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Three Key Observations From Illinois WBB's 64-59 Defeat at Oregon State

The Illini (2-1) fought hard on the road and encouragingly won some battles against a quality Beavers squad but ultimately fell short
Pranav Hegde|
Feb 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Shauna Green during the third quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
Feb 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Shauna Green during the third quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The Illinois women's basketball team suffered its first loss of the season Friday, falling 64-59 on the road to Oregon State in a matchup defined by big momentum swings, physical play and late-game execution. The Illini held a lead in the second half and matched the Beavers on the glass, but two OSU scoring runs in the fourth ultimately proved decisive.

Even so, the performance featured real positives from a young squad that Illini coach Shauna Green can continue to build on. Here are three takeaways from Illinois' defeat Friday in Corvallis:

1. Berry Wallace is an opponent's matchup nightmare

For the third straight game, Wallace played like a headlining scorer. She poured in 24 points on an efficient 8-for-16 shooting from the field, added two threes and went a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. Twenty of her points came in the second half, when she logged all 20 minutes and consistently delivered when the Illini offense needed stability.

Wallace wasn’t just scoring – she was creating pressure possessions by attacking closeouts, cutting hard and extending plays with five offensive rebounds. OSU had no consistent answer for her isolation attacks or her mid-post game. Through three games, Wallace is showing she can be a first-option scorer against high-major defenses – and Illinois hasn't had a player with that type of three-level-scoring reliability in several seasons.

2. Illinois’ best three-point shooting night kept them in the game

Coming into Corvallis, Illinois had struggled from deep, but Friday brought a breakthrough. The Illini shot 8-for-19 from three (42.1 percent), and it helped keep them hang tight with the Beavers throughout. Cearah Parchment’s career-high 14 points came largely behind a 4-for-6 performance from beyond the arc, and Wallace, Destiny Jackson and Aaliyah Guyton each added threes.

Oregon State packed the paint and urged Illinois into jumpers early, and the Illini's shooters (finally) made a defense pay. Those threes kept the Beavers from running away during multiple OSU bursts and allowed Illinois to erase deficits that could have grown into double digits. If Illinois can maintain even moderate consistency from behind the arc moving forward, the spacing will unlock cleaner driving lanes for Wallace, Dolan and Jackson – and elevate the team’s offensive ceiling considerably.

3. Illinois' late-game execution isn't up to par

The Illini did enough “winning things" to put themselves in position to steal a road victory. They outrebounded OSU (31-30), dominated the offensive glass (14-5) and controlled second-chance points (9-2). They also gave away only nine turnovers – a strong number for a young backcourt playing in its first road environment.

But in the final eight minutes, Oregon State executed more cleanly. The Beavers strung together two separate 6-0 runs, while Illinois struggled to generate quality looks in the halfcourt and became too reliant on tough, late-clock jumpers. The defensive effort and rebounding traveled, and the threes finally fell – but the final possessions didn’t come together. But for a still-forming rotation built around sophomores and freshmen in key roles, these are the exact types of high-value learning moments that pay off in January and February.

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Pranav Hegde
PRANAV HEGDE

Primarily covers Illinois football, basketball and golf, with an emphasis on news, analysis and features. Hegde, an electrical engineering student at Illinois with an affinity for sports writing, has been writing for On SI since April 2025. He can be followed and reached on Instagram @pranavhegde__.

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