Illini come up short against red-hot Florida State Seminoles
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (BVM) — The Illini women鈥檚 basketball team lost a tough battle against the No. 25-ranked Florida State Seminoles in Thursday鈥檚 contest. The 67-58 finish saw the Seminoles control the majority of the game and pull off the victory in Champaign, Illinois.聽
The Illini were coming off a 10-point loss to Middle Tennessee, and extended their losing streak to four games after the contest with Florida State. The Illini now sit at a 3-4 record, but Illinois has a lot of fight left in the tank for the remainder of the season.聽
Florida State entered the game as a clear favorite, but the gritty Illinois squad showed up to play.聽
Early in the game, Illini guard De’Myla Brown came off the bench and was able to serve as a floor general for the team. The task of matching Florida State鈥檚 energy from the tip was clearly a part of the game plan for the Fighting Illini. One of FSU鈥檚 clear advantages on paper is its height, but the team failed to use that edge early in the game. After the first quarter, the game was tied at 15 and both teams had yet to find their groove on either side of the ball.
The second period began with a clear lack of scoring over the first few minutes, but both teams gathered to establish solid ball movement and spacing on offense. However, the Seminoles were able to share the ball more effectively, producing 10 assisted buckets through the first two quarters as opposed to the Illini鈥檚 four. This allowed Florida State to produce a small lead by the half.
At the midpoint of the game, FSU had outshot the Illini, making shots at nearly a 42% clip, while the Illini shot a lowly 31%. The low scoring affair to that point saw FSU with a minor 33-28 lead by the intermission, although Florida State did not appear dominant to that point.聽
Out of the half, the Illini were able to increase their tempo and tie the game at 37 in the third quarter. It was evident that the Illini were benefiting at this point of the game from their slight advantage on the boards and more free throw opportunities than their opponent. Even so, the effective shooting of the Seminoles was helping FSU re-establish the lead, finishing the period with a five-point advantage, 49-44.聽
In the final quarter of the contest, Illinois was scoreless until just under seven minutes were remaining. During those first few minutes, the Seminoles were able to make positive gains on offense, with their largest lead of the game being 58-44. During the final few minutes, the Illini showed tremendous fight and brought the game to within a few points, but the Seminoles proved to be too much for the Illini to handle. By the end of regulation, Illinois finished down nine points, with FSU winning 67-58.聽
While the Illini were incapable of pulling off the rally, the team was able to turn to a few positive efforts. Those were the performances of key players on the squad, in Aliyah Nye, Jada Peebles and Brown.聽
Nye led the Illini in scoring, finishing with a stat line of 17 points, three rebounds and one assist. Her efforts in the scoring column were clearly impressive, but her impact was seen all over the court.聽
Peebles and Brown were also dynamic for the Illini, finishing with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Both players additionally proved able to stop the Seminoles on the other side of the ball, as they were able to force turnovers throughout the game. The stingy defense of these two Illini standouts is majorly responsible for keeping the game within reach for Illinois.
Illini head coach Nancy Fahey is sure to find ways to clean up the mistakes this week in practice, as Illinois had trouble holding on to the ball. During Thursday鈥檚 game, the Illini gave up 23 turnovers, a mark that will make it difficult for any team to win a game, especially against a premier opponent.聽聽
Stay tuned with the Illini women鈥檚 basketball team when they face Eastern Kentucky on Dec. 5 in Champaign, Illinois at the State Farm Center.
