CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Kendall Bostic capped her second-career double-double with one of the all-time rebounding performances in Illinois program history, while Aaliyah Nye tied her career high with five three-pointers, to spark the Fighting Illini (4-4) in a 71-57 victory over Eastern Kentucky (2-4) on Sunday afternoon at State Farm Center.
Bostic, in addition to 12 points, two steals and two blocks, pulled down 22 rebounds, the third-most in a single-game in Illinois women's basketball history. Her 22-rebound performance marked the most by an Illini player in almost 42 seasons dating back to Martha Hutchinson's 23-rebound game vs Indiana State on Jan. 24, 1980.
Nye finished as the team's leading scorer, pouring in 15 of her 16 points on 5-for-11 shooting from beyond the arc, while knocking down one of her two free-throw attempts. Jada Peebles added 12 points of her own with four three-pointers, while Geovana Lopes tallied a season-high 10 points and while chipping in with four rebounds.
Eastern Kentucky opened the game 7-0, and led 23-17 after the first quarter. But the Illini defense held the Colonels scoreless for the for the first 7:14 of the second period and the Illini offense exploded for a 17-0 run to gain a lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game.
The Orange and Blue combined to outscore EKU 45-20 in the second (22-9) and third (23-11) quarters, before eventually pushing the lead to more than 20 points midway through the fourth.
Jayla Johnson (20 points) and Ariel Kirkwood (10) led the EKU offense. The duo also pulled down seven rebounds each, one behind Bria Bass for the team lead
The Fighting Illini now turn their attention to the first Big Ten matchup of the season, traveling to East Lansing, Mich., for a 6 p.m. CT tipoff vs. Michigan State at Breslin Center on Thursday night.
TEAM NOTES
- The Fighting Illini improve to 4-4 overall and 1-0 all-time in the series vs. Eastern Kentucky.
- Illinois opened the second quarter on a 17-0 run and didn't allow EKU to score their first points until the 2:46 mark of the period.
- The second quarter finished with a 22-9 scoring advantage for the Illini, marking the fewest points given up in a single quarter by the Illini since allowing only two points in last March's opening-round victory over Wisconsin at the Big Ten Tournament.
- The Illini offense knocked down a season-most 11 three-pointers, eclipsing the team's previous high of nine vs. UC Riverside (11/21/21).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Sophomore F Kendall Bostic recorded her second-career double-double, finishing with 12 points and 22 rebounds.
- Bostic's 22 rebounds are the third-most in program history, and most by an Illini in a single game since Martha Hutchinson recorded 23 in a win over game vs Indiana State (1/24/80) during the 1979-80 season, a span of nearly 42 years.
- Bostic's double-digit rebounding game marks her fifth such game of the season. She entered the game ranked third in the Big Ten and 28th nationally at 10.0 rebounds per game.
- Sophomore G Aaliyah Nye tallied 16 points, reaching double-figures scoring for the fifth time this season and the 12th time in her first 26-career games as an Illini.
- Nye knocked down five three-pointers, tying her career-high total set earlier this season vs. UC Riverside (11/21/21).
- Senior F Geovana Lopes scored a season-most 10 points, and finished just two points shy of her career-high.
- Junior G Jada Peebles, the Illini's leading scorer from last season, tallied 12 points to reach double-figures scoring for the second-consecutive game, and the third time overall this season. Peebles knocked down a season-best four three-pointers.
- Freshman G Jayla Oden returned to the court after missing the previous four games due to injury, and tallied two points, four rebounds, one assist and two steals in 11 minutes off the bench.
HIGHLIGHTS
PRESS CONFERENCE
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Bostic, Nye Fuel Illini Win vs. Eastern Kentucky - University of Illinois Athletics - Fighting Illini
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