Illinois Women's Basketball Rallies Late to Send Penn State Packing

Genesis Bryant and Adalia McKenzie led the Illini to a 24-7 fourth-quarter edge and 67-55 win over the Nittany Lions

Illinois senior guard Adalia McKenzie (24) drives for a layup against Penn State in the Illini's 67-55 win Thursday at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. | University of Illinois athletics

It was far from a pretty first three quarters for Illinois.

Down 48-43 at home on Thursday against Penn State, which had entered the game with a 1-12 record in Big Ten play – the Illini women needed a significant fourth-quarter push to avoid a dismal loss.

Then they got it.

Credit guards Genesis Bryant (eight fourth-quarter points) and Adalia McKenzie (six fourth-quarter points) for helping Illinois close the gap and then pull away in the final quarter before forward Brynn Shoup-Hill and guard Jasmine Brown-Hagger iced the game with free throws to secure a 67-55 win at State Farm Center in Champaign.

With the victory, the Illini extended their win streak to seven and moved to 20-5 overall (10-4 Big Ten), while the Nittany Lions fell to 10-15 (1-13).

McKenzie, who was able to get into the paint at will and either finish at the rim or earn trips to the charity stripe, paced the Illini with 19 points and eight rebounds.

And she does it again 😤@AdaliaMckenzie makes the layup and is sent to the line.

2:30 Q4 | #Illini 58, Penn State 53

📺 - B1G+ pic.twitter.com/oBDXMz9Mjh

— Illinois Women's Basketball (@IlliniWBB) February 14, 2025

Bryant added 18 points and six assists, doing much of her damage from beyond the arc (4-for-9), while adding a pair of steals on the other end.

A human highlight reel 😈@genesisbryant_ is her.

5:31 Q4 | #Illini 54, Penn State 50

📺 - B1G+ pic.twitter.com/DBynfQ38kQ

— Illinois Women's Basketball (@IlliniWBB) February 14, 2025

The margin of victory didn't come close to reflecting how much Illinois struggled to gain control. Penn State's size advantage paid dividends on the glass, where they out-rebounded the home squad 43-34. Nittany Lions sophomore center Gracie Merkle, at 6-foot-6, posed problems for the Illini all night, going for 15 points and 10 rebounds against an Illinois squad who’s tallest active player on Thursday was the 6-foot-3 Shoup-Hill.

But in the fourth quarter, the Illini found an answer for Merkle and the Penn State offense, holding the visitors to just seven points and forcing four turnovers. The Illini's ability to force Nittany Lions miscues, in fact, told the story of the game as Illinois finished with a plus-10 turnover margin.

Illinois now turns its attention to Nebraska (17-8, 8-6 Big Ten) for Sunday’s home matchup (4 p.m. CT, Big Ten Network). Then follows a massive two-game road trip through Los Angeles, where the Illini tangle with the top two teams in the conference – and two of the best in the country – in No. 1 UCLA and No. 6 USC.

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