Illini Women's Basketball Falls Short Against Nebraska in Big Ten Tournament

The Illini pushed themselves to the brink against the Cornhuskers, but their last-gasp efforts weren't enough

Feb 25, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Adalia McKenzie (24) drives to the basket in the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the second half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

At the end of the day – and at the end of yet another game – the Illinois women's basketball team simply ran out of gas.

Again relying on a six-player rotation, and with Adalia McKenzie and Kendall Bostic playing wire to wire, the Illini let a second-half lead slip away Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, falling to Nebraska 74-70 in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.

Can @IlliniWBB close out the Huskers?

Got a battle going on @BigTenNetwork!#B1GWBBT pic.twitter.com/WYGVSEzoRv

— Big Ten Conference (@bigten) March 7, 2025

The loss was the fourth in a row for Illinois (21-9, 11-7 Big Ten), which ranked as high as No. 19 earlier this season but has been running on fumes and little more than willpower since January, when starting point guard Mikra Cook and double-digit scorer Gretchen Dolan were ruled out for the season because of injuries.

"This game just comes down to the fourth quarter and really our last five minutes again," said Illinois coach Shauna Green after the loss to the Cornhuskers, whom the Illini toppled in Champaign late last month for their last win. "It's something we've struggled with the last few games. We were leading going into the fourth, then we give up a seven-point run in the fourth quarter. ... That can't happen."

McKenzie, who had 16 points and 10 assists Thursday for her second double-double of the season, and Bostic, who had 19 points and hit nine of her first 10 shots from the field against Nebraska, couldn't have given more of themselves. Each played the full 40 minutes – the ninth time Bostic has played that many minutes in a game and the fourth time in six games for McKenzie.

Genesis Bryant, who had a game-high 20 points, was Illinois' other marathon woman, playing 38 minutes Thursday after going the full 40 in three of her previous four games. She added five assists, three rebounds and three steals.

Bryant also nailed four of her first six three-point attempts, and it was her offensive burst that kept the Illini from a total fourth-quarter collapse. After a 7-0 NU run that cut Illinois' lead to one with 4:49 to play, Bryant went on a mini binge, sinking a three and four free throws.

But she alone couldn't keep up with the Cornhuskers. After the 8:16 mark, Bryant's seven points was the only scoring for the Illini, save for a few too-little-too-late free throws from Jasmine Brown-Hagger.

At this stage of the season, the Illini – undersized, undermanned and utterly out of breath – couldn't close the deal to push into the next tournament round.

"Everything we've been talking about is finishing plays, getting those rebounds," Green said. "It's why we lost the Michigan game, and we did the same thing tonight. We got stops and down the stretch could not get the rebound. You just can't win in March when you're doing those things."

Illinois now awaits Selection Sunday on March 16 to learn where it fits into the NCAA Tournament field. With nearly two weeks of rest ahead, the Illini, last season's WBIT champions, will recharge and find out whether they have another run in them.

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