MINNEAPOLIS — Sure, Purdue completed an historic comeback against the Badgers.
And yes, Rutgers had eight players.
But there was no letdown for Shauna Green and company.
There was no taking the foot off the gas.
The University of Illinois won its first contest in the 2023 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, jettisoning Rutgers 81-55.
In the building, the sparse but passionate Illini faithful buzzed passionately. The NBA arena that hasn’t seen a ton of virtuoso performances in recent vintage saw two from the Illini galaxy.
Makira Cook paced the squad with 24 points on 10-of-13 shooting, while Genesis Bryant scored 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting.