDIANAPOLIS – [10] Illinois secured its spot in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals with a 71-69 win over [7] No. 18 Michigan State at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Thursday evening.
Behind five scorers in double figures, the Fighting Illini advanced to the quarterfinals for the second time under head coach Shauna Green while earning their third ranked victory of the campaign. The Orange and Blue have now won multiple games at the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2010-11.
Destiny Jackson filled the stat sheet with 14 points, six rebounds, five assists, one block, and one steal. She tallied nine of her 14 points in the second half, including six in the final period of play.Â
Cearah Parchment scored a team-high 15 points, all of which came in the first half. She also corralled six rebounds and added a block.
Berry Wallace logged her 21st straight outing in double figures, finishing with 11 points, two assists, and a block.
Jasmine Brown-Hagger tacked on 12 points while dishing out four assists, while Maddie Webber totaled 13 points, three rebounds, and two steals off the bench.
Illinois overcame seven first-quarter turnovers to grab a 20-17 lead through the first 10 minutes. The Orange and Blue closed the frame on an 8-0 run across the final 1:15, making their final three field goal attempts during that stretch. MSU went scoreless for over two minutes to end the frame, while Parchment scored eight points through the first 10 minutes of play.
The Fighting Illini added to their lead in the second quarter, winning the frame 16-12 to own a 36-29 lead at the half. Parchment added seven more points in the quarter, while the defense blocked four Spartan shots.
The Spartans began the second half with a 13-5 run to briefly go in front, but the Illini weathered the storm and responded with a 7-2 stretch to retake the lead. Holding MSU to only one field goal over the last four minutes of the quarter, Illinois entered the final frame with a 53-48 advantage.
Accounting for the first two field goals of the fourth quarter, the Illini soon established its largest edge of the night, 57-48. Holding the lead for the entirety of the final period, the Orange and Blue used a late stop on a potential game-tying Spartan possession to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals.
[10] Illinois continues its Big Ten Tournament run on Friday night, when the Illini take on [2] No. 9 Iowa. The opening tip from Indianapolis is slated for 5:30 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.
