CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Led by a 64.7% clip from 3-point range, Illinois took down North Texas, 81-69, at State Farm Center on Sunday afternoon.
Now 10-1 this season, the Fighting Illini have tied their best start in program history and are off to their best start in over 40 years.
The Orange and Blue had three players score in double figures, led by Berry Wallace's career-high 28 points and nine rebounds. Wallace was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field in the first half, and she grabbed four of her nine boards on the offensive glass.
Gretchen Dolan posted 19 points, five rebounds, and four assists, while Maddie Webber helped out with 16 points, four rebounds, and three assists off the bench.
The Illinois offense was very productive from deep, knocking down 11 treys on 17 attempts. Dolan was the most prolific shooter for the Fighting Illini, draining four treys in the contest, while Wallace and Webber both made three triples.
How It Happened
After jumping out to a 9-7 advantage, Illinois went on a 7-0 run with 3:03 left in the first quarter to increase its lead to 16-7. The Fighting Illini ultimately held a 16-9 advantage after 10 minutes of play, capitalizing on seven North Texas turnovers in the period and turning those takeaways into six points on the other end of the floor.
Illinois built that first quarter lead to 33-22 before going on a 7-0 run starting at the 3:26 mark in the second period, highlighted by a bucket from Wallace, to increase its lead to 40-22. The Mean Green cut into that lead, but the Fighting Illini still enjoyed a 42-28 advantage heading into halftime. Illinois was strong from deep in the period, knocking down five 3-point shots in the frame while entering the break by making six of their seven 3-point attempts.
Illinois continued to preserve its halftime lead before going on a 6-0 run to expand its advantage further to 62-42 with 53 seconds to go in the third. The Fighting Illini still entered the fourth quarter with a 63-44 edge, continuing their efficiency from deep with three more 3-pointers.
The Fighting Illini then held on for the victory in the fourth quarter. Illinois pulled down five offensive rebounds to score seven second-chance points out of 18 total in the final frame.
Illinois closes its nonconference slate at State Farm Center against Jackson State on Dec. 19 at 6 p.m. CT.
HIGHLIGHTS
POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE
POSTGAME NOTES
Player Notes:
- Gretchen Dolan finished with 19 points, five rebounds, and four assists.
- Posted her ninth double-digit scoring outing of the campaign and the 16th such game of her career.
- Sank a career-high four 3-pointers.
- Maddie Webber added 16 points, four rebounds, and three assists off the bench.
- Tied her season-high with 16 points.
- Scored in double digits for the seventh time this season and for the sixth time in the last seven games.
- Knocked down multiple 3-pointers for the fifth time this season.
- Has made at least one 3-pointer in seven of the last eight games.
- Destiny Jackson recorded five points, five rebounds, and two assists.
- Grabbed five rebounds for the third straight game and for the fourth time overall this season.
- Finished with a team-high +15.
- Berry Wallace turned in 28 points, nine rebounds, and one assist.
- Set a new career-high with 28 points.
- Posted her fifth 20-point outing of the season/of her career.
- Scored in double figures for the ninth time this season and for the 21st time in her career.
- Led all scorers with 14 first-half points.
- Went 4-for-4 from the field and 2-for-2 on 3-point attempts in the first half.
- Made nine free throws on 11 attempts, both of which were career-highs.
- Set a new season-high with three 3-pointers.
- Made multiple treys for the fifth time this season.
- Grabbed multiple offensive rebounds for the eighth time this season.
- Cearah Parchment posted six points, five rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes.
- Recorded multiple steals for the fifth time this season.
- Has multiple steals in back-to-back games.
- Grabbed multiple offensive rebounds for the fifth time this season.
Team Notes:
- North Texas won the opening tip, and the Mean Green got on the board first.
- Illinois sank 11 3-pointers, the most of the campaign and its most since also making 11 at Wisconsin on Feb. 9, 2025.
- The Illini connected on their first four 3-point attempts of the game and went 6-for-7 from beyond the arc in the first half.
- Lety Vasconcelos was the first student-athlete to come off the bench, checking in just two minutes into the first quarter.
- The Illini held the Mean Green without a field goal from 4:58 to 0:05 in the first quarter, going on an 11-1 run during that time.
- Illinois kept North Texas without a field goal from 5:30 to 1:48 in the second quarter and went on a 10-2 run during that stretch.
- Three Illini scored in double digits (Wallace [28], Dolan [19], Webber [16]).
- Illinois is now 64-11 under Shauna Green when holding opponents to 70 points or less.
- The Illini have allowed fewer than 70 points in each of the first 11 games this season.
- The Illini forced 19 turnovers while scoring 17 points off those takeaways.
- Illinois has forced 18+ turnovers in six straight games.
Misc. Notes:
- Starters: Destiny Jackson, Jasmine Brown-Hagger, Gretchen Dolan, Berry Wallace, Cearah Parchment
- This lineup is now 10-1 this season
- Shauna Green is now:
- 46-11 in State Farm Center
- 73-36 at Illinois
- 200-86 as a Division I head coach
- 229-111 overall
- The victory marked Coach Green's 200th career Division I victory as a head coach.
- Shauna Green is now tied for the third-winningest coach in Illinois Women's Basketball history with 73 wins across four seasons.
- 210 wins - Theresa Grentz (1995-2007, 12 seasons)
- 83 wins - Laura Golden (1984-90, 6 seasons)
- 73 wins - Shauna Green (2022-present, 4 seasons)
- 73 wins - Jane Schroeder (1979-84, 5 seasons)
- 69 wins - Jolette Law (2007-12, 5 seasons)
- Illinois vs. North Texas: 2-0
- Shauna Green's coaching record vs. North Texas: 1-0
- Sunday's game was the first meeting in Champaign
- With its 10-1 start to the 2025-26 campaign, Illinois is off to its best start in over 40 years and has now tied its best start in program history (1980-81, 1981-82).
- Illinois extended its winning streak to a season-high eight games, its longest such streak since also winning eight straight from Jan. 23, 2025-Feb. 16, 2025.
- Illinois is now 8-0 when wearing white uniforms this season and are now 45-12 when doing so under Green.
- The Illini are 6-0 in day games (before 5 p.m.) this season and 36-22 under Green.
- Illinois is 3-0 in games played on Sundays this season and 23-14 under Green.
- Illinois is 4-0 in the month of December this season and 16-7 under Green when playing in December.
- Illinois is now 8-0 in home games this season and 46-11 under Shauna Green.
- Illinois is 21-8 during the 2025 calendar year.
