CORVALLIS, OR. — A tough one on the road.
The Illini traveled west for their first game away from Champaign of the season, taking on the Oregon State Beavers Friday night. The road game proved to be too big a challenge for the Illini, with the team coming up just short 64-59.
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The opening quarter set the tone with fast starts followed by cold spells. Oregon State came out firing from deep, hitting its first two threes, while Illinois answered with back-to-back midrange makes. After that early exchange, neither team could buy a basket. The Beavers went over two minutes without a field goal and turned it over three straight possessions.
The second quarter swung completely in the Illini’s favor early. A steal and transition layup from Gretchen Dolan pushed the lead to 22-16, and Illinois looked ready to take control. However, the Beavers’ bench flipped the momentum. Their energy sparked an 11-0 run, holding Illinois scoreless for over five and a half minutes. Only two free throws from freshman guard Destiny Jackson finally broke the drought, and Illinois went into halftime trailing 29-28 after seeing a once six-point lead quickly disappear.
Coming out of the break, Illinois found exactly one answer: Berry Wallace.
The sophomore forward dominated the third quarter, scoring all but 3 of the Illini’s 14 points in the frame and almost single-handedly keeping Illinois in the game. She opened the half with six straight points, briefly putting Illinois ahead 34-31. Still, offensive help was scarce. Outside of Wallace, no Illini player scored until the final two minutes of the quarter, when Cearah Parchment hit a clutch three to tie the game at 41.
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Even with Wallace’s heroics, Illinois found itself down 43-41 entering the fourth. Wallace had 14 points and 3 rebounds through three quarters, while senior guard Tiara Bolden continued to rise for the Beavers with 13 points and 5 rebounds.
The fourth quarter turned into a trading of big-time shots. Parchment drilled another one of her season-high 4 three-pointers with under two minutes left to cut the Beavers’ lead to three, setting up a tense finish. Yet again, however, Bolden answered. Her step-back three with 45 seconds remaining stretched the Beaver lead to eight and effectively sealed the game. She would finish with 25 points, tying her career high.
Wallace kept Illinois alive with a banked-in three in the final seconds, bringing her total to 24 points, but it wasn’t enough. Oregon State closed it out at the line, handing Illinois its first loss of the season, 64-59.
Road losses in November rarely define a season, and Illinois showed stretches of strong defense and individual brilliance that can still leave the fans with hope of a win next time out.
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MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Parchment gives the Illini an early lead with a rare 3
Wallace comes out of halftime on a tear, hitting a 3, followed by an and-1 layup to score the first 5 for Illinois.
Wallace’s multiple and-1’s kept the Illini in the game for a while, but it still wasn’t enough.
STAT STUFFERS
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Illinois shot 42% from the beyond 3-point line.
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Illinois had 14 offensive rebounds.
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Oregon State scored 34 points in the paint.
UP NEXT
Illinois looks to bounce back when they are back home to host Murray State at State Farm Center.
Tip-off is scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday and will stream on B1G+.
