MADISON, Wis. – Illinois earned its fifth-straight road win and sixth-consecutive victory overall with a 74-51 triumph over Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon.
The Fighting Illini led by as many as 26 in the contest, ultimately prevailing by 23 to improve to 19-5 overall and 9-4 in Big Ten play this season.
Adalia McKenzie made two 3-pointers, her first outing this season with multiple makes from beyond the arc, and finished with a team-high 18 points. Totaling 12 points across the opening 20 minutes of play, McKenzie ended the afternoon with eight rebounds, six assists, and a steal.
Despite not playing in the fourth quarter,
Genesis Bryant registered 11 points while going 8-for-8 from the free throw line. Bryant also dished out a team-most seven assists and grabbed five rebounds.
Kendall Bostic secured the 50th double-double of her career with 15 points and a team-best 11 rebounds. Notching three assists, Bostic also had a big day defensively with three steals and two blocks.
Brynn Shoup-Hill posted 11 points after tallying eight points on 2-for-3 shooting from deep in the second half. Five of her six rebounds came on the offensive glass, and she tacked on an assist and a block.
Jasmine Brown-Hagger added nine points, four rebounds, two steals, and an assist, while
Berry Wallace went 3-for-5 en route to a 10-point effort off the bench, her third-straight game in double figures.
The Illini established a 10-2 edge within the first four minutes of play. Brown-Hagger bagged the first four points for the Orange and Blue before 3-pointers from McKenzie and Bryant forced the Badgers to take an early timeout.
After Wisconsin cut into its deficit from the free throw line, Illinois used a 9-0 run to extend their lead up to 17 points just over six-and-a-half minutes into the opening frame. Going up by as many as 18 through the first 10 minutes, the visitors held a 25-10 advantage heading into the second period.
A 12-4 run early in the second quarter pushed the Orange and Blue's advantage above the 20-point mark for the first time, while Bryant reached the double-digit scoring mark during that time. McKenzie scored the team's final five points of the first half, bringing her up to 12 on the afternoon and sending the sides into the break with the Illini ahead, 42-25.
McKenzie led Illinois' offensive charge with 12 points and two made 3-pointers, with Bryant not far behind with 11 points while going 8-for-8 from the free throw line. All five Illini starters made a trey across the first 20 minutes of action in Madison.
Bostic became the third scorer to reach double figures with her first field goal of the second half, which came within the first 15 seconds of play. The Badgers responded with a 10-2 run to reduce their deficit to 11, though the Illini used a 5-0 run late in the frame to grow their lead up to 16. Wisconsin closed the third quarter on a 5-1 run, cutting the Orange and Blue's advantage to 52-40 with 10 minutes to play.
Allowing only one field goal across the first four-and-a-half minutes of the fourth quarter, the Illini pieced together a 9-3 run to retake an 18-point edge. Shoup-Hill accounted for five of those points, including her second made 3-pointer of the afternoon. The Illini eventually extended their edge up to 26 late in the game, closing out the win ahead of their return to State Farm Center next week.
Illinois opens its two-game homestand on Thursday night against Penn State, with the opening tip between the sides set for 6 p.m. CT on B1G+.
