University of Illinois
1-0,0-0Big Ten
Detroit Mercy
1-1,0-0Horizon
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Mercy | 14 | 18 | 7 | 11 | 50 |
| Illinois | 21 | 15 | 27 | 21 | 84 |
November 4, 2026 | Women's Basketball
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – No. 23/22 Illinois used a big second half to secure an 84-50 season-opening victory over Detroit Mercy at State Farm Center on Wednesday night.
The Fighting Illini outscored the Titans by a 48-18 margin over the final 20 minutes, while three Orange and Blue scorers finished in double figures.
Berry Wallace opened the year with the second double-double of her career, scoring 21 points while tying her career-high with 11 rebounds. Grabbing five offensive boards, Wallace also added two assists and two steals.
Cearah Parchment posted a 20-point double-double of her own, collecting 21 points on 9-for-11 shooting from the field and corralling 11 rebounds. She made a career-high four blocks and notched a steal.
Gretchen Dolan marked her return with 10 points, three rebounds, two assists, and a block. Destiny Jackson ended the night with seven points, a career-high-tying nine assists, five rebounds, and a block, while Aaliyah Guyton amassed nine points and three rebounds.
After the sides traded baskets across the first three minutes of play, the Illini used a 14-0 run over the next five-and-a-half minutes to grab a 21-6 lead. The Titans countered with an 8-0 scoring stretch to end the period, with Illinois holding a 21-14 edge after the opening frame.
Parchment reached the double-digit scoring mark midway through the second quarter, while the sides entered halftime with Illinois holding a 36-32 edge. Parchment led all scorers at the break with 12 first-half points.
The Illini started the second half with a 6-1 run to extend their lead to nine, and that advantage reached double digits once again at the halfway point in the period. A 19-2 Illini stretch to close the third quarter saw the home side enter the final frame with a 63-39 edge.
A 7-0 run midway through the fourth quarter put the Orange and Blue ahead by 30, with Parchment and Wallace both surpassing the 20-point scoring mark. Leading by as many as 35, the Illini closed out the victory to improve to 1-0 on the year.
Illinois (1-0) continues its season-opening three-game homestand on Saturday afternoon against Southern, with the Illini hosting the Jaguars at 2 p.m. CT on B1G+. Tickets are available at fightingillini.com/tickets.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE
POSTGAME NOTES
Player Notes:
- Cearah Parchment posted a team-high 22 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks, and a steal.
- Registered the 13th double-double of her career.
- Logged 20+ points for the eighth time in her career.
- Scored in double figures for the 26th time in her career.
- Reached that mark with 5:40 remaining in the second quarter.
- Grabbed double-digit rebounds for the 12th time.
- Set a new career-high with her four blocks.
- Went 9-for-11 from the field.
- Went 6-for-7 from the field in the first half.
- Berry Wallace turned in 21 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
- Recorded the second double-double of her career.
- Both double-doubles came in season openers.
- Secured the 17th 20-point scoring effort of her career.
- Posted double-digit points for the 45th time in her career.
- Has scored in double figures in each of the last 25 games.
- Tied her career-high with 11 rebounds.
- Had 10+ rebounds for the second time.
- Tied her career-high with five offensive rebounds.
- Recorded the second double-double of her career.
- Gretchen Dolan finished the night with 10 points, three rebounds, two assists, and a block.
- Tallied 10+ points for the 21st time in her career.
- Made her first appearance since Feb. 1 while earning her first start since Jan. 11.
- Destiny Jackson delivered seven points, nine assists, and five rebounds.
- Tied her career-high with her nine assists.
- Now has nine assists in three games across her career.
- Tied her career-high with her nine assists.
- Maddie Webber totaled four points, four rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
- Made her 100th collegiate appearance.
- Was the first Illini off the bench.
Team Notes:
- Illinois won the opening tip and scored on its first possession less than 10 seconds into the contest.
- Illinois started 4-for-4 from the field while making its first two 3-point attempts.
- The Illini went on a 14-0 run across the span of five-and-a-half minutes in the first quarter, during which they took a 21-6 lead and held the Titans to 0-for-7 shooting.
- Illinois used a 19-2 run over the final 6:22 in the third quarter to establish a 63-39 advantage.
- The Illini held the Titans to only three field goals in the frame.
- The first Illini off the bench was Maddie Webber, who checked in at 6:10 in the first quarter.
- Three Illini scored in double figures (Cearah Parchment [22], Berry Wallace [21], and Gretchen Dolan [10].
- Manuella Alves and Divine Bourrage made their Illinois debuts during the contest.
- Cearah Parchment (22 points, 11 rebounds) and Berry Wallace (21 points, 11 rebounds) are the first Illini teammates to post 20-point double-doubles (20+ points, 10+ rebounds) in the same game since Feb. 10, 2013, vs. Minnesota, when Adrienne GodBold (20 points, 10 rebounds) and Karisma Penn (22 points, 11 rebounds) did so.
- Parchment and Wallace are the first Big Ten teammates to achieve that feat since March 8, 2025, when USC's Kiki Iriafen (25 points, 11 rebounds) and JuJu Watkins (20 points, 11 rebounds) did so against Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals.
- The Illini outscored the Titans by 30 points (48-18) in the second half.
- Illinois held Detroit Mercy to 6-for-24 from the field across the final two quarters.
- Illinois won the rebounding battle by 30, 53-23.
- The Illini outrebounded the Titans by a 28-10 margin during that stretch.
- The Illini scored 18 second-chance points on 18 offensive rebounds.
- Illinois went 27-for-33 from the free-throw line.
- The Illini's 27 free throws are their most in a game since 2024.
- The Illini registered an assist on 21 of their 26 made field goals.
- Illinois never trailed in the contest, leading for the final 39:14.
Misc. Notes:
- Starters: Destiny Jackson, Jasmine Brown-Hagger, Gretchen Dolan, Berry Wallace, and Cearah Parchment.
- This lineup is now 1-0 this season.
- Shauna Green is now:
- 52-15 in home games at Illinois
- 86-47 at Illinois
- 213-97 as a Division I head coach
- 242-122 across her career
- 5-0 in season openers at Illinois and 10-1 in season openers at the Division I level
- Illinois all-time vs. Detroit Mercy: 3-1
- Shauna Green's career record vs. Detroit Mercy: 1-0
- Illinois has now won 10 straight season openers.
- Illinois is now 1-0 when wearing white uniforms this season and are now 53-14 when doing so under Green.
- The Illini are 1-0 in night games (after 5 p.m. local) this season and 44-21 under Green.
- Illinois is 1-0 in games played on Monday this season and 7-3 under Green.
- Illinois is 1-0 in the month of November this season and 24-5 under Green when playing in November.
- Illinois is 11-11 during the 2026 calendar year.
- Attendance was called at 4,010.
