By IlliniGuys Staff

October 30, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Freshman Cearah Parchment posted a double-double in her collegiate debut as Illinois led from start to finish in posting a 79-60 win in their exhibition game against Maryville Thursday night.

A member of the Canadian National Team, the 6-foot-3 Parchment scored game highs with 22 points and 13 rebounds to lead the way over Maryville, an NCAA Division III program located just south of Knoxville, Tennessee.

Gretchen Dolan, who saw her sophomore season cut short due to a knee injury, scored 17 points while Berry Wallace, the lone starter returning from the unit that lost to number one seed Texas in the NCAA Tournament's second round last March, added 11 points.

A State Farm Center crowd of 4,149 got its first glimpse at Shauna Green's fourth Illini roster, sporting a new, younger look after losing starters Kendall Bostic, Genesis Bryant, Makira Cook, and Adalia McKenzie and top reserve Brynn Shoup-Hill to graduation and Cori Allen and Shay Bollin to the transfer portal.

The matchup came a day after the team announced the loss of highly-touted freshmen Manuella Alves and Erica Finney to season-ending injuries. Destiny Jackson, a five-star point guard recruit from Chicago's Whitney Young High School, scored 9 points in a starting role as Illinois played without Peoria sophomore and Iowa transfer Aaliyah Guyton, who sat this one out.

Annika Pluemer scored 15 for the Saints, who forced 20 turnovers in a 90-84 surprise win over Missouri earlier this week.

Illinois will open the regular season next Tuesday night against Southeast Missouri State (6pm CT, BIG+).