Illini Women’s Basketball overcomes slow start to win season opener vs Detroit Mercy

Illini women’s basketball needed a half to find its rhythm, but once the Illini got going, Detroit Mercy had few answers.

The Illini opened their regular season with an 84-50 victory Wednesday night, turning what was an uneven first half into a dominant second-half performance. Illinois entered the break with a narrow 36-32 advantage after struggling to establish an offensive flow. The Illini committed 15 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes, missed several opportunities around the rim and allowed Detroit Mercy to hang around longer than expected.

The Titans took advantage of Illinois’ early mistakes, particularly on the defensive end, where some communication issues allowed Detroit Mercy to find openings. For a team coming into the season with plenty of expectations, it was not exactly the start Illinois wanted.

The halftime changes

Illinois outscored Detroit Mercy 48-18 in the second half, turning a four-point halftime lead into a 34-point victory. The Illini settled down offensively, took better care of the basketball and showed considerably more defensive intensity.

In fact, 15 of Illinois’ 18 turnovers came in the first half. The improvement after the break was just as important as the final score.

The biggest highlights came from Cearah Parchment and Berry Wallace, who each delivered double-doubles in impressive fashion. Parchment finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks while shooting an efficient 9-of-11 from the field. Wallace added 21 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and two assists, shooting 8-of-16 from the floor and knocking down two of her four attempts from three-point range.

Guyton, Parchment and Wallace came up huge for the Illini

Their performances also put them in some notable Illinois history. They became the first pair of Illini teammates to record 20-point double-doubles in the same game since February 2013.

Aaliyah Guyton provided another encouraging contribution off the bench, finishing with nine points and three rebounds. However, Illinois will likely want more production from its reserves moving forward. The remaining four bench players combined for just 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting.

Defensively, there were plenty of positives. Detroit Mercy shot just 30.9% from the field and struggled from the perimeter, making only five of its 19 three-point attempts. Illinois’ size and presence inside, particularly from Wallace and Parchment, made scoring difficult for the Titans as the game progressed.

There are certainly things for Illinois to clean up, particularly the first-half turnovers and the inconsistent bench production. But the response after the break was encouraging.

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