CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (Chambana Today) — Saturday was a big day for the Illinois Fighting Illini men’s and women’s basketball teams, as both squads were in action to capture big wins in the early stages of the season.
Tipping off at 11 a.m., the women’s team took on the Indiana Hoosiers at home for their Big Ten opener, and captured a statement victory to improve to 8-1 and 1-0 in conference play.
A red-hot start got the Illini going quick, and by the end of the first quarter, they led 28-12. Midway through the third quarter, Shauna Green’s squad held a 36-point lead, their largest lead of the game, and cruised to an easy victory against a program that typically stays towards the top of the Big Ten standings.
Another big performance from forward Cearah Parchment saw the true freshman pick up another double-double, finishing with 15 points and a team-high 13 rebounds. The Illini were led in scoring by junior Gretchen Dolan, who bagged 16 points as part of the 78-57 rout.
The bread and butter for Illinois was getting to the basket. 58 of their points were scored in the paint, an area that was also dominated by the Illini on the defensive end as they gave up just 18 points in the paint to the Hoosiers.
Later in the day at 7 p.m., it was the 14th-ranked Illinois men’s basketball team’s time to shine in the Music City Madness showdown against No. 13 Tennessee, played at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
The contest was back-and-forth in the first half, with the two teams entering halftime separated by just one point, with the Volunteers leading. In the second half, a fast-paced Illinois squad torched the Tennessee defense, beginning to pull away thanks to success from three-point shooting. The Illini went 11-of-28 from behind the arc (39.3%) to their opponents’ 6-of-20 (30%), which helped them separate.
Despite being out-rebounded 46 to 31, a well-rounded scoring performance helped the Illini push forward. Four players finished in double-digit scoring, led by true freshman Keaton Wagler’s 16. The Illini led by as many as 14 points, and never looked back.
The Brad Underwood-led team closed out the primetime matchup 75-62, advancing to 7-2 on the season.
The men’s team will travel to Columbus, Ohio to take on Ohio State Buckeyes on Tuesday, with the game tipping off at 6:30 p.m. CT on Peacock. The women’s team will also hit the road this week, with a road tilt at Columbia, Missouri against the Missouri Tigers awaiting them on Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT, broadcast on the SEC Network.
