Short-handed due to injuries, Illinois eliminates Creighton

Field Level Media|published: Sat 22nd March, 21:47 2025

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

Limited to six players due to injuries, No. 8 seed Illinois secured its first NCAA Tournament win since 2000, defeating No. 9 Creighton 66-57 in the first round of the Birmingham 3 Region at Austin, Texas, on Saturday.

Illinois (22-9) was led by Genesis Bryant's 17 points and four assists and Kendall Bostic's 12 points and a season-high 17 rebounds. Bostic set a program record with her 54th career double-double.

Berry Wallace finished with 11 points and five rebounds and Adalia McKenzie added 14 points and seven rebounds as Illinois outrebounded Creighton (26-7) by a 42-32 margin. The Fighting Illini also outscored the Bluejays 32-22 in the paint.

Illinois, which shot 44.6 percent from the field and limited Creighton to 36.1 percent, snapped a four-game losing streak that included a first-round loss to Nebraska in the Big Ten tournament.

Morgan Maly sparked Creighton offensively with 18 points, while Lauren Jesen chipped in 17 points and Molly Mogensen notched a team-high eight rebounds and five assists.

--Field Level Media

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