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.
