TUESDAY'S SCORES
@Illinois 91,
Southeast Missouri 67
@Western Illinois 116, Westminster College 46
ILLINOIS 91, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 67
CHAMPIGN, Ill. - Southeast Missouri Women's Basketball (0-1) fell to Illinois (1-0) by a final score of 91-67 at the State Farm Center on Tuesday. The Redhawks capitalized on free throws, scoring 24 points from the line, but could not overcome Illinois' 44 points in the paint.
Illinois took an early lead with Gretchen Dolan scoring two quick jumpers, assisted by Destiny Jackson, for a 4-2 advantage. The Redhawks responded with a jumper by Kearra Jones, reducing the deficit to 6-4, and Lexi McCully later scored again to keep the team within striking distance. Cearah Parchment of Illinois contributed with a layup and free throws, extending Illinois' lead to 12-4 midway through the quarter. McCully hit a three-pointer for the Redhawks in the final minute, cutting Illinois' lead to 17-15, but free throws by Hayven Smith secured a 19-15 lead for Illinois at the end of the quarter.
Maddie Webber's layup off a steal put Illinois ahead early in the quarter. Charmen Taylor responded with a jumper for Southeast Missouri, assisted by Noelani Dunn. Illinois maintained their momentum with points in the paint, highlighted by Berry Wallace's layups. Ainya Williams recorded a block for the Redhawks, but Illinois continued to extend their lead, finishing the quarter strong with Irene Noya Catoira's buzzer-beating layup.
Illinois started the quarter with efficient shooting, connecting on 11 of 16 baskets and building momentum with early shots in the paint. Taylor contributed with a layup and later assisted on teammates' plays, keeping the Redhawks alive in the third frame. Illinois capitalized on turnovers, with Destiny Jackson and Parchment leading the defensive efforts, resulting in four steals. Wallace and Webber were key contributors for Illinois, each adding points from the paint and helping extend the lead.
The Redhawks began with a successful free throw sequence by Aa'Mya Stacker, followed by Kearra Jones connecting on a three-pointer to narrow the deficit. Illinois maintained momentum with Webber's layup and a subsequent 3-pointer from Wallace, extending their lead. Madison Ayers contributed with consecutive free throws and a fast-break layup by Taylor to keep scoring pressure on Illinois. Illinois closed the quarter with a pair of free throws from Jasmine Brown-Hagger, securing a 91-67 victory.
WESTERN ILLINOIS 116, WESTMINSTER COLLEGE 46
MACOMB, Ill. - Western Illinois opened the 2025-26 season dominantly on Tuesday night, rolling to a 116-46 win over Westminster (MO) inside Western Hall. The Leathernecks controlled the game from the opening tip, forcing 26 turnovers and scoring 38 points off takeaways while shooting 54 percent from the field. The Leathernecks finished with 49 rebounds and outscored the Blue Jays 44-14 in the paint while adding 19 fast-break points. The WIU bench contributed 45 points in the win.
Mia Nicastro led the way with 26 points on 10-for-15 shooting, adding eight rebounds and three steals in 21 minutes. Raegan McCowan followed with 16 points and nine boards, while Kaylen Reed turned in an all-around performance of 10 points, six assists, and three steals with no turnovers. Mallory Shetley added 13 points and six rebounds off the bench, and Allie Meadows knocked down four threes to finish with 12.
Western Illinois used pressure defense early to establish momentum, forcing nine first-quarter turnovers and scoring 14 points off those mistakes in the opening period. Nicastro, Reed, and McCowan sparked a 10-0 run to push the lead into double digits less than four minutes into play, and the Leathernecks never trailed.
The second quarter saw continued balance, with Shetley and Bowman combining to stretch the advantage beyond 25 before halftime as WIU closed the half leading 56-26. Westminster's Gizelle Carreto led the visitors with 19 points, but the Blue Jays were limited to 2-for-15 from three and were out-rebounded 49-20.
Western Illinois put the game completely out of reach in the third, hitting five threes in the quarter and scoring 32 points while continuing to score in transition and second-chance situations. Nicastro scored eight during the stretch, while Meadows hit back-to-back threes to push the lead past 30.
Every Leatherneck who entered the game recorded at least one rebound or assist, and ten WIU players scored.