Key Highlights
- She would go on to play almost perfectly during the first quarter, hitting five of six shots, and finishing with 12 points. Going into the halftime break, the Illini were up 11, a good lead, but within striking distance for the Nittany Lions. But for Penn State (7-10), momentum was definitely not on its side.
- The orange and blue finished the half on an 18-3 run. The Illini would then channel that momentum into the second half, with Maddie Webber exploding for 18 points after the break. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJust when the Nittany Lions had crawled back within four points of the Illini midway through the third quarter, Webber buried arguably the biggest shot of the day, a three-pointer to put the team up seven. That four-point deficit would end up being the closest Penn State would make the game all half, with the Illini going on cruise control in the fourth quarter. For Shauna Green, you couldn’t have asked for a better tune-up game ahead of her team’s matchup with No.
- 9 Michigan on Thursday. For Coach Green, too, this game only confirmed what she had already been thinking: Berry Wallace is the X-factor of this team.
- However, it also raises a big question for her: Do you slide Maddie Webber into a starting role and have Jasmine Brown-Hagger come off the bench?AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWebber has already been receiving more minutes than Brown-Hagger, but only time will tell what happens the rest of the season. Nonetheless, Sunday was a massive win for the Illini, and they will be riding this momentum into Ann Arbor on Thursday. Moments that MatteredWebber is playing her best basketball right now. Berry Wallace is going to be the player who takes this team to new heights. Destiny Jackson with a great pass to Gretchen Dolan.
- If Jackson can keep those turnovers down, she could very well turn into the best facilitator in the Big Ten. Stat StuffersBerry Wallace (ILL)- 28 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assistsMaddie Webber (ILL)- 26 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assistGracie Merkle (PSU)- 24 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assistsDestiny Jackson (ILL)- 15 points, 9 assists, 6 turnoversWhat’s Next?Well, I’ll tell you what should be next.
