Wallace and Parchment lead Illinois past Rutgers 76-56

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Berry Wallace scored 21 points and Cearah Parchment added 20 and the Illinois women's basketball team knocked off the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 76-56 at home Tuesday.

The Fighting Illini (18-8, 8-7) had two players score in double figures, led by Wallace, who had 21 points and nine rebounds. Parchment added a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds and Destiny Jackson added four points, eight assists and two steals. Lety Vasconcelos turned in a career-high nine points with four boards.

Illinois did a stellar job taking care of the basketball, dishing out 24 assists while turning the ball over just 12 times. Jackson's eight assists were the most for the Illini. Jasmine Brown-Hagger also added with five assists of her own.

Illinois' defense held Rutgers to only 38.9 percent shooting from the field, including 26.7 percent from beyond the arc. The Scarlet Knights did not have much luck cleaning up their misses on the offensive glass either, as they finished with six offensive rebounds and managed three second chance points while Illinois cleared 29 defensive rebounds.

How It Happened

After falling behind 8-6, Illinois went on a 5-0 run with 3:47 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Wallace, to take an 11-8 lead. The Orange and Blue then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with a 14-12 advantage. Illinois relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down three shots to account for nine of its 14 points.

Illinois kept its first quarter lead intact before going on a 12-0 run starting at the 9:22 mark in the second period, highlighted by a bucket from Lety Vasconcelos, to increase its lead to 26-12. The Illini kept that lead for the remainder of the period and enjoyed a 35-21 advantage heading into halftime. Illinois dominated in the paint, scoring 16 of its 21 points close to the basket.

Illinois continued to preserve its halftime lead before going on a 10-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Wallace, to expand its lead further to 45-23 with 6:02 to go in the third. Before the third period was over, the Fighting Illini added five points to that lead and entered the fourth quarter with a 60-33 edge. Illinois played well near the basket, scoring 14 of its 25 points in the paint.

Illinois kept its lead intact before going on a 7-0 run, finished off by Wallace's jumper, to grow the lead to 69-39 with 5:49 to go in the contest. The Scarlet Knights narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Fighting Illini still cruised the rest of the way for the 76-56 win. Illinois took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring eight of its 16 points in the paint.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE

POSTGAME NOTES

Player Notes:

• Berry Wallace turned in a team-leading 21 points, nine rebounds, a block, and a steal.

  • Posted her 24th outing with double-digit points this season and the 36th such game of her career.

    • Has scored in double figures in each of the last 16 games.

  • Recorded her 14th 20-point game of the season.

    • With 14 20-point games, Wallace is now tied for fourth in the Big Ten for such games this season.

• Cearah Parchment posted 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, a block, and four steals.

  • Secured the 10 double-doubles of her season/of her career.

    • Parchment's 10 double-doubles this season are tied for the third-most among all NCAA rookies and lead the Big Ten.

  • Tallied 10+ points for the 18th time this season/in her career.

    • Has scored in double figures in eight straight games and in 10 of the last 11.

    • Moved into 8th place on the program's freshman season scoring list (347).

  • Scored 20+ points for the fifth time of the season.

  • Grabbed 10+ rebounds for the ninth time.

    • Has double-digit boards in six of the last eight contests.

    • Moved into fourth place on the program's freshman season rebounding list (221).

  • Extended her streak to 25 straight games with 5+ total rebounds.

• Destiny Jackson logged 4 points, eight assists, and two steals.

  • Totaled double-digit points for the 10th time.

  • Dished out 6+ assists for fourth straight game and for the fifth time in the last six games.

    • Remained in second place on the program's freshman season assist list (135).

• Aaliyah Guyton finished with 9 points, a rebound, two assists, and a steal.

  • Continued her hot streak from behind the arc, making her first 2 attempts for 8 straight makes across the last two games.

  • Combined to shoot 9-for-13 from deep the last two games.

• Maddie Webber totaled nine points, four boards, three assists and a block.

  • Eighth game this season with 3+ assists.

  • Most rebounds grabbed in a game since Jan. 18 vs. Northwestern (5).

  • Recorded her eighth block of the year.

• Jasmine Brown Hagger recorded a season-high five assists, three rebounds, and a steal.

  • Five assists is her most since December 2024 vs. Southern.

• Lety Vasconcelos registered a career-high nine points and grabbed four rebounds.

  • Grabbed multiple offensive rebounds for the seventh time this season.

    • Has 2+ offensive boards in three of the last five games.

Team Notes:

• Illinois won the opening tip, however Rutgers scored first on its opening possession.

  • Illinois won the jump ball for the first time since 12/28/26 at Purdue.

• The first Illini off the bench was Maddie Webber, who checked in at 4:23 in the first quarter.

• Illinois' first three made field goals of the game came from 3-point range.

• Illinois scored the first 12 points of the second quarter, holding Rutgers scoreless for 5:51 to open the frame.

  • The run pushed Illinois out to a 26-12 lead.

• Two Illini scored in double figures (Berry Wallace [21], Cearah Parchment [20]).

• All eight Illini that played in the first half scored at least a field goal.

• Illinois held Rutgers to single digits in the second quarter, marking the eighth different team Illinois has limited to single digits in a frame this season.

• Rutgers' 21 first-half points are the fewest Illinois has allowed in a Big Ten game this season.

  • Fewest first half points Illinois has allowed since 12/19/25 vs. Jackson State when the Lady Tigers were held to 10 points through 20 minutes.

• Illinois went on a 10-0 run over 2:56 in the third quarter, pushing its lead to 45-23.

• The Fighting Illini won the battle of the paint, 40-24 over Rutgers.

  • Illinois has now scored 40+ points in the paint in five straight games, the longest stretch of the season.

• Illinois held Rutgers to 56 points on the game, the fewest the Illini have allowed a Big Ten foe score this season.

  • 56 points by an opponent is the fewest this season since holding Jackson State to 43.

Misc. Notes:

• Starters: Destiny Jackson, Aaliyah Guyton, Jasmine Brown-Hagger, Berry Wallace, and Cearah Parchment.

  • This lineup is now 4-3 this season.

• Shauna Green is now:

  • 51-14 in home games
  • 38-31 in Big Ten play
  • 81-43 at Illinois
  • 208-93 as a Division I head coach
  • 237-118 across her career

• Current season attendance: 92,229 (second-best all-time)

  • 1. 104,635 (1999-2000)
  • 2. 92,229 (CURRENT)
  • 3. 84,437 (2024-25)
  • 4. 81,473 (1998-99)
  • 5. 68,833 (1997-98)

• The Illini's single-season attendance of 92,229 is the best under head coach Shauna Green and the second-best mark in program history.

  • Illinois still has one regular-season game remaining at State Farm Center this season.

• Illinois vs. Rutgers: 7-9

  • Shauna Green's coaching record vs. Rutgers: 6-0

• Illinois is now 13-1 when wearing white uniforms this season and are now 50-13 when doing so under Green.
• The Illini are 7-5 in night games (after 5 p.m. local) this season and 40-18 under Green.
• Illinois is 4-0 in games played on Tuesdays this season and 6-1 under Green.
• Illinois is 3-2 in the month of February this season and 15-11 under Green when playing in February.
• Illinois is now 13-3 in home games this season and 51-14 under Shauna Green.
• Illinois is 6-7 during the 2026 calendar year.