COLUMBIA, Mo. – A 21-point night from Gretchen Dolan helped lead the Fighting Illini to a gritty 70-62 McBride Home Braggin' Rights road win over Missouri on Wednesday night.
The victory saw Illinois improve to 9-1, the program's best start through 10 games since 1981-82, when the Orange and Blue began 10-0. The Illini never trailed in the contest, leading for the final 38:03 en route to the rivalry win.
Destiny Jackson filled the stat sheet with nine points, a career-high nine assists, five rebounds, and a career-most five steals. Cearah Parchment chipped in with nine points, eight rebounds and two steals.
Maddie Webber continued to prove her value off the bench with 11 points, three rebounds, and a steal.
Illinois' defense proved to a major factor once again, with the Illini forcing 18 Missouri turnovers while turning those takeaways into 18 points on the other end of the floor. The Fighting Illini turned those takeaways into 18 points on the offensive end of the floor. Six different players made at least one steal, with Jackson leading the way with five.
How It Happened
Illinois began the game on an 8-0 run, ultimately keeping the Tigers scoreless for nearly five minutes to start the night while holding the hosts without a field goal for the opening 7:24 of play. The Fighting Illini eventually entered the quarter break with a 14-10 advantage.
The Illini remained in front in the second frame, going on an 8-0 run starting at the 5:38 mark in the second period, highlighted by a bucket from Dolan, to increase its lead to 28-19. The Tigers cut into their deficit, but the visitors took a 34-26 advantage into the break.
Illinois continued to preserve its halftime lead before going on a 5-0 run, punctuated by a 3-pointer from Webber, to expand its lead to 50-43 with 1:56 to go in the third. Despite a strong finish to the frame by the home side, the Fighting Illini entered the fourth quarter with a 50-47 edge.
After the Orange and Blue brought their lead to six, 56-50, with just under seven minutes remaining, Missouri answered with a 5-0 run to cut its deficit to one. The Illini finished strong, though, going on a late 10-2 scoring stretch to close out the eight-point triumph.
Illinois returns to State Farm Center on Sunday afternoon against North Texas for the program's Holiday Game. The opening tip is set for 2 p.m. CT on B1G+.
