Aging into a 3-point onslaught, the Fighting Illini surged to a victory over North Texas, powered by a scorching 64.7 percent from beyond the arc. In Champaign at the State Farm Center on Sunday afternoon, Illinois prevailed 81-69 to move to 10-1 on the season, matching the program’s best-ever start and marking their strongest opening stretch in more than four decades.
Three Illini reached double figures, led by Berry Wallace, who erupted for a career-high 28 points and pulled down nine rebounds. Wallace was flawless in the first half, going 4-for-4 from the field, and adding four offensive rebounds among her nine boards.
Gretchen Dolan contributed 19 points, five rebounds, and four assists, while Maddie Webber added 16 points, four rebounds, and three assists from the bench.
Illinois fed off its long-range shooting, burying 11 three-pointers on 17 attempts. Dolan was the standout from deep, knocking down four triples, with Wallace and Webber each adding three apiece.
How it unfolded
The Illini jumped ahead 9-7, then used a 7-0 burst to push their lead to 16-7 late in the first quarter. After the opening frame, Illinois held a 16-9 advantage, riding North Texas’ early turnovers (seven in the period) to capitalize with six points off those miscues.
Extending their lead to 33-22, Illinois opened the second quarter with a 7-0 run that included Wallace scoring on a key bucket to push the margin to 40-22. The Mean Green trimmed the deficit, but Illinois still led 42-28 at halftime. The Illini were sharp from three, finishing the period with five made triples and entering the break at 6-for-7 from deep.
Illinois maintained momentum after the break, pushing the lead to 62-42 with 53 seconds left in the third on a sequence that included more perimeter scoring. They carried a 63-44 edge into the final period, adding three more threes to reinforce the cushion.
In the fourth quarter, Illinois survived with strong defense and offensive rebounding, grabbing five offensive boards and converting them into seven second-chance points on 18 final-frame opportunities.
Looking ahead, Illinois wraps up its nonconference slate at home against Jackson State on December 19 at 6 p.m. CT at State Farm Center."
