By IlliniGuys Staff

February 6, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Illinois women's basketball team is beginning to make winning a habit.

Reigning Big Ten Co-Player of the Week Genesis Bryant scored 20 points as the Illini built a 20-point halftime lead and then held off a Northwestern rally to score the 73-60 victory Thursday night.

Illinois (18-5, 8-4 in Big Ten) has now won five straight and improves to 12-2 at home, where they drew a strong weeknight crowd of 4,591.

The Illini shot 63 percent from the field in the first half as graduate student Kendall Bostic scored 14 points.

But that was reversed after halftime as they managed to hit just five field goals in 18 attempts in the final 20 minutes, with 17 of their 28 second half points coming at the free throw line.

Northwestern's Caleigh Walsh scored 15 of her team-high 17 points in the second half, including the Wildcats' only three-pointer to pull the visitors with 67-58. But Illinois closed it out at the charity stripe as Brynn Shoup-Hill and Bryant each sank a pair of free throws.

"A lot of teams get to the free throw line but don't hit them", said Illinois head coach Shauna Green on a postgame radio interview on the Illini outscoring Northwestern (7-14, 0-10) at the line, 23-9. "We've done a good job of completing those opportunities>'

Bostic finished with 15 points, nine rebounds, and six assists while Berry Wallace scored 14 points off the bench.  Bryant added five rebounds and four assists. She talked about the team's secret to its success during a run that has come with two key players lost for the season due to injury.

"It's just really good cohesion on the court", Bryant said on the postgame radio show.  "We're just really connected, that's our superpower."

Illinois now needs just two wins in its final six regular season games to reach the 10-win mark in Big Ten play, something they've only done once this decade. The Illini went 11-7 in conference play two years ago in Green's first season with the team.

Illinois now travels to Wisconsin to face the Badgers Sunday afternoon. That's a 3pm tipoff on BTN Plus.

Stay with IlliniGuys.com for complete postgame coverage.