CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Fighting Illini (2-0) came out firing, particularly from long range, in the opening quarter against the Alcorn Braves (0-3) on Sunday afternoon, and never slowed their pace. On the strength of over 52 percent shooting behind the arc, Illinois pulled away to defeat Alcorn Women's Basketball, 90-59, closing out the Braves' three-game road swing at the State Farm Center.
The Fighting Illini jumped out to an 8-0 start on the afternoon, but the Braves responded with a
Destiny Brown layup and Nia Cheatham three-pointer to trim the deficit to just three points. However, that is as low as it would go for Alcorn, as Illinois closed the period on a 15-5 run, pressed by three long-range buckets. The Braves were limited to just 26.7 percent shooting in the opening frame.
The scoring drought for Alcorn extended to the 7:34 mark of the second period, when
Cayla Obillo knocked down a pair of free throws to get the Braves back on the board. However, it was the middle of the period before an
Ashanti Backus' three got the offense moving, leading to a 51-25 Fighting Illini advantage at the half.
Coming out of the locker room and reversing the flow, Alcorn put down a pair of free throws and the first three buckets of the second half, opening the third period on a 13-2 run; Brown and Backus accounting for 11 of those points. However, just before the midpoint, Illinois retook control of the momentum by dropping the next three baskets, ending the period up by 21.
Illinois kept a firm grasp on control in the fourth frame, extending their lead into the final result at 90-59.
Despite past efforts suggesting an inside game for Illinois, they put away 12 shots from long range and shot 52.2 percent from distance, on top of 45.2 from the field. Leading the charge with 21 points, Makira Cook went 8-for-13, including 4-for-5 from three, while also collecting a team-high nine rebounds and five assists. Illinois moved the ball around, garnering 16 assists in the early-season contest.
For the Braves, Brown and Backus topped the scoring, both in double-figures at 13 and 11, respectively. In just 13 minutes and coming off the bench, Backus was a spark with 4-for-4 shooting while going 2-for-2 from the line. Brown matched Cheatham with five boards to lead the Alcorn rebounding efforts.
Overall, Alcorn shot 36.8 percent from the floor and 40 percent from long range.
Alcorn looks forward to the opportunity of playing in the friendly confines of Davey L. Whitney Complex for the first time in the 2022-23 season, with the home opener coming up next on Nov. 16 at 6 p.m., hosting Arkansas Baptist.
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